I want to become a society lady Rockin' a new rock?!

A private island—owned by family since 1898—set the stage for a beautiful wedding editorial. Photography and planning by Kayla Dutcher and Lindsey Taylor with vibrant florals by Aysel Cristian Floral Atelier. And you know we love a good floral-adorned boat send-off! See all the details in the lovely images below.

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Photography & Planning: Kayla Dutcher / Lindsey Taylor // Florist: Aysel Cristian Floral Atelier // Stationery: Shine Wedding Invitations // Venue: Private Island Estate on Fox Lake, IL // Hair & Makeup: Dani of Hannah Elisabeth Beauty // Dress Boutique: Dame Couture // Shoes: Bella Belle // Bowtie + Suspenders: Hopper and Luxe // Bakery: Oh La La Boulangerie // Models: Whitney + Patrick Nalepka // Rentals: Chicago Vintage Weddings // Ring Box: The Mrs. Box

 

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Jake and Cindy’s wedding planned and designed by Milk Events is soft and romantic and totally dreamy. Set at Greystone Mansion with florals by City Flowers LA and two gorgeous gowns, the day is something to dream about and it’s all here in these stunning images by  Kristina Adams Photography

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From the bride: Our story began in beautiful sunny California when our paths crossed on that fateful day when Jake was on holiday. The moment we met, we knew there was something special. With Jake in the Big Apple and myself in the Golden State, the idea of a coast to coast relationship was a challenge we faced head on because we knew it will be worth it. The real possibility of happily ever after with Jake came along when my dream of becoming a NYU grad student because a reality and off I went to NYC! Five years later, we got to celebrate our forever love in the state we fell in love with the people we love most.

For our wedding, we wanted to celebrate our coast-to-coast love. What better way to celebrate than making a full circle by coming back to California with New York City style. Our “California meets New York” theme naturally came to light by combining elements from our beloved home states to create a feel for our guests that provided a “relaxed but timeless” vibe. We brought in classic New York elements of traditional elegance, chic, sophistication into a very laid back, outdoor, sunny, charming Californian venue all with hints of modern elements.

Photography: Kristina Adams Photography // Planning and Design: Milk Events // Floral Design: City Flowers LA // Stationery: Milk Events // Venue: Greystone Mansion // Videography: Emma Lynn Cinema // Ceremony Gown: Vera Wang // Reception Gown: Kitty Chen // Hair and makeup: Sherilyn Beauty // Rentals: MTB Event Rentals // Catering: Silver Services // Photo Booth: Pixster Photo Booth // Ring Box: The Mrs. Box

 

The old world charm of the historical Swan House offers the perfect backdrop for this southern wedding inspired shoot. The mix of traditional and modern elements combine beautifully and allow each detail to shine From the modern lounge area to the champagne tower, an amazing group of vendors—including designer Rachael Ellen Events, florist Shean Strong and stationer Ink and Press Co —came together to create this gorgeous inspiration—perfect for a micro wedding or New Year soiree. Check out all the beautiful details in these stunning images by Troy Meikle Photo

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Photographer: Troy Meikle Photo // Design: Rachael Ellen Events // Florals: Shean Strong // Paper goods: Ink and Press Co // Venue: The Swan House at the Atlanta History Center // HMU: Katie Gurley // Gown: Gossamer // Rentals: Mayker Creative // Linens: I do Linens // Tabletop: Table Made Co // Models: Ursula Wiedmann Models // Film Lab: Photovision Prints

 

Jenn and Geoff’s boho vow renewal at Nautilus is EXACTLY the kind of energy we’re taking into 2021. Full of  love, smiles, personal style and some party-ready glam. Designer-planner Ashley Zuppas from The House of Gather led the team of vendors which included Simple FloralsLilliput Design and Cloud 9 Bakery. Check out all the fabulous details in these images by Catherine Coons.

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Jenn and Geoff Hardcastle celebrated 5 years of being married by renewing their vows on the rooftop of  Nautilus South Beach, the views of the Atlantic Ocean were breathtaking and the moments were unforgettable. They knew they wanted to do it right, so they brought together a rockstar team of Miami vendors to customize the memory. Wedding planner and designer, The House of Gather, teamed up with Simple Florals and Catherine Coons Photography to create a magical, modern-bohemian style event for the couple to exchange vows on their special day.

The House of Gather hand-built a custom raw wood altar which was adorned with dried palms by Simple Florals, she wanted the design to be minimal and organic and to complement the beauty of Miami’s shoreline. Simple Florals customized dried floral hairpieces, a dried crown for the bride’s hat and arrangements that were natural, sophisticated, and garden-inspired. Lovely Bride Miami provided the gorgeous gown by Tara Lauren, the bride loved that it was romantic, fresh with an elevated bohemian feel. The coolest accessory of all was a handcrafted pearl luxury turban by the local designer MaryJane Claverol. Other magical moments included custom-designed paper goods by Lilliput Design Studio, a video to bring it all to life by the incredible VMF Photo, the ever so talented hair and makeup artist Mariana from Marlicious Makeup, a yummy cake by Cloud 9 Bakery, and beautiful wood tables and benches by Simple Rustic.

Our favorite part of the day as the vendor team was seeing the confidence and love radiate from this couple, even more than the day they said I do. They shared with us what marriage meant to them, Jenn beautifully states –  “It’s having someone on the journey with you to walk in the same direction towards the same vision, all the while knowing that person has your back and loves you back just as much as you love them. No relationship is perfect, it requires work, forgiveness, persistence, and lots of love.”

Jenn + Geoff | Nautilus Hotel South Beach Elopement | Styled Shoot from VMF Film Co. on Vimeo.

Designer/ Planner: Ashley Zuppas from The House of Gather // Photography: Catherine Coons // Florals: Monica Delgado from Simple Florals // Paper Goods: Cristina Fundora from Lilliput Design // Venue: Nautilus // Video: Victoria Fregoso from VMF Photo // Hair/ Makeup: Mariana from Marlicious Makeup // Cake: Kristen from Cloud 9 Bakery // Dress: Carina from Lovely Bride // Designer: Tara Lauren // Turban: Maryjane Clairol Accessories // Rentals: Antoni Christos from Simple Rustic

 

designer/ planner @thehouseofgather // photography @catherinecoons // florals @simpleflorals // paper goods @lilliputdesign // venue @nautilusbyarlo // video @vmfphotofilm // hair/ makeup @marliciousmakeup // cake @cloud9bakery // dress @lovelybridemiami @tara_lauren // turban @maryjane_claverol_accessories // rentals @simplerustic

Lauren grew up in the St. Louis area and Matthew grew up in Omaha. They both attended college on the east coast and eventually moved to Manhattan and fell in love with the New York city. “One of the most special aspects of our wedding weekend was the privilege of sharing our little version of New York City with our friends and family from out of town,” explains the bride. With the help Classic Events NYC they hosted a weekend of NYC fun that culminated with a rooftop wedding in Tribeca. Photographer Heather Waraksa captures all the beautiful  custom details—and a vibrant emerald palette—in these lovely images.

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What made the wedding special and unique?

I grew up in the St. Louis area and my husband, Matthew, grew up in Omaha. We both attended college on the east coast and eventually moved to Manhattan, where we fell in love with the city. One of the most special aspects of our wedding weekend was the privilege of sharing our little version of New York City with our friends and family from out of town. We hosted both our Welcome Party and Wedding on different rooftops of NYC (the NoMad Hotel and Tribeca Rooftop), which both offered a bird’s eye view of our city. The whole weekend felt like we had just met our nearest and dearest at a great restaurant for a fun night out.

Tell us about the gown and where/how you found it!

Choosing my wedding gown was the toughest selection in the process. I went to over 20 bridal salon appointments and just could not seem to pull the trigger. My family jokes that I must have tried on every gown in all of New York City. In large part, many of the gowns felt very sweet or costume-y to me, nothing really seemed to reflect “me.” After an exhausting search, a girlfriend of mine offered to make an appointment for me with the bridal consultant she had worked with at Oscar de la Renta. As soon as I walked into the store, I immediately felt more at ease with the focused selection and an aesthetic and designer that I already knew I loved. As soon as I put on the silk faille “Hayden” dress, the pieces really came together for me­ –not just for the gown, but for the whole event. The Hayden was highly tailored yet feminine, with a bit of a surprise in the back of the dress. The gown honesty felt very similar to the type of neckline and style I would wear in my normal life, which made me feel more authentic on the big day.

What were some touches added to make the wedding personal?

We held our rehearsal dinner and welcome party on the roof of the NoMad Hotel. The hotel is one of our favorite spots to grab drinks and it also happens to have a gorgeous, tented event space on the rooftop. As our wedding was held at Tribeca Rooftop, we loved having a consistent rooftop theme throughout the weekend. At the Welcome Party, we distributed a special wedding weekend goodie as a takeaway for our wedding guests. Everyone close to me knows that I drink a lot of coffee and that I love New York City, so we created a custom coffee mug with our wedding logo, which was a sketch of the city building where our wedding would take place, and filled them with a little bag of chocolate covered espresso beans and a welcome note from us. It was a special way to gift a takeaway that felt meaningful and personal, but also useful, for our guests who had traveled to spend the weekend with us (it also fit easily into their carry-ons!).

My father and I are very close and, unfortunately, I never got the chance to meet either of his parents; they both passed away before I was born. To honor them and my dad, my mom wore the dress that my dad’s mother wore to their wedding to our rehearsal dinner/welcome party. The dress happened to be a shade of green, which was a theme throughout our whole wedding weekend. It was incredibly special for my whole family to have her carry a piece of my father’s heritage into our wedding weekend.

I have been so fortunate to have a wonderful and loving family and a true support system my whole life, I really wanted our wedding to reflect those close bonds. To achieve this, our wedding was officiated by my father’s best friend since childhood. It was a very special moment for me and Matthew, but also for my whole family.

What was the most memorable part of the day?

Even though Matthew and I did a first look and had already seen each other before the ceremony, I think the most memorable part for both of us was finally coming together on that rooftop. All of the stress of planning, the anxiety of anticipation, the nerves…it all melted away when we finally saw each other on that rooftop.

Tell us how you met.

How we met is a bit of a funny story. We both attended the George Washington University and both lived in an area called “Townhouse Row,” which was a row of townhouses that housed members of the Greek life system. The summer before my senior year, I was interning at a magazine and working a part time job at a restaurant at night, which left the mid-afternoon as my only real time in our room. I shared my room with a close friend, who was attending classes that summer and had a few friends in the fraternity whose townhouse was next to ours. One afternoon, I went to take a shower before my afternoon shift while my roommate was studying. I came out of the shower with a towel wrapped around my wet hair and wearing nothing but an oversized Tshirt to find a stranger sitting in my room. Alarmed, I squealed and asked who he was and what on earth he was doing there. Embarrassed, he explained that he had come over to hang out with my roommate, who had gone across the street to grab lunch. The stranger was Matt. We all had a big laugh and the rest was history!

Planner: Classic Events NYC // Photographer: Heather Waraksa of The Wedding Artists Co. // Florals: Designs by Ahn // Stationery: 1440 // Wedding Venue: Tribeca Rooftop // Rehearsal Dinner Venue: The NoMad Rooftop // Gown: Oscar de la Renta // Cake: Nine Cakes // Lighting: AV workshop // Video: NST // Rentals: Party Rental // Ceremony Musicians: Julliard // Band: Hank Lane // Beauty: Face Time Concierge