Corey & Hendrik: Timeless Elegance, Classic New York

Hendrik first noticed Corey during their sophomore year at the University of Oklahoma, where they were both studying the same major. Even though he made a point of catching her name during attendance call, he didn’t work up the nerve to ask her out until the last semester of senior year. “We started dating just about three months before graduation,” Corey remembers. “Hendrik had plans to move back to Connecticut for his job, and I was moving to Dallas for mine, but we both fell hard, fast and we were determined to make it work.” For the next seven months, they flew back and forth to see each other in New York, until they both landed jobs there and made the city their permanent home.

Hendrik proposed to Corey in September 2023. “It was a Thursday, and I was getting ready to go to work like any other day, until he stopped me and said I wouldn’t be going in,” Corey recalls. “I kind of knew something was up.” Hendrik had already cleared it with her boss, and planned a relaxed, perfect day starting with coffee and breakfast at their favorite spot. Then he told her to get ready – they hopped in a cab and pulled up to the Metropolitan Museum of Art twenty minutes later. “He was so nervous the minute we walked in,” she says. “We wandered through a few exhibitions before we got to the European Sculpture wing, where he popped the question.”

Corey pictured a bridal style that was “timeless, sophisticated, and a little alluring,” and after trying on just ten looks, she found “the dress of my dreams.” Having grown up watching Say Yes to the Dress, seeing the label read Pnina Tornai felt like a “full circle moment” for Corey. Featuring a striking mermaid silhouette, her gown took shape in a subtle corset bodice with a sweetheart neckline and exquisite floral lace. Adding to the drama were sleeves and a cathedral-length veil – “one of my favorite details,” she shares. “When I put it on with my dress, I truly felt like a bride for the first time.”

Corey’s hair and beauty felt soft and effortless, featuring loose, cascading waves complemented by natural makeup. She finished her look with pearl drop earrings, Badgley Mischka shoes, and a hand-tied, rounded peony bouquet. “It was springtime, so the timing worked great because that’s the season for peonies,” the bride says, “and they’re one of my favorite flowers.” Hendrik embraced classic groom’s style, wearing a black satin lapel tux from SuitSupply with a bowtie and monogram cufflinks. The wedding party complemented the understated palette with bridesmaids in black dresses from Birdy Grey and groomsmen in coordinating tuxedos.

Corey and Hendrik married in late May at a private club in Manhattan. “It was classic New York,” the bride says of the setting, “timeless and rooted in so much history and tradition, and we wanted our wedding to reflect that.” The ceremony décor, classically inspired, echoed this sentiment. Corey’s father walked her down an aisle lined with blossoming arrangements to meet Hendrik under a floral archway of white hydrangeas, peonies, roses, lisianthus, and stock, accentuated with greenery. After exchanging vows before family and friends, Hendrik and Corey shared their first kiss as husband and wife.

Cocktail hour followed, kicking off the first round of celebratory toasts, then guests headed to the reception room, where they were welcomed by a breathtaking scene. “I knew I wanted classic, all-white spring florals to complement our venue,” Corey shares, “and Bride & Blossom knew what I meant and executed the vision perfectly.” The tablescape featured three unique centerpieces: round tables showcased high arrangements complemented by small cluster displays, alongside candles atop glass pillars surrounded by textured florals and greenery. Elegantly decorating the head table were low arrangements blending hydrangeas, lisianthus, sweet pea, roses, stock, and peonies, beside glowing candelabras and hurricane candles.

Of the personal touches the couple incorporated throughout the day, Corey begins, “Hendrik’s grandmother, who lives in Belgium, has a beautiful garden with a specific type of rose. Her husband has since passed away and this flower was special to him and his family, so we wanted it included in some of the décor. She also made us a ring pillow with the flower on it, which was a lovely way to honor her since she couldn’t be there.” The Boot crest was printed on the menus and projected on the dance floor, and signature cocktails were named after their dogs, with the bride adding, “we wanted to include them in some way.”

Once dinner finished, everyone was ready to hit the dance floor. Corey dressed accordingly, changing into a short cocktail dress and monogrammed cowboy boots – a nod to her Texas roots and love for the south. “It was so much fun when I left with my sisters to change into my second look,’ she shares. ‘The day had been such a whirlwind, so getting away with them to breathe for a minute was really special.” Between drinks and dancing, guests flocked to the cigar bar – “the one part of our wedding day that Hendrik was very adamant about,” Corey says, adding that the cigars were custom-wrapped with his family crest.

Asked which moments she holds dear, Corey begins, “Our first look and private vows were one of the most special parts of the day. I truly felt so at ease the entire day afterward.” The couple will always remember strangers congratulating them as they walked down 5th Avenue for portraits – one little girl even ran up and told Corey she looked like a princess.

“Growing up in the South, my vision for my wedding was actually much different from what it ended up being – secluded, on a lot of land surrounded by nature. But when we got engaged, we knew we wanted to have our wedding in the city we were living in and building our life together,” Corey finishes. Sharing this feeling with guests, many of whom traveled from out of state and abroad, meant a lot to the couple. “We wanted to give everyone a true NYC experience they would never forget!”

Congratulations, Corey and Hendrik! Thank you for sharing your Real BB Wedding story with us!

Couple’s Vendor List
Venue: Private Club
Photographer: Raegan Buckley
Planner: Stillwell Events
Videographer: Matt Alt Films
Bride’s Dress and Veil: Pnina Tornai from Kleinfeld Bridal
Bride’s Shoes: Badgley Mischka
Groom’s Tuxedo: Suit Supply
Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Birdy Grey
Hair: Beauty Room by Tiffany
Makeup: Angela Zavala Make Artistry
Rings: Frank Darling and Tiffany & Co.
Invitations and Stationery: The Write Stuff
Music: Unique Musique
Cigar Roller: The Connecticut Cigar Company
Content Creator: So Bridal Social