Heavenly Rooftop

Mary and Galen’s heavenly rooftop wedding was straight out of a fairytale. The west coast couple embraced the spring season with a gorgeous pink and green color palette and a stunning ceremony with a magical canopy of hanging flowers.

 


As told to BRIDES, Mary and Galen’s romance was straight out of a fairytale. In fact, the couple was watching Frozen when Galen proposed! He told Mary a story about a boy’s love for a girl, and by the end she realized he was talking about their relationship!

 

The couple took their time over two years to plan an intimate ceremony and reception for 50 guests with help from wedding planner Kate Werkin at Chancey Charm. The rooftop of the Hudson Hotel was the perfect venue for their intimate wedding and the perfect mix of a traditional Chinese and a Western wedding. Mary and Galen initially considered getting married in California’s redwood forest, but since they were moving to New York after the wedding, they decided to host their wedding in their new city. They settled on a beautiful verdant palette of light green, peach, pink and white, and carried those colors throughout their invitation suite, florals, decor and even their wedding cake!

 

The day started with a traditional Chinese tea ceremony with both of their parents, who traveled from China to celebrate the wedding of their children. Mary and Galen then had a Western ceremony on the rooftop terrace of the Hudson Hotel. They mentioned to BRIDES that instead of reciting their wedding vows in front of their guests, they privately shared their vows with each other before the ceremony. We thought that intimate moment was such a beautiful decision! Mary walked down the aisle in a stunning Vera Wang gown and gold and pink crystal Christian Louboutin pumps that Galen had given her as a gift. We also couldn’t help but notice her cheeky rainbow rolling stone tattoo!

 

Mary chose to carry a bouquet of white and blush peonies wrapped in silk ribbon, which were absolutely gorgeous and in season in May. There were so many gorgeous elements to Mary and Galen’s ceremony, it is hard for us to pick a favorite! The end of the aisle was decorated with a stunning wedding arch made of eucalyptus, fern, Italian ruscus and lemon leaf and accented with beautiful pops of white blooms, including hydrangea, peonies, Tibet roses, vendela roses, and spray roses. The whimsical and natural design of the arch was perfect for their intimate ceremony. Over 2000 blooms made a breathtaking canopy over the top of the ceremony terrace. We suspended 600 blush stock flowers and 1800 blush carnations with Italian ruscus from the ceiling, creating a magical and enchanting floralscape that guests could enjoy on the beautiful spring evening.  

 

At the reception, the guests were greeted by a beautiful manzanita tree adorned with lush cream and blush roses, white peonies, cascading greenery and hanging terrarium bubble votives. The base of the card table arrangement was decorated with a lush mixture of white hydrangea, blush and cream roses, blush dahlias, green moss, seeded eucalyptus and fern accents.

 

Guests were all able to see each other by configuring the reception tables into a U shape, with the dance floor in the center. We love lush greenery garlands for rectangular table decor, because it allows the guests to really see each other and the happy couple. Using Italian ruscus, seeded and silver dollar eucalyptus ivy and asparagus fern, we created the greenery garland base. We then weaved in peonies, quicksand and vendela roses to bring color and lightness to the tables. The long tables were illuminated with simple glass votives and stemmed floating candles. Mary and Galen’s chairs were decorated with a sweetheart garland made from Italian ruscus, seeded eucalyptus, ivy, white spray roses, cream vendela roses and blush Cafe Au Lait dahlias.

 

During the reception, Mary changed into a gorgeous white lace dress embroidered with florals and greenery, that perfectly matched her wedding decor and her delicious floral wedding cake from A White Cake and A Simple Cake. It was the perfect sweet ending to a magical spring wedding!

 

Vendors

 

Venue: Hudson Hotel

Planner: Chancey Charm

Photographer: Jacquelyne Pierson Weddings

Gown: Vera Wang

Bride and Groom’s Shoes: Christian Louboutin

Music: Highline String Quartet

Invitations: Yao Cheng Design

Cake: A White Cake and A Simple Cake

Hair and Makeup: Vicky C5

Rentals: Broadway Party Rentals

5 Autumn Sunset -Bright - Fall -Wedding - Color Palette - via Chic Vintage Brides.com

Planning & Inspiration

5 Wedding Color Combinations for Fall 2017

When it comes to planning for your wedding, you can never start too early. And choosing your wedding colors is one of the biggest decisions you’ll have to make. Once you have a scheme picked out, elements such as floral design, bridesmaids’ dresses, and cake decoration just fall into place. While we believe a bride doesn’t have to follow any set of rules when choosing the style and aesthetic for one of the most important days of her life, the season usually has some influence on wedding colors. And fall is a season that comes to life with lush jewel tones and warm earthy hues. For the bride planning her nuptials for Fall 2017, here are 5 inspiring color combinations perfect for an autumnal wedding.
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Pink Peonies - via Pinterest.com

Planning & Inspiration

Flower Feature: Peony

The peony is a gorgeous flower admired for its impressive bloom, lush petals, and unique texture. Mainly found in white, peonies also grow in an array of hues from light pink and purple to a deeper red.

 

Single Pink Peony - Perfect Peonies - by Kathy Woodard - via The Garden Glove.com

Single Pink Peony – Perfect Peonies – by Kathy Woodard – via The Garden Glove.com

 

Nearly unrecognizable in the early bloom stage, the peony starts out as a tightly condensed flower bud. Once the bud is cut and placed in warm water, the petals begin to open up. It continues to expand until becoming this elaborate, beautiful flower full of color, texture, and dimension. Though it looks delicate, the peony in full bloom is prized for its sturdy foliage and low maintenance care.
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Weddings

Anna + Matt: Romantic Elegance at The Pierre

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Anna & Matthew Wedding - Bride and Groom - Pierre Hotel NYC - by Brett Matthews

Anna & Matthew Wedding – Bride and Groom – Pierre Hotel NYC – by Brett Matthews

 

For most, a Phish show is not the first place that comes to mind for meeting your future husband. But a Phish show in Saratoga Springs, NY was exactly where Anna met Matt. She recalls, “We stood next to each other on the lawn during the first evening of a three night show. There were around 30,000 fans there!”

Anna and Matt hit it off immediately that first night, kept in touch, and began dating. They soon learned that in addition to Phish, they both share a love of travel. When asked which of their trips together was her favorite, Anna replied, “Our trip to Thailand, because that was where we got engaged!” She remembers, “We were staying at the Four Seasons in Chiang Mai. I had a sense that Matt was going to ask. One evening, he planned a private dinner for just the two of us in a gazebo overlooking a gorgeous lake that’s on the property. There was a musician and bonfire as well. Matt really went the whole nine yards with everything and was so nervous leading up to it. But then he finally proposed. It was perfect!”
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Planning & Inspiration

Destination Inspiration: Ireland

The Emerald Isle, with its fabled stretches of coastal green landscapes, offers an evocative inspiration for an utterly breathtaking wedding. Ireland conjures visions of vintage Irish lace and Waterford crystal next to the warm brown of a wooden bar. This inspiration is ideally suited to a décor that leans to the nostalgic, especially with elements such as a wedding dress or motifs that have a more retro and old world elegance.

 

Jacob & Brittany - Intimate Cliffs of Moher - Ireland Wedding - via Epic Love Photography

Jacob & Brittany – Intimate Cliffs of Moher – Ireland Wedding – via Epic Love Photography

 

Whether you wish to honor your family’s heritage or because its majestic verdant beauty inspires the romantic in you, adding touches of Ireland to your décor will transform your event into an unforgettable destination wedding. Giving attention to the defining elements of your wedding will help to thread your chosen theme throughout. Focusing on these first, keeping in mind they should all flow together, then sprinkling in the details, makes for a cohesive design aesthetic.
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Planning & Inspiration

Repurposing Floral Arrangements from Your Wedding

You’ve been waiting your whole life for this moment. You’re getting married, and with great celebration comes great planning. First thoughts in the planning process are often the venue, your dream dress and food to impress the guests. Yet with all this in mind, it’s important to remember that your bridal flowers are something to put great thought and design into. They are a treasure to be seen, and a lot of time, planning and budgeting goes into your florals to bring your wedding and theme to life. However, due to the life span of these gentle blossoms and their fleeting beauty, many tend to shy away from grand floral pieces to avoid the guilt or afterthought that your flowers will only have a life span of a few hours. What happens to these radiant beauties after the reception has ended and guests are walking out after they danced the night away? Though their sole purpose is to bring beauty, romance and charm into your wedding day ceremony, pictures and reception, some couples deem it a waste of money that flowers are used only for one night. They end up scaling down the designs they had dreamed of, so as to not feel bad about having large amounts of “wasted money” sitting around.
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