Elana & Greg Exchange Vows In A Deeply Personal, Spellbound Ceremony

Elana and Greg Wedding - Chuppah - Angel Orensanz Foundation - Dave Robbins Photography

Elana and Greg Wedding – Ceremony Atmosphere Chuppah – Angel Orensanz Foundation – Dave Robbins Photography

After the rehearsal dinner at Beauty & Essex the evening before, BB Featured Bride Elana spent the morning of her wedding getting ready at the Ludlow Hotel Penthouse. Then it was off to Angel Orensanz Foundation where guests arrived just as autumn twilight was beginning to descend on the Lower East Side. Here, Elana talks about her and Greg’s breathtakingly personal ceremony shared before family and friends.

Ceremony & Chuppah

In addition to its high vaulted ceiling, rich ornamentation, and spellbound atmosphere perfect for hosting an important celebration, Angel Orensanz Foundation is a symbolic landmark of Jewish history and culture in New York City. “The venue was once home to various synagogues over the years, serving waves of Jewish immigrants that once called the Lower East Side home,” Elana explains. “As an ode to the immigrant generations of our family before us, we only found it befitting to have our wedding in a venue, and in a neighborhood, that represents the cradle of the American Jewish experience.” Elana and Greg were also drawn to the fact that Angel Orensanz Foundation didn’t look like a wedding venue. “An art exhibition and event space as well as one of the oldest surviving synagogues in NYC, it felt very true to who we are as a couple,” the bride says.
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Elana and Greg Wedding - Bride and Groom Portrait - Angel Orensanz Foundation - Dave Robbins Photography

Weddings

Elana & Greg: The Art of Love at Angel Orensanz Foundation

by Kate Murphy

Elana and Greg Wedding – Bride and Groom Portrait – Angel Orensanz Foundation – Dave Robbins Photography

After connecting through the dating app, The League, Elana and Greg had their first date in May 2016 at La Esquina, the trendy Mexican restaurant in Nolita. Talking to mutual friends eased any nerves before their initial meeting. Elana remembers how easy that night felt for her. “Our quirky senses of humor helped us hit it off from the beginning. I was drawn to Greg’s dedication to his family, career ambition, and generosity. And he has a great smile.” As their relationship evolved and became more serious, she was the first to say, “I love you.” The feelings were mutual with Greg admitting, “I have been waiting to say those same words for a very long time.”
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Dayna and Matt Wedding - Bride and Groom Bouquet Moon Gate Flower Arch - Gurney's Montauk - Andreas and Nico

Planning & Inspiration

6 Exciting Wedding Trends For 2022

by Kate Murphy

Dayna and Matt Wedding – Bride and Groom Bouquet Moon Gate Flower Arch – Gurney’s Montauk – Andreas and Nico

It has been forecasted that more couples will be saying “I Do” in 2022 than in any other year over the last four decades. While the past two years have been quiet regarding trends, we can expect a re-emergence in the upcoming months of fresh ideas and bold styles like never before. Simply put, couples are holding nothing back when it comes to making a statement on their big day. What’s especially exciting is how decor, fashion, and entertainment is more focused on ‘being in the moment’ and creating lifetime memories rather than following tradition and decorum.
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Cara and Vince Wedding - Bride and Groom Bouquet - The Estate at Creekside - Laura Huertas Photography

Weddings

A Look Back At The Real BB Weddings of 2020

by Kate Murphy

Cara and Vince Wedding – Bride and Groom Bouquet – The Estate at Creekside – Laura Huertas Photography

This time last year, no one could have predicted what 2020 had in store for us. We rang in the New Year excited for a new chapter of Real BB Weddings. This all quickly changed in the face of a worldwide pandemic. It became clear that weddings, perhaps the most social event of them all, would be greatly affected as our new reality unfolded by the day.

If anything, 2020 has forced us to change perspective and consider what is most important and valuable in our lives. The handful of weddings we did are a testament to this new sentiment. Faced with an unprecedented list of challenges, couples shifted their focus and asked, “How can we make the most of this day given the situation and make it feel special and meaningful?” Large and lavish celebrations gave way to small, intimate gatherings where every detail was heartfelt and thoughtful (not that they weren’t before, but you get the idea). And friends and family who couldn’t be there in person joined via Zoom and FaceTime. While original wedding visions may have changed, the love, emotion, and beauty that unites two people in life remained as strong as ever.
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Elizabeth and Andrew Wedding - Low Centerpiece - The Foundry - Anastasiia Photography

Planning & Inspiration

Beautiful Long Tablescape Decor Ideas For Your Wedding Reception

by Kate Murphy

Elizabeth and Andrew Wedding – Low Centerpiece – The Foundry – Anastasiia Photography

Your reception is going to be the longest part of your wedding. From the decor details to the furniture, how you choose to display your tablescape will have a huge impact on the tone of the evening. While long, communal tables have been used for lavish royal affairs throughout history, they provide a relaxed and flexible setting for today’s couples to work with. And that dreaded task of putting together the seating chart? Compared to smaller round tables, they are easier to arrange guests in a way so that everyone feels equally welcome. Basically, you wont be faced with the question, “Who are we going to put at the far corner table?”
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Kat and Ryan Wedding - Bridal Bouquet - New York Botanical Garden - Laurie Rhodes Photography

Planning & Inspiration

Color Us Happy: Vibrant Wedding Palette Ideas

by Kate Murphy

Kat and Ryan Wedding – Bridal Bouquet – New York Botanical Garden – Laurie Rhodes Photography

Scientists have conducted numerous research studies to confirm that certain colors have special ‘powers’ that influence our emotions and behaviors. The official term is ‘color psychology.’ Red is associated with passion, blue is calming, yellow means happiness, pink is romantic, orange is playful, green is refreshing and purple relates to creativity. As wedding floral designers, one of the best perks of the job is getting to witness the power of color first hand.

Sure, all white with a touch of green here and there is a classic mainstay that looks great across seasons and venues. This post is for our readers who are thinking about exploring color’s emotional expression. Often in our experience, a few slight adjustments in intensity and brightness is what is needed to take an arrangement to the next level. An exuberant floral theme just sings to the joyous feelings of love that fill a couple’s big day. For inspiration, we went through the Real BB Weddings archives and rounded up our favorite vibrant wedding palette ideas.
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Weddings