A Guide To Wedding Candles: Gorgeous Ideas For Lighting Up Your Big Day

Stefanie and Mike Wedding – Low Centerpiece – Gotham Hall – Emma Cleary Photography

Congratulations, you’ve finally settled on your wedding flowers. Now onto the next question: How to show off these beautiful blooms in their brightest light? This is when your florist and planner (if you are using one) will go over candle options to see which type best complements your wedding scheme. Candles are essential to creating the ambiance for your big day whether you dream of a candlelit aisle, want to dine in an intimate, glowing tablescape, or need to warm up a cavernous room. Because these decor staples come in an array of styles, shapes, and sizes, we put together this guide highlighting inspiring floral designs with candles from the Real BB Weddings archives.
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Stefanie and Mike Wedding - Guest Card Display - Gotham Hall - Emma Cleary Photography

Planning & Inspiration

Unique Escort Card & Seating Chart Displays Guaranteed to Impress Your Guests

by Kate Murphy

Stefanie and Mike Wedding – Guest Card Display – Gotham Hall – Emma Cleary Photography

There are certain elements of wedding decor that are made to not only look pretty, but serve a functional purpose as well. One such element is the presentation of escort cards and seating charts. Traditionally, escort cards are placed neatly on a table topped with an eye-catching arrangement. After cocktail hour, guests pick up the cards and are directed to their tables. This conventional setup and process is tried and true. However, what we have noticed most recently is that couples are requesting unique and ‘out-of-the box’ designs for their escort cards and seating charts. It’s the first decorative piece people see as they head to the reception after all, and sets the vibe for the rest of the night. And even if you are planning a timelessly classic wedding, this is one area that allows room for putting a personal and creative spin on decor. Feeling inspired? Read on for unique escort card and seating chart displays guaranteed to impress your guests. Read More

Lauren & Brett Wedding - Low Centerpiece Gold Mercury Glass Quicksand Roses Seeded Eucalyptus Ranunculus - Liberty Warehouse Brooklyn

Planning & Inspiration

Beautiful Wedding Centerpiece Ideas For Rectangular Reception Tables

by Kate Murphy

Lauren & Brett Wedding – Low Centerpiece Gold Mercury Glass Quicksand Roses Seeded Eucalyptus Ranunculus – Liberty Warehouse Brooklyn

Rectangular, also referred to as ‘communal’ or ‘farmhouse,’ is a popular type of table shape used in Real BB Weddings. Similar to their round counterpart, rectangular tables seat 8 to 10 guests and typically measure eight-feet by 42-inches. We often see rectangular tables used in a mix-and-match reception layout, either with circular or banquet seating. We do want to point out that while rectangular encourages a relaxed and ‘familial’ atmosphere, socializing can be limited where guests may end up talking to the person sitting next to them. From a floral designer’s standpoint, what is so appealing about this type of table is how it offers ample surface for a variety of centerpiece styles and decor. It also wins major points for versatility and can be set up in the dining room of a private estate or in a chic industrial space. From lush, romantic garlands to posh and modern arrangements, here are beautiful centerpiece ideas for rectangular tables culled from the Real BB Wedding archives.
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Elana and Greg Wedding - Bride and Groom Portrait - Angel Orensanz Foundation - Dave Robbins Photography

Weddings

Elana & Greg’s Unforgettable, Dance-Til-You-Drop Reception

by Kate Murphy

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

“My wedding vision really took shape after I found my dress – a unique, asymmetrical gown by Viktor & Rolf featuring a large statement flower,” BB Featured Bride Elana says. “Using the white flower motif as a point of reference, art-inspired design and styling punctuated our reception decor, from the sculpturesque floral centerpieces to the 72 black and white framed photographs displayed for guests to view during cocktail hour.” Here, Elana shares the final chapter in her Real BB Wedding story.

Part 4: Reception, Card Table, & Centerpieces
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Elana and Greg Wedding - Chuppah - Angel Orensanz Foundation - Dave Robbins Photography

Weddings

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

by Kate Murphy

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 - Bridal Portrait Bouquet - Angel Orensanz Foundation - Dave Robbins Photography

Weddings

BB Featured Bride Elana On Her Fashion-Forward Wedding Dress By Viktor & Rolf

by Kate Murphy

Elana and Greg Wedding – Bridal Portrait Bouquet – Angel Orensanz Foundation – Dave Robbins Photography

Until you find ‘the one,’ shopping for a wedding dress can feel like you’re treading through a bottomless sea of white satin, lace, and tulle. “I probably tried on about 75 different dresses,” BB Featured Bride Elana admits. “I knew I wanted something I had never seen before, I wanted it to feel timeless, unique, and memorable.” Her eye for fashion-forward aesthetics led Elana to avant-garde designers Viktor & Rolf, whose Mariage collection offers an artistic interpretation of bridalwear. Here, she shares all the details about her ‘say yes to the dress’ moment and wedding day accessories.
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Planning & Inspiration