WEDDING BLOG

Happy Monday morning Junebug readers! I hope you all had wonderful weekends! I’m excited for this week on Junebug, as we’re bringing you all kinds of fantastic Wedding Style features – one each day – leading up to Friday which is a big, big occasion for us. Our 5th Birthday! That’s right, 5 years ago on July 1st Junebug Weddings launched and what a journey it’s been! Stay tuned for lots of excited news and events about how we plan to celebrate, and until then, enjoy a week full of absolutely beautiful weddings starting with this New York city beauty from photographer Alison Conklin!

The Couple: Cecelia and Neil

The Wedding: 3.12.11 – Studio 450, New York City, New York

What three adjectives that best describe your wedding? Personal, New York, Happy

What inspired your personal wedding style, and how did you incorporate your style and personalities into your big day? Neil and I wanted our guests to see us in the details of our wedding and really feel like they were a special part of the day. We chose unique music and readings for the ceremony that evoked emotion for us personally (Shel Silverstein’s hug of war was on our programs, and my sister sang Didos Thank You). We hung wedding pictures of the wedding party and close family who were married or soon to be married at the reception. We are both from the New York area, and we reunited and started dating after a fateful run-in at a New York dive bar. We wanted the night to feel natural, simple, chic, and city. Once we found Studio 450, that all came easily. The place is a blank white canvas with tons of windows in the ceremony/reception area that overlook the Hudson, so decided to focus on the views. The cocktail hour space upstairs had panoramic views of the Hudson on one side and New York city on the other. We timed the ceremony just before sunset, so the natural light streamed through and gave a soft, golden glow to the pale yellow runner and forsythia branches. A family friend played acoustic guitar and sang during the cocktail hour upstairs where the guests could casually enjoy the sunset. After sunset, when the guests returned to the ceremony area that changed into the reception, the room felt like a different space. We had tons of high and low candles and long tables with low airy yellow, green and gold flower arrangements that led the guests’ eyes out to the night sky.

Looking back, what are the moments, decisions or memories that you love the most about your wedding? Besides saying I do before our very best childhood friends, my favorite moment was when my sister sang Thank You during our ceremony. The words never rang more true then when she sang it that day. It was just after our vows, so I had a chance to feel my own emotion, and look around the room and see true emotion in our guests’ eyes. She sang it beautifully, and it was a truly special moment. My two best decisions were choosing Real Foods Catering and Alison Conklin as our photographer. Yen, from Real Foods became a sort of wedding planner, who not only served amazingly unique food, but also guided me on choosing china, room set up, and overall coordination and timing of events. I LOVE HER. Alison and her husband could not have been better photographers. I was VERY nervous about all the attention, and they both made the day feel so natural. I never would have imagined the amazing images they were able to capture. I look back and really can’t believe that was actually my wedding. I was anxious to take my cathedral veil off (Im the person who originally didnt want to wear a veil at all) but Alison gently encouraged me to keep my veil on long enough to take pictures on the rooftop deck, and Im so happy I listened to her. The pictures with it flowing in the wind are breathtaking. What I loved the most about our wedding was the personal feeling of love and friendship. We were married by two of our dearest friends, we passed around our rings so all of our guests could bless them before we placed them on each other’s fingers, a family friend played our ceremony and cocktail music, and we danced the night away (and after-party away) surrounded by wonderful people.

Wedding color palette: Yellow, gold, and green.

Wedding Team:

Photographer: Alison Conklin
Ceremony and Reception Venue: Studio 450
Invitation Designer: Bits and Pieces
Catering: Real Food
Florist: Verde Flowers
Cake: Real Food
Wedding dress: Kleinfeld
Bridal accessories: Kleinfeld
Bridesmaid’s apparel and accessories: Jenny Yoo
Groom and groomsman apparel and accessories: Mens Warehouse
Hair and make-up: Amanda Shackleton
DJ: Rob Goodmonson
Live music: Jacks Waterfall
Favors: Lindt Chocolates
Rings: Niletti Creations

Thank you so much Cecelia and Neil! What a gorgeous night!

To find inspiration for your our personal wedding style, don’t miss our Wedding Image Gallery!