We are so excited to share with you our perfect day and the details and moments that made it so special. And it was perfect, from start to finish. It's hard to remember everything, and even now, Nico (or I) will remember a little detail that will take us down memory lane. I hope this happens for the rest of our lives - it's so fun to relive a day that went by in the blink of an eye.
Throughout the planning process, we felt every emotion, as all couples do. But one thing we always tried to keep top of mind was we wanted a wedding that was US. A wedding that was a true representation of our relationship, to capture little details, and provide our guests with cherished memories. We hoped they would walk away talking about our ceremony and the food. (If you were there, let us know how we did!😄)
My vows were a love letter to my husband,
THIS POST IS A LOVE LETTER
to all of the people that made our wedding possible.
I'll start by saying that I work in the events industry, so I had some inside scoop and knew exactly what we were looking for. Nico and I were engaged for 3 years😬, so I had all the time I needed to find the perfect vendors and didn't stop searching until I found exactly what we wanted. Several people asked if I was feeling stressed leading up to the day, but I wasn't. Not at all. I knew that I had the right people on our team and they would make it all happen, and they made it a dream. I wholeheartedly stand by every vendor we chose and recommend them in full confidence.
VENUE - Branford House Mansion
Branford House Mansion was our second venue (our first stopped hosting events in 2020, they never re-started and told us to find another venue - a story for another day!) Branford House was a perfect venue for us because we were allowed to bring in everything we wanted. We weren't tied to any pre-selected vendors. Is this route more work? YES. Is it worth it to have a unique wedding that isn't like every other one at the venue? 100% YES.
And I mean.... look at the place! It's a castle! Their staff was so helpful and took care of us on our wedding day. We got ready there, had our ceremony, cocktail hour and reception there. It's so easy for wedding party, family and guests, no driving or downtime - just celebrating!
PHOTOGRAHER - Constance Schiano Photography (check out her insta here!)
I might start crying if I say too much, but Connie and the photos she takes are out-of-this-world stunning. Your photographer spends so much of the day by your side, you want to love them as a person, while also loving their work. Connie never misses a moment and works magic when trying to get all of those family groupings, it was so fast I didn't even realize it was happening. lol. All photos in this post are her amazing work.
FLORALS AND DECOR - In Bloom Floral Designs
Thank goodness for Sara. I was probably a bit more neurotic than the average bride, but she hung with me! I told her 5 million times "I don't like décor, only flowers" and she knew exactly what I meant. I had a clear vision of black + white, classic + simple (yes, of course I showed her my vision board 😂) and she made it come to life. I have never liked weddings that were crammed full of décor and furniture and bright flowers (it's beautiful, but meh, not us.) When we selected décor, we did so meaningfully. I only wanted what was necessary. She never batted an eye at the multiple emails, changes in ideas or when I went from very involved bride to "eh, whatever, make it pretty" "up to you" on a weekly basis. My bouquet was a work of art and I wish I could have saved it forever.
MAKEUP - Transcendent Makeup - Yen Torres (check out their insta here)
As someone who has gotten their makeup done professionally, twice in my life, Yen was a godsend. She made me look better than I ever have before. We did a trial a few months ahead of time and she perfectly executed my inspo photos, not to mention, gave me the most comfortable eyelashes I have ever worn!
SKIN PREP AND FACIALS - Revitalize Med Spa - Lauren (check out their insta here)
I started going to Lauren in the spring. She whipped my skincare into shape (ie, gave me an actual skin care routine) and I started getting facials, dermaplaning, laser hair removal, etc. I have loved getting to know my skin better and feel so confident with it. In addition to clean eating and barre/hot yoga, going to Lauren is the single most important thing I started doing when prepping for my wedding.
HAIR - Hair By Stevie - Stevie Farrar
Stevie has been working magic with my color for awhile now and gave me the perfect bridal updo. I was fully prepared for a 90 degree day so we came up with a full-up hairstyle. It wasn't hot on our wedding day but I wouldn't choose anything else. 3 days before the wedding Stevie colored my hair with the updo in mind so everything would look perfect!
DJ + PHOTOBOOTH - Marx Entertainment
Alonzo from Marx Entertainment kept the party rocking all night. He took our song suggestions and read the crowd wonderfully. We were in constant communication leading up to the wedding so no details were missed (there is something so valuable about this - it put us at ease.) He played the best tunes while his wife was manning our epic photo booth. I would 100% get a photo booth again. The photos captured were candid moments of happiness and joy and we walked away with a beautiful scrapbook (and digital photos) of everything captured that evening. I was also able to customized the photo strip to match the rest of our wedding signage (a HUGE plus in my book!)
CATERING - Emily’s Catering
I searched for so long to find a caterer like Emily's Catering. We're self-proclaimed foodies and Emily's let us run wild! Their menu items are already so great, but they were open to us creating a favorite dish to offer guests. Their staff was so attentive all day long, to us and our close family. I have always heard "don't forget to eat at your wedding" and Emily's made sure we got to try a little of everything during dinner and I almost want to do it again so I can taste it all and really take it in.
A few others that I can't forget:
TUXES - The Black Tux
DRESS - Ripley by Justin Alexander, purchased at White Dress by the Shore
EARRINGS - Untamed Petals
SHOES - Sam Edelman
ALTERATIONS - LD Alterations, LLC
INVITATIONS + SIGNAGE - designed by me, in Canva!
NEON SIGN - Neon Sign Co.
BRIDESMAID GIFTS - Brook & York and Room Service PJ
In another post, I'll share all the fun details we implemented to make our day special and memorable.
xo, shelly piscopo (this was Nico's only contribution to this blog. LOL)