Wedding | Emily & Andrew

Tell us a little about yourselves! 

I’m a graphic designer and Andrew is a writer. We fell for each other hard in 2014 and have been together ever since, so we kind of already felt married, but as we hit our thirties we warmed up to the idea of marriage and a wedding. We were so excited to celebrate our love with all of our family and friends!

Why did you decide to get married where you did? 

We moved to Brooklyn from Atlanta in 2017, which honestly felt like a bigger commitment to one another at the time than getting married. The city feels like home and really embodies the spirit of who we are - diverse, cultured, kinda loud - plus, it was a great midway point between all of our extended families in upstate NY, New England, Atlanta, Florida, etc. 

Andrew found our venue, and I was a little nervous at first, because it was on the roof of a former Bed Bath and Beyond in Sunset Park, a neighborhood a little off the beaten path. But once I visited and the elevator opened, I felt truly transported. The juxtaposition of the cityscape with the natural gardens of the farm at Brooklyn Grange were so beautiful and Andrew loved the view of the city, as well. The space was exactly what we were looking for: indoor and outdoor with enough room for all our guests to celebrate comfortably (but not too much room than we needed), and the staff was so lovely and accommodating.

How many guests did you have? 

107.

What was your budget? 

We spent about $70k total.

Tell us about your outfits. 

Emily - I really love jumpsuits and always saw myself in one for my wedding. I knew I didn’t want any lace or sparkle, nothing too feminine, but I still wanted something a little funky. My jumpsuit itself was very simple, and I was freaking out a little bit that it was too plain. When I found the Susan Alexandra veil, I thought “this could either be horrible, or perfect” but I’m so glad I took the risk, because it was the perfect pop of personality that I wanted. 

Andrew - I only had a standard charcoal suit and I wanted to splurge on something a little more "fun" for the occasion. I went to a fitting at Suit Supply one afternoon with Emily, looking for a navy windowpane print, and this burgundy linen suit hanging in the corner caught my eye. I tried it on and asked them if they could order it in my size. When I was getting fitted a week later, a stranger in the store told me that the color looked great and asked me if I was getting married in it; that's when I knew I made the right decision.

What was the most important aspect for you, in terms of planning your wedding? 

We made every decision based on what we wanted that night to look like, not what other people wanted that night to look like or what a wedding "should" look like - so, stuff like unconventional vows, decor, the cocktail hour playlist, etc. I think that really made our wedding a special experience not only for us, but our guests, as well.

Were there any elements that were important for you to incorporate? 

Color!! I think colors can really set a mood, and our palette just reinforced the joyous and untraditional energy of our event. Basically, I wanted to use Springtime colors but in the Fall. I love that we had four alternating colored napkins on the white tablecloths, so they really popped. 

Also music! Music is a big part of our lives (we go to live shows all the time) and I knew I wanted to go all out with custom playlists full of indie rock songs that reminded us of our relationship, rather than a stock wedding playlist with all the cliches. I'm glad Emily trusted me with the metaphorical aux that night.

Any tips for couples getting married? 

1. I got a little obsessed with the planning, it was all I could think about. Setting aside time to talk about things (like Matrimony Mondays or Wedding Wednesdays) helped us communicate effectively and not get overwhelmed. 

2. The night goes by so fast - I’m so thankful we had a private moment after the ceremony to center ourselves and regroup before cocktail hour. 

3. We also have no shame in saying that we went to couples’ counseling in the year or two leading up to the wedding. It really helped us communicate and we’re still feeling the benefits of what we’ve learned with our therapist. 

4. Remember the reason you're getting married (it doesn't end after the wedding!), make a point to support and uplift each other, try not to get bogged down with details (but know that it's all details), and trust that no matter what happens, it'll be the best day ever.

Are there any vendors that you would like to tell us a little more about? 

All of our guests complimented the menu, saying it was some of the best wedding food they've ever had. We didn’t want the traditional chicken and salmon, so instead we had hangar steak and branzino. It was also such a treat to enjoy the leftovers before we left for our honeymoon the next week - it was like reliving the night all over again. 

Everything was served family style, which also contributed to the community gathering vibe that we value. I loved thinking about guests interacting with each other to pass things around and get to know each other.

Photographer: Aly Hansen @alyhansenweddings | Planning: Angela Siu @detailsbyange | Flora: Rising Tide Botanticals @risingtidebotanticals | Ceremony & Reception Location: Brooklyn Grange, Sunset Park @brooklyngrange | Rentals: Broadway Party Rentals @broadwaypartyrentals | Makeup: Kayleigh Denner @kaydotjpg | Stationery: Designed by Emily | Catering & Beverages: Night Kitchen

@nightkitchbk | Cake: Mia’s Bakery @miasbakerybk | Entertainment: DJ Dan Chaves, 74 Events

@74events | Dress: Dan Jones @danjonesthelabel at Sentimentalist Bridal Shop @thesentimentalistatl | Suit: Suit Supply @suitsupply | Veil: Susan Alexandra @susanalexandra | Engagement Ring: Wwake

@wwake | Wedding Ring: Holden @holdenrings