Wedding | Kylie & Harrison

Tell us a little about yourselves!

Harry is a music producer and I am an artist and work as an archival producer on documentaries. We met in Philadelphia, but have been together for over a decade in NYC. Because of Harry’s work as a DJ we’ve been able to travel the world together, but we’re happiest in our Brooklyn home.

Why did you decide to get married where you did?

We decided to do a civil ceremony pretty early on. They just feel so romantic and classic New York. We also thought it would take some pressure off of the day of the reception, making less requirements for whatever venue we chose, as we wouldn’t need a ceremony space. We could just focus on the party aspect! It also felt more intimate and special to just have our immediate family and closest friends with us the day we got married.

Choosing the reception space was tough! NY has so many unique spaces. I had seen a write up somewhere about the Chelsea remodel and how they were starting to do events. A few months later we got lunch at the cafe there and walked around. It’s such a beautiful nostalgic space, and it just felt perfect. The Hotel Chelsea has been an epicenter for New York artists and musicians for decades. We love that it’s always been a space for artists. We love relics of old NY and felt like the Chelsea was the most epic version of that. The history of the place is unmatched. The Piano Room, Cave à Vin and Solarium Bar at the Chelsea has an amazing old cocktail lounge vibe. The Solarium bar is gorgeous and tucked away. It felt like our own elegant speakeasy. We also loved the decor of the space. There are plants in the Solarium bar, the residents’ artwork adorning the Piano Room. That was a big plus, that we didn’t need to add anything, no extravagant table settings or flowers. We had just one small floral arrangement on the piano. The space is gorgeous and ornate on its own and really just our style. We also loved the idea that we can go back anytime and have a drink at the bar or dinner at the cafe.

We also stayed in a suite at the hotel for a few nights and loved that our guests could also stay the night at the hotel. The idea that we could take photos on the Chelsea’s storied balcony was reason enough to have our party there!

How many guests did you have?

20 people were part of our “confetti committee” to greet us outside of city hall.

And we had 80 guests at the Chelsea.

What was your budget? 

We wanted to keep it around $60k, which ended up being really tough in the end. Probably ended up being between $75k and $80k.

Tell us about your outfits.

For the civil ceremony I wanted something with a retro look and found the perfect feathered dress from HVN. Harry just ordered the Dries Van Noten suit online. It came the 2 days before the ceremony, and thankfully it was a perfect fit! 

For the party at the Chelsea I was determined to wear an antique or vintage dress. I had so much fun going to all of the boutique vintage bridal shops and vintage fairs: Cha Cha Linda in Greenpoint, Timeless Vixen in L.A., the Manhattan Vintage Fair. I found so many amazing things and sort of got caught up in the whirlwind of it all and couldn’t make a decision. I then found Le Grand Strip in Williamsburg, which offered a unique curated Bridal appointment, which is where I found my vintage 1940s gown. When I tried it on, it fit like a glove and I felt like it was made for me.

My second dress was from the Mirror Palais showroom. It felt really old Hollywood, simple but elegant. 

Harry wasn’t sure what he wanted to wear, and “was looking around for the right thing to find me.” He joined me at a few of the NY vintage fairs. After trying on a lot of different options, he ended up going with a Ralph Lauren tux. It just felt right. Simple and classic.

I also want to highlight our rings. Harry selected and surprised me with my engagement ring, which is an antique filigree ring circa 1930. My wedding band is modern from local NYC jeweler, Mociun. We found Harry’s band from Icon Style on the Upper West Side. They’re the only jeweler we found that had a unique variety of men’s bands. His ring is an antique Victorian buckle ring circa 1880.

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

Our number one thing was we wanted to have it in NY. The last thing we wanted was to be in a random location that has no connection to us. We also didn’t want to feel like we were being pushed through the “wedding factory” as we have our own unique point of view and wanted the wedding to reflect that. 

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

Our number one thing was we wanted to have it in NY.  The last thing we wanted was to be in a random location that has no connection to us. We also didn’t want to feel like we were being pushed through the 'wedding factory' as we have our own unique point of view and wanted the wedding to reflect that.  

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

Supporting local NYC businesses was big for us as well as incorporating vintage and heirloom items. 

On the day of our elopement, I was wearing jewelry and accessories from both of my grandmothers. Since neither of them could be there it was important I had something from them with me.

From day one I wanted to include elements of our creativity into the wedding. From our save the date, to our website, to matchbooks, everything was designed and illustrated by me. With that, it was also important for us to keep the eclectic and historic nature of the Chelsea in mind. For all design elements, I used references from old ads and matchbooks from old cocktail lounges to movie posters from the ‘40s through the ‘60s. I also referenced many archival photos of the Chelsea. 

For the night of the party, music was key as it’s a big part of our relationship. We wanted to keep this part of the night curated by us! We had a pianist, Russell Kranes, who is an old friend of Harry’s, kick off the night with jazz on the baby grand piano. Harry and I also created a playlist together with lots of ‘60s and ‘70s songs for the Piano Room to match the vintage vibe of the Chelsea. We kept it all in the family with our DJ, Bruce Easley (aka Planet B), who is also an old friend. We trusted his selection entirely and he absolutely smashed the rest of the night.

Having the wedding photographed in film was also big for us.

Any tips for couples getting married?

Try not to get caught up on other people’s expectations. This is your day! Enjoy the process and don’t let the stress of planning an event get to you. 

No one is perfect. Don’t expect to be anyone but yourself on the day of your wedding! 

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

Our photographer Daniel Bergin! He made us super comfortable in front of the camera and just felt like another guest at our party! 

Duchess Natalia, who did my beauty for the reception, was the best. She’s an amazing artist, but she’s also just so sweet and cool, and she really set the tone for me for the day, really putting me at ease. I feel like she just got me and I was super confident with my look because of her. 

We loved From Lucie, our cake vendor! The cake was even more delicious than it was beautiful. They’re also fantastic because you can go to their bakery anytime to grab a dessert and basically revisit your wedding cake. We went a few weeks ago!

Although we didn’t have a planner, Kiley Rothweiler and Kate Brown at the Chelsea ensured the party was seamless and exactly as planned from start finish. They were so easy to communicate with. They really were incredible in making our vision happen! Amanda Hamm who was our day-of coordinator was also fantastic!

Photographer: Daniel Bergin @danielcbergin | Flora: Hanato Floral Design Studio @hanatonyc (Bouquet) & Fox Fodder Farm (Reception Arrangement) @foxfodderfarm | Ceremony Location:

New York City Marriage Bureau | Lunch Location: Jin Fong @jinfongny | Reception Locations: Piano Room,  Cave à Vin & Solarium Bar at the Hotel Chelsea @hotelchelsea | HMUA: (Civil) Kylie did her own & Duchess Natalia (Chelsea Reception) @duchessnatalia | Catering & Beverages: Hotel Chelsea

@hotelchelsea | Cake: From Lucie @fromlucienyc | Stationery: Kylie Hoffman | DJ: Planet B @clublonely | Pianist: Russell Kranes @russkranes | Dresses: HVN @hvn (Civil Ceremony), (Reception) Le Grand Strip @legrandstrip & Mirror Palais @mirrorpalais | Suits: Dries Van Noten @driesvannoten (Civil Ceremony) & (Reception) Ralph Lauren @ralphlauren | Engagement Ring: Pippin Vintage Jewelry @pippinvintage |

Wedding Rings: Mociun @mociun (Kylie) & (Harry) Icon Style @iconstylenyc | Heirloom Jewelry & Clutch: from Kylie's grandmothers