Wedding | Meredith & Carson

The Anti-Bride
Sep 16
4 min read

Tell us a little about yourselves!

We met in 2015 through a mutual friend. We had never seen each other around but then right after that introduction we started running into each other everywhere. We're both very passionate about music, so that was something we immediately connected on. We don't have the most similar tastes in music, however there is a small but significant overlap where it counts!

Why did you decide to get married where you did?

Coming up on 10 years together, we knew we wanted to be partners for life, but had struggled to envision what an event to celebrate that commitment and milestone would look like for us. We always loved city hall weddings, but it wasn't until we decided on an elopement that things really fell into place. The New York City Marriage Bureau has such a charm to it - it's historical and has a retro energy that really resonated with us. We wanted to feel like the city was a character in our elopement - Sylvie, our photographer, really brought that to life.

How many guests did you have?

Just 1 for the main wedding portion - Meredith’s dad was there to present us with lei and walk her "down the aisle" into city hall. After the ceremony, we went to dinner in Brooklyn with 5 friends.

What was your budget?

10k, and we ended up spending just under 7k.

Tell us about your outfits.

Going in, our goal was to honor a classic look while still feeling like ourselves.

Carson: We looked at inspiration from places like Tanner Fletcher and honestly a lot of The Anti-Bride! The suit is a muted brown linen jacket and pants, with a silk button down underneath. Shoutout to the staff at the SoHo Mango store for having me walk down the runway of the fitting room until we found the perfect fit! We paired that with Converses to loosen up the look, and since I love color, I wanted to have a crochet flower bouquet to add some whimsical vibrancy.

Meredith: I knew I wanted something that wouldn’t read too feminine, and ideally would work with loafers. I had been looking around at vintage shops since there's no shortage of vintage bridal in the city, but serendipitously Reformation released this perfect skirt suit in the spring. The outfit was styled with a gold Casio watch to add to the retro feel, and my friend Abby's bracelet which was a nice addition of color as well as a reminder of our loved ones. I also wore pearl earrings given to me by my mom.

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

The main thing we wanted was to make sure the day was authentic to ourselves, while still feeling momentous and celebratory. One aspect Carson was really particular about was the photographer. I remember him saying, "if we're gonna do this, and have our special outfits and be dressed up and take any photos at all, I want them to be fun and playful and reflective of who we are." Sylvie Rosokoff's portfolio blew us away, she immediately understood the assignment.

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

Meredith’s extended family is from Maui, so one tradition we wanted to incorporate was presenting and exchanging lei. Carson had a kukui nut lei paired with a vibrant green orchid lei, which we weren't sure if they were going to have enough flowers for in mid-June, but it worked out! Meredith’s was a shell lei. When fresh lei have to be transported ~5,000 miles, durability is a big consideration, so orchids and non-perishables are a great option. They’re also nice keepsakes from the day.

Any tips for couples getting married?

Carson: Weddings mean many different things to different people. Deciding what it means to the two of you is arguably more crucial than even a budget. If you know why you're planning what you're planning, a lot of decisions emerge from that.

Meredith: Your people will show up for you, and they want to show up for you more than we often give credit for. We were so incredibly lucky to have our friends surprise us with a cake that we were able to cut together and share, and another set of friends who surprised us with a bottle of champagne that they had coordinated to have brought out at dinner, despite being hundreds of miles away. A lot of planning goes into all weddings and elopements, but the unplanned stuff that emerges from the love that your community has for you is truly so special.

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

We can’t pass up another opportunity to thank our photographer Sylvie Rosokoff. She really made our day what it was. In addition to guiding us through the day, Sylvie also knew how to do all the paperwork and made every logistical task a breeze, and even put us in touch with Olivia and Anthony who did Meredith’s hair and makeup. Her photos are filled with so much life, color, and movement, working with her was everything we could have hoped for and more!

An additional thank you to Olivia Garvin, my makeup artist, Anthony De Los Santos from DOLO Hair, and Tynasia aka The Urban Florist for my bouquet. They were all so wonderful to work with and are absolute experts at their craft.