Maggie and Jeff seem like one cool couple so it goes without saying that their wedding is a super chic affair with an urban Brooklyn edge. It’s full to bursting with stunning details — just check out the gold-foiled wedding hashtag on the napkins for starters — and I LOVE the minimal yet industrial styling . It’s understated yet oh so elegant.
But as stylish as it is, tradition and family are at the heart of this affair… Jeff’s parents, grandparents and great-grandparents were all married in Brooklyn so having their wedding at The Dumbo Loft was the perfect way to keep the tradition alive. Not only that, but Jeff’s family kiddush cup that’s been used for all their family events since the 1800’s, was used for the blessings in their wedding ceremony too.
I don’t think I’ve seen and featured such awesome pre-ceremony images either… what an epic way to spend the morning with your bridal party! (scroll down to the bottom of the post to see what I’m talking about).
More super cool NYC-flavour (literally) touches include the ultimate Brooklyn BBQ buffet, and an incredible wedding cake from Momofuku — an NYC establishment which also happens to be one of Jeff’s favourite sweet treat places.
The gorgeous set of images, as crisp and cool as the big day itself, are by Britty D. Photography.
how we met
Maggie, the Bride: We first met in our junior year in college during a business class. The class was called Emerging Economies and we took a week trip to South Korea. On the trip, we became good friends, kept in touch over the summer and shortly, after returning to school in August, we began dating…the rest is history!
Keeping a family tradition alive with a wedding in Brooklyn
New York City is our home, and very near and dear to our hearts, after searching around the country we decided NYC was the perfect location for our wedding. Additionally, my husbands family has deep roots in NYC and specifically, Brooklyn. His parents, grandparents, great-grandparents were all married in the city and we felt it was a great way to keep tradition alive.
The Dumbo Loft was actually the first venue we saw. While visiting the loft my heart skipped a beat, and knew this was the best space for our wedding. We absolutely loved the loft feel and the area of Brooklyn. It is a completely raw space so we were able to make it our own. We also loved the area of DUMBO…just steps away from the Brooklyn Bridge Park with stunning views of Manhattan, we knew we couldn’t go wrong.
An “urban elegance” theme
Our theme was “urban elegance”. I chose black and white as our colours and infused natural elements such as dark woods, burlap table runners (made by the mum) and Kraft colour paper. I envisioned the look and feel of the wedding and we had a day of coordinator, Danielle Evans, who executed the entire day flawlessly.
Stationery incorporating the New York City skyline
All of our stationary, with the exception of our invitations, were designed by Elise Dilger. Elise utilised the NYC skyline when creating our stunning save the dates, programs, and menus. We had them printed on Kraft coloured paper for a more natural feel.
An Amsale wedding dress
My dress was Amsale “Noah” and we purchased her from Saks Fifth Avenue. I had a hard time initially when shopping for a dress- my mum and I went to numerous stores and I tried on at least 50 dresses and couldn’t decided on a dress. The morning before our appointment at Saks my mum and I popped into the BHLDN on the Upper East Side where I came across the most beautiful beaded sash. The moment I saw the sash, I fell in love, I knew I needed to find a simple dress that could showcase the sash.
At Saks my consultant was so easy to work with and understood my style. After trying on a few Amsale gowns I came across “Noah” a simple strapless white silk taffeta ball gown…with pockets. I instantly knew this was the dress, after a few happy tears, I tried it on with the beaded sash, perfection! I couldn’t have been happier with my choice.
The veil
The veil I chose was also from Saks Fifth Avenue. I went with a veil that was simple with a ribbon edge. I wanted something classic and simple that would highlight the dress.
blue wedding shoes
I love shoes. I knew I wanted to make a statement with my shoes and decided they would represent the “something blue” on our wedding day. My mum actually stumbled upon the perfect pair of navy blue satin peep toe Badgley Mischka pumps with a beautiful crystal ornament accent at the toe.
hair + make up
I am all about being natural and it was very important for me to look like the best version of myself on our wedding day. I decided to wear my hair down and curled. Simple and timeless. Make-up, as natural as possible. I used Taylor (makeup) and Andrew (hair) from Glamsquad. Taylor and Andrew were my dream team and effortlessly pulled together the perfect look. They are not only a great hair and makeup team but so fun to be around the morning of the wedding.
The handsome groom
Jeff wore a Hugo Boss tux from Saks Fifth Avenue complete with a custom fit tuxedo shirt from proper cloth and Hugo Boss Tuxedo shoes. The tux, shirt, and shoes were very classic and Jeff looked as handsome as could be.
bridesmaids in black cocktail dresses
I had four bridesmaids; three close friends from college and my sister in law. The girls all wore classic black cocktail dresses designed by Alfred Sung. It was important to me to chose something my bridesmaids liked and could wear again. I chose black, cocktail length, and let them pick their most flattering style. It was perfect because all four decided on a different dress which gave such a unique look to our wedding party.
A very personal interfaith Jewish wedding ceremony
To sum up our ceremony in a few words; personal, authentic, and natural. I was so nervous before walking down the aisle but once we were standing up there everything else faded away. We had an interfaith ceremony and it was important for us to incorporate traditions both old and new. We were married by my uncle under the chuppah and although the entire ceremony was profoundly meaningful, the two most memorable portions were the Sheva Brachot and our vows.
It was important to involve Jeff’s family kiddush cup in our wedding ceremony. The cup has been used at all family events since the 1800s and we wanted to keep the tradition alive.
For the Sheva Brachot we used modern English translations of each of the seven blessings and had our bridesmaids and groomsmen read the blessings during the ceremony. The final blessing, the Kiddush blessing, was given by one of our closest friends. It was a very special moment and felt so meaningful to have all of our family and friends support us during these blessings.
The vows were also very special. Jeff and I decided to write and recite our own vows for the ceremony, and this was truly the best part of the whole day. The love that we share for one another was truly felt in these moments- everything else faded away- it was very personal and real.
chuppah design
I initially saw Andrea’s beautiful chuppah’s from the Chuppah Studio on pinterest. I loves the unique but simple design and knew instantly this was what I wanted for our chuppah. I actually saw her at the Toasted Brooklyn wedding show and we decided on the self standing arched chrysanthemum chuppah design with gold poles.
garden style flowers
The floral look I was going for was “garden style”. I love peonies and wanted very lush greens. Our florist created beautiful white peony bouquets for our fur bridesmaids, a stunning bouquet of white peonies, dusty miller, eucalyptus and other green and lush accents. The tables were swept with lush garland, white peonies, and pillar candles. We had clusters of large pillar candles interweaving the garland and scattered votives down the long 20 person tables. It was very beautiful and romantic. We worked with Gramercy Park Flower Shop to design our vision and bring our ideas to life.
Our fabulous photographer
Our photographer was Brittany Davis from Britty D. Photography. She is actually an old family friend and I had seen her beautiful photos and trusted her work ethic so she was the natural choice for our photographer. She loves to tell a story and definitely did a great job capturing the candid moments from our wedding.
two wedding cakes
We actually had two cakes- one Momofuku Milk Bar cake and a smaller gluten free cake (for me!). The Momofuku cake was two layers of birthday cake and one layer chocolate malt. My husband loves Momofuku and the restaurant is a NYC establishment so it was the natural choice for a cake. The gluten free cake was red velvet with cream cheese frosting. Since this was my cake (I have a gluten allergy) I went with a cute Swiss dot design.
Our catering was a little outside the box as well, we used Peaches Events. We selected items from all of their restaurants in Brooklyn to create the ultimate Brooklyn BBQ buffet. We couldn’t have been happier with our choice to serve BBQ at the wedding- it was just so good!
entertainment
We used Penguin Music for the ceremony and cocktail hour. They are a guitar and cello duo and had them play more modern pieces such as the Beatles, Coldplay, and Journey. For our processional, I had my heart set on Home by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. Penguin Music were willing to learn the song so I could walk down the aisle to one of my favourite songs. They were so amazing- our guests were raving the entire night!
For the reception we had a friend DJ. Dean Abramowitz worked the mic and DJ-ed everyone’s favourite songs!
Our wedding day in a nutshell…
It truly was the perfect day full of love, fun, laughter and so much love surrounded by our nearest and dearest family and friends! The morning started off with the girls enjoying mimosa’s and music as we got ready for the wedding. Then came the first look, when Jeff and I saw each other for the first time, I have to say at this moment all the nerves disappeared. From there we gathered with our bridal party and parents and headed to the NYC subway, yes, I took the subway in my dress and heels! Once arriving in Brooklyn the day included a carousel ride on Jane’s Carousel and a spontaneous picnic table pizza party. From there we headed to the Dumbo Loft for the ceremony and reception. The reception was a party- eating, drinking, and a very memorable hora! I honestly couldn’t have imagined a better way to start our new life together.
advice to other brides and grooms
I think people sometimes get caught up in the show weddings — it becomes stressful not fun. You just can’t forget about the real reason for the wedding; celebrating the love between you and your significant other! Let everything else go, and enjoy the planning and never look back. Regardless of what goes wrong, it will still be the happiest day of your life. Also, involve your family and friends as much as possible because they are just as happy and excited and love to help and be apart of the day!
Maggie & Jeff’s LITTLE WHITE BOOK
Photography — Britty D. Photography
Venue — The Dumbo Loft
Day of Coordinator — Danielle Evans
Chuppah — Chuppah Studio
Makeup & Hair — Glamsquad
Dress — Amsale from Saks Fifth Avenue Bridal
Beaded sash — BHLDN
Bride’s shoes — Badgley Mischka
Bridesmaids — Alfred Sung
Tux — Hugo Boss
Ceremony Music — Penguin Music
Catering — Peaches Events
Florist — Gramercy Park Flower Shop
Rentals — West Side Party Rentals
Lighting — Universal Light & Sound
Cake — Momofuku Milk Bar and Clementine Bakery
Stationary — Elise Dilger Art & Design
