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Real Wedding | Katie & Chris



Tell us a little about yourselves!


Katie is an editor at a magazine, and Chris does public policy and advocacy work for a non-profit. We both love scouring vintage shops, exploring New York, boats, and saunas. We live for the summer, so it only felt natural to have our wedding on a midsummer night. 


Why did you decide to get married where you did?


One of our favorite ways to spend a Saturday is to bop around our neighborhood in Brooklyn. We wanted our wedding to feel like one of those low-key, bop-around days—just a little bit gussied up and joined by 90 of our nearest and dearest. 


First, we gathered in our backyard, which Chris has spent the last few years cultivating into a lovely garden, for drinks and an exchange of vows. Then we took a five-minute stroll to a wine and tapas restaurant, followed by cake, toasts, and dancing at our go-to dive bar. Highlighting our neighborhood standbys—like tres leches cake from the bakery around the corner—made the day feel like us. 


How many guests did you have?




What was your budget?


$45,000 USD, including our outfits. We were fortunate to have generous help from our families. 


Tell us about your outfits.


Chris wanted a dark, moody suit, but something that would be cool enough for July—a black linen suit from Suitsupply fit the bill. 


I found my bias-cut silk gown on Stillwhite, a site with a huge selection of pre-owned wedding dresses that I scrolled through for weeks before taking the plunge. Because I didn’t plan to wear a veil, I loved the gown’s diaphanous silk chiffon sash and the delicate silk jacket that the original owner paired with it.


For shoes, I spotted ivory sandals by The Row for an unbelievable price on Poshmark—the catch: they looked like a dog had chewed them. I had my sincere doubts if they could be salvaged, but I found a miracle-working cobbler, and the sandals were wedding-ready within a week. 


For the afterparty, I changed into a shorter silk dress by Alexander Wang for Balenciaga that I got on The RealReal. Both of the dresses were silk and had back ties, so they felt like variations on a theme. For shoes, I found a pre-owned pair of Loeffler Randall sandals on eBay. 


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


It was important to us to celebrate our guests. We debated for a long time whether to have a wedding, but we ultimately decided that bringing so many people we love all together in one place was too good an opportunity to pass up. We wrote love notes to each of our guests, which provided a chance to not only recognize and appreciate them, but also to reminisce and reflect, and maybe even dredge up some funny memories they’d prefer stayed in the past. After the wedding, we set out on a cross-country road trip honeymoon and wrote thank-you postcards to our guests at each stop along the way. 


To us, the planning process was just as important as the day. We rubber-stamped our invitations by hand, using white ink on black handmade papers, all while sipping beers and swearing whenever the ink smudged. Before shipping out the invites, we spritzed them liberally with Le Labo’s Santal 33. In the months leading up to the wedding, we also put our thrifting skills to good use, collecting silver-plated trays and ice buckets at every vintage shop that crossed our path. We even drove an hour away to pick up a set of vintage glassware spotted on Facebook Marketplace. All the scavenging was worth it, though, because these are now treasured pieces we’ll use for years and years. 


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


I’m a sucker for the details. I found vintage wedding matchbooks on Etsy, and we continued the tradition by having retro-style matchbooks printed with our names and date. I also wanted to work in as many of my favorite local shops as possible. The day before the wedding, we got up early to hit the NYC flower market (particularly Dutch Flower Line and G. Page) to get all the ethereal, moon-garden-inspired blooms we could find to pop into bud vases. We had larger arrangements created by Brooklyn-based florist Fox Fodder Farm, and they coordinated perfectly with our simple bud vases. 


Any tips for couples getting married?


Be realistic about how much help you need, and don’t be afraid to ask for it! I, admittedly, am terrible at that. But luckily we have fantastic friends who swooped in on the day, helping prep cheese plates, mix up martinis, and craft flower crowns. 


Consider getting a piece that you’ll want to wear beyond the wedding. My parents gifted me a beautiful gold bracelet that I’ve worn for special occasions since, and it serves as a cherished keepsake. 


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


Our photographer, Harper Cowan from Harper Pictures , was a dream to work with. She captured so many sweet moments we had missed, and got shots that reflect the feeling of the day. We can’t stop smiling every time we look at them.  


Our day-of coordinators, Fallon and Jose from Mostest, helped with everything from transporting flowers, to hanging paper lanterns, to picking up the whipped cream we’d forgotten to put on our shopping list. In hindsight, moving between three different venues was an ambitious plan, but they made it happen. We’re so grateful for the vendors and loved ones who helped us pull this day together. 











































Photographer: Harper Pictures @harperpix | Day-of Coordinator: Mostest @joinmostest | Flora:

Fox Fodder Farm @foxfodderfarm | Ceremony Location: The couple’s garden | Reception Location:

The Ten Bells @thetenbellsbk | Afterparty Location: The Three Diamond Door @thethreediamonddoor | Makeup Artist: Isabel Y Rosado @isabelyrosado | Hair Stylist: Rosibel Del Jesus @rosibelhair | Cake:

Gaby’s Bakery | Stationery: by the couple Idyll (Paper) @idyllpaper_ | DJ: BPM Events | Table Numbers: The Lettering Grove | Ceremony Dress: Something Blue @somethingbluevancouver found on Stillwhite @stillwhite | Afterparty Dress: Balenciaga @balenciaga from The RealReal @therealreal | Suit: Suitsupply @suitsupply | Silk Blouse: Joanna Delaney @joannadelaneystudio | Engagement Ring: Belonged to Chris’s mother  | Wedding Rings: Pippin Vintage @pippinvintage | Shoes: The Row @therow / Loeffler Randall @loefflerrandall (Afterparty) | Earrings: Stella & Haas @stellaandhaas | Tailor: Shopbop @shopboyny


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