Hello lovelies! What a way to start the week I have for you this fine Monday morning – I just know you are going to Love it (yes, with a capital L!) This speakeasy inspired shindig is a wedding soiree! What on earth is a wedding soiree I hear you ask? Well, it’s an evening of wedding celebrations, just without the ceremony beforehand. Yep, that’s right, all the fun of a wedding, but without any of the stress – doesn’t it sound perfect? And just wait until you see it…..

Kate & Andries eloped a couple of months before their Brooklyn Bash, but having kept their ceremony intimate they still wanted to celebrate their wedding with loved ones, friends and family so organised this relaxed, fun and classy evening at The Green Building.

“We wanted to create an atmosphere that was not too serious and tradition based, but still felt like a wedding. We kept it more casual by doing family style dinner, dessert trucks, having cocktails before getting into the “serious” stuff. Also the decor was not too precious. The idea was for it to look “lived in” and encourage interaction.”

Big on style, elegance and fun; and positively brimming with the most fabulous vintage details including chalkboard signs created by Sharp Shooter Signs, vintage books and glass hired from Little Vintage Rentals, gorgeous gramophones, a live Jazz Band…oh and a waffle cart! Ok, maybe not so Art Deco but delicious, right? The art deco styling of this speakeasy wedding soiree is a master class on how to theme your wedding, without it feeling like fancy dress! Seriously, Jay Gatsby himself would have been proud to host it!

Before we jump headfirst in to all of the art deco decadence, here is a little snippet from photographer Chris Spira…..

“I absolutely loved photographing Kate & Andries Wedding Soiree. I could not stop taking photos, since there were so many beautiful things to discover and capture. Everything was made with so much attention to detail and every turn revealed a breathtaking new angle.

The guests were looking fabulous in their 20’s inspired outfits, having such a good time celebrating Kate and Andries’ Love. The Green Building in Brooklyn was the perfect setting for this amazing indoor/outdoor event. The atmosphere was very relaxed – yet so stylish and totally glam. I was incredibly happy & honored to photograph their amazing soiree.”

Kate’s wedding dress is a gorgeous design by Manuel Mota for Pronovias. How fabulous are those feathers? So elegant and perfectly art deco!

The couple met in NYC five years ago…”I am from the NYC area and Andries is from Belgium but came to the US for his MBA. He wasn’t planning to stay after but got a job in NYC and stayed there for three years (luckily!).

The proposal was very romantic and a COMPLETE surprise! We were living in Shanghai…we had dinner at a wonderful intimate japanese restaurant, then went to our favorite bar, a cocktail and jazz bar in a historic hotel. The night had a few funny mishaps, which made it all the more memorable.”

I love how Kate & Andries used vintage books for their table name centrepieces! You see, centrepieces don’t have to be big expensive floral statements to look fabulous…..

“I loved greeting everyone at the beginning of the party…it was amazing, seeing all our loved ones, all these people who were so important to us, all under one roof. I totally teared up a few times when I saw someone I hadn’t seen in a while, or a friend who flew across the country for the wedding.”

“Having eloped two months prior, we weren’t planning to have a real ceremony at our soiree. The morning of, Andries and I decided we really should do something symbolic for our friends and family…we sat at a diner in Brooklyn and started throwing around some ideas of what we could do/say. It turned into us MCing our post-cocktail hour very unconventional ceremony…it was light and fun, yet heartfelt and emotional. Our good friend David acted as officiant, and added some humor and beautiful insight. It ended up being a 30 minutes long….very unexpected, but one of the highlights of the night for us.”

“It is a night we remember so fondly. While of course it was not “perfect” in many ways (for example, the intense heat!), it was a perfect celebration with everyone we loved. It was so much fun, and so beautiful. The surrounding and decor evoked exactly the ambience and mood I had envisioned, and Chris’s photos captured it all perfectly!”

So, if you could turn back the clock is there anything you would change or do differently? “Nope!”

Pearls of Wedding Wisdom from the bride…..

“Don’t fixate on every detail. Figure out what your priorities are and put your energy into making those things stand out. And take time to step back and observe the day…stand off the the side and just take it all in.”

“Our photographer Chris and her team were wonderful!! The photos captured the event exactly as I hoped they would…I love that we don’t have a collection of typical wedding portraits. Instead, we have a collection of artistic images that truly bring me right back to that day.

You can see more of photographer Chris Spira’s work by visiting her website www.chrisspiraphotography.com, and she can also be found on Facebook and Twitter.

Don’t you think a wedding soiree is such a great way for couples eloping to still celebrate with friends and family? With all the pressure removed you are able to enjoy a relaxed, but still glamorous and stylish, evening with all of your nearest and dearest. I love it – I’d like to see more Wedding Soirees please!

What do you think? Any of you planning an elopement now considering one?

Amy

x

Photographer ~ Chris Spira // Wedding Dress ~ Manuel Mota/Pronovias // Headband ~ Jennifer Behr // Earrings ~ Lulu Frost // Shoes ~ Ann Lyi Liu Slingbacks with vintage 20’s shoes clips found on Etsy // Venue ~ The Green Building, Brooklyn // Bridesmaids ~ Decades of Fashion // Grooms Pants ~ Tom Ford // Jacket ~ Armani // Event Planner ~ Melissa McNeeley // Band ~ Carte Blanche // Florist ~ Tom Borgese // Chalkboards Signs ~ Sharp Shooter Signs // Book and Glass Rentals ~ Little Vintage Rentals // Catering ~ Betty Brooklyn // Food Truck ~ Wafles & Dinges