Cassandra and Malcolm did not let chilly, New York weather prevent them from having a beautiful, garden-themed wedding! They brought the garden indoors at this chic, Brooklyn venue.
How did you two meet?
We were close friends in high school – both self proclaimed Spades Masters. We became a couple a few years after graduation.
He popped the question on our eight-year anniversary (July 4, 2016) on 37th Street & 7th Avenue. That happens to be the same block where a spades debate led to us being together. The next day, we were on our way to a “fancy” lunch to celebrate our engagement. As I was walking into the dining area of the restaurant, someone yelled, “Surprise!” I looked back at Malcolm confused. I pushed the doors open to see both our families and my best friends cheesing from ear to ear, while screaming, “We got you! Congratulations!” Almost a year and a half after my surprise engagement party, we walked down the aisle to say, “I do.”
What was unique about your big day?
Between the time of our engagement and the wedding, we both lost people really close to us. Malcolm lost his grandmother. She lived to the grand age of 97. I lost one of my best friends, who had been comatose since being hit by a drunk driver. In order to make sure their presence was felt at the wedding, we named special drinks after them and played all of their favorite music.
Where did you wed and why did you pick the venue/site?
We wed at 501 Union – a modern event space with a low-key luxurious feel. I’m a Brooklyn girl through and through, so I wanted to say “I do” in my borough. Being that Brooklyn is the new hot spot, you have a ton of venues to choose from, but 501 Union gave us the bare space to create our own secret garden theme nuptials.
What inspired your theme/style?
Originally, we wanted to have a backyard wedding in a lush garden. But, since we were getting married in the Fall, we had to bring the garden indoors. Our color palette was made up of mauve/blush color tones, burgundy and lots of greenery.
We wanted our reception to feel like an intimate dinner among close friends and family. We created two long tables that allowed us to have a family style dining experience. To tie in the ceremony garden theme with the reception space we used a continuous green garland runner surrounded with candles in a variation of sizes as the centerpieces.
Any tips you would share with other couples getting married?
Budget, budget and stay in budget! Doing research in advance on what things cost and how you can cut costs on certain items will alleviate so much stress. We didn’t realize how much the price of everything goes up once people hear the word “wedding”. Being able to plan for this instant inflation is a major key to a less stressful wedding process. Also, search your area for wedding sample/warehouse sales. You’ll thank me later 🙂
Where did you go on your honeymoon?
Our honeymoon had to be postponed due to a volcano eruption in Bali. So for our one-year wedding anniversary, we’ll be lounging pool side in Seminyak, Bali!
