Wedding: April + Jamie

6.8.24

April and Jamie had a one of a kind wedding and instead of telling you about it myself, I’d rather you hear it directly from the couple instead:

Q: Tell us about your wedding! What was the inspiration behind your day? Did you have a specific theme, style or color palette? Did you incorporate any cultural or religious traditions in any part of your day?

A: We knew we wanted more of an upscale cocktail party versus a traditional sit down dinner with assigned seating. Our goal was to keep the energy flowing and focus on our event being a true party! We chose to only incorporate traditions that felt authentic to us and lean into our unique love story with our slightly unconventional approach. Lots of romantic, lush florals with an upscale speak-easy type vibe, keeping it a fun celebration but oozing with elegance. We wanted excellent food and drinks, great music, lots of desserts, and beauty everywhere! While we had a color palette (dusty blue, navy, olive green, cream and gold) and overall vision in mind, our planner and vendors really helped bring it to life with their attention to detail and expertise! We wanted the planning process to be fun and free from stress, and having an excellent team who took the time to get to know us, and that we trusted fully to run with our vision (and add their own personal touches and ideas) was huge.

Q: Let’s talk wedding decor. How did you decorate your space for the ceremony and the reception? Was any part of the decor DIY?

A: While Park Country Club provided an absolutely gorgeous and stunningly perfect backdrop from beginning to end, we personalized the space with a mix of round and cocktail tables, rich velvet linens, soft lounge seating, gold chivari chairs and flatware, vintage blue goblets, soft candlelight, and of course, LOTS OF FLOWERS literally everywhere. In addition to both high top and low top tables, we incorporated cozy lounge areas throughout the space in rich velvet tones. Our incredible florist, Sara Spoth, built us not only a smoky, aged mirror welcome sign, but a custom shelving display that held welcome champagne in blue goblets for our guests as they arrived, and then an epic, personalized dessert spread from Fairy Cakes. It was all so magical! We also had to honor our dog, Apollo, with cocktail napkins – including a custom drawing of him – that read “drinks on me!”

Q: What were the florals like in your wedding? Did you use flowers in any of your design elements like the bridal bouquets, centerpieces or ceremony backdrop? Did they play an important part in the overall style of your wedding?

A: Our wedding was very floral heavy with lush, romantic, flowing florals in creams and blues throughout the indoor and outdoor spaces. The florals greeted guests as soon as they walked in – around the welcome sign, grand piano, and truly at every turn throughout the ceremony and reception. There were even flowers spilling out of the glass and gold coffee tables and by the ottomans in the lounge areas. We had a gorgeous 8-foot flower arch as the backdrop for our outdoor ceremony, overlooking the Park Country club golf course. All of the florals had loads of depth, texture, and dimension. Our bouquets complimented our unique styles and dresses, and opted for all cream for our. We also incorporated foliage for the covered patio space, which was used for both cocktail hour and our dance floor to keep with the soft, glam vibe. Flowers were a huge element for our wedding and we wouldn’t change a thing!

Q: Did you personalize the day in any way (food trucks, guest entertainment etc.)? What were some of your favorite parts of your wedding?

A: We did signature cocktails of our favorite drinks (pineapple margarita and aperol spritz) and wrote our own vows, which was incredibly special. We truly felt the entire day was personalized with our overall approach! Some of our favorite parts included our first look with each other before the ceremony – our wedding dresses were the only surprise to each other and it was such a special moment! We also shared a lovely private dinner and cake-cutting upstairs on the balcony while our guests enjoyed their dinners below (people are still raving about the food and desserts!). We then changed into our reception outfits and revealed our second looks to our guests with a choreographed first dance to Lil Boo Thang by Paul Russel. And of course, everyone going crazy to the Bills Shout song at the end of the night! Following the reception, we had an after party with late night bites and karaoke at the Irishman on Main Street in Williamsville.

Q: Let’s talk fashion. How did you both choose your wedding day look? Describe the looks in detail.

A: I had three wedding day looks and Jamie had two! April’s wedding dress had a feminine, princess feel; it was strapless with a dramatic, layered tulle skirt & flowing train. I was casually wedding dress shopping (before we even had a wedding date set!) with my best friend in Austin, TX without a clear idea of what I wanted. When I saw this particular dress on the mannequin, the search was over! I knew it was perfection and stopped trying on other dresses. I added a simple waltz length veil, pulled in the dusty blue element with blue satin shoes from Freya Rose, and topped it all off with custom designed diamonds (teardrop earrings and necklace) from our incredible jeweler, Elliott Winter of Winter Jewelry.For my reception dress, I chose a short Nadine Merabi dress that was full of sequins, fringe and feathers! It was so much fun and completely fit my personality and style. I had strappy gold sandals, again from Freya Rose, with a block heel made of mother of pearl. I’m a big details girl! For the after-party, I took advantage of one more look with a white sequin jumpsuit and pink cowboy boots. Ali at made by anatomy tailored and elevated every look so that it perfectly complemented my body and made me feel confident and beautiful.Jamie’s wedding dress was also love at first sight – the intricate detail and feminine elements woven throughout were perfect for her. She found her dress at Brenda Babe Bridal and it fit perfectly! A lovely lace overlay, subtle sequin sparkle, deep-V, open back, long row of buttons, and small lace train were all part of what made her dress so special. Elliott Winter also provided Jamie’s wedding jewelry to pull the look together. Jamie’s reception outfit was a white sequin jumpsuit (also from Nadine Merabi) that she wore with custom, bejeweled Nike Air Force Ones and a “Black-Wolff” tank underneath. I feel like our second looks were so perfect for each of us! She rocked her jumpsuit for the remainder of the night, and truly never stopped dancing. We had an absolute blast and have truly never felt more beautiful (and happy!).

Q: How did you meet? Tell us about the proposal.

A: We met through work over Zoom – Jamie was living in NYC and I lived in Atlanta – and instantly became best friends. Neither of us had dated a woman before, and so we really had to open our minds and hearts to the idea of falling in love. It took a lot of courage and a big leap of faith, but is the best plot twist in our unique love story. Our relationship has a strong foundation of friendship and trust, and we have so much fun with each other. Take the risk – it’s worth it!Jamie proposed to April at the Buffalo airport at the very spot she knew she had fallen in love with April the year prior. April reverse-proposed to Jamie at her favorite brewery (Britesmith) after having planned with the live band to play one of Jamie’s favorite Lizzo songs for her! This way we both got rings and surprise proposals, and were able to make our own rules and create our own path together. Making it up as we go, and having fun along the way!

Q: What was the most anticipated or special moment of your wedding day?

A: Jamie was excited for our first look for months and months, and I was excited about literally everything. It was a dream! If I had to pick something, I’d say our first dance (since we kept it a surprise to everyone) and the flower arch! I truly loved it all, beginning to end, and feel so grateful.

Q: Do you have any wedding planning or marriage advice that you’d like to share with other couples planning their day?

A: If you are able to, get a planner! We had zero stress during our wedding weekend and really throughout the whole planning process. Our wedding planner, Gianna, was also able to make the best vendor recommendations based on our vision, preferences, and style. Having an amazing team made the whole process super fun and enjoyable!Also, do what YOU want. Your wedding is about celebrating your love, and you’ll never please everyone, so stay true to yourselves. On the day of your wedding, let go and just ENJOY IT! Soak in how special it is and all the love that surrounds you. Lastly, don’t forget what it’s truly about – committing to each other. Let your love be your anchor every step of the way.

Rehearsal: