I am very proud of my Southern heritage and that is one of the reasons that I love planning weddings back down South. But I have now lived in New York for 13 years and so I am equally in love with the glamour of my city. It really is a magical place, especially for weddings. Just last month I had the opportunity to plan a classic, glamorous New York wedding for an incredibly lovely couple. I couldn't have been happier - it was such a treat for me!

This wedding did a great job of letting the beauty of the spaces they were in speak for themselves: Manhattan, Central Park, The Pierre. There was never a need to be fussy or to try too hard - much like the couple! Sam and Ken are incredibly effortless to be around and their love always spoke for itself. So I loved how even though their wedding day was glamorous, it was never high maintenance!

I think the above shot is so beautiful. You can see how madly in love Sam and Ken are with each other. These two decided to do a First Look, which is something more and more couples are doing these days. Seeing each other before the ceremony gave them time to take some beautiful portraits in the daylight in Central Park, without being rushed to get all the shots and get back to their guests. It's also a great time for the bride and groom to see each other and really enjoy the day!

Sam and Ken's ceremony was beautifully refined. Tons of candles and mirrors made the light reflect beautifully and the ceremony itself was really touching. Sam looked stunning walking down the aisle with her long veil walking arm and arm with her mother framed by the gorgeous chandeliers of the Pierre Hotel.

I love both these detail shots from that weekend because they show how beautifully the design of this event let the space speak for itself. If you are planning a party or a wedding, make sure to take into account the space when designing the party - if you are looking for a sleek, modern aesthetic, planning a ballroom wedding is going to be an uphill battle because you'll either have to cover up or work around the more ornate details of the ballroom. Sam and Ken embraced the old world glamour at the iconic Pierre Hotel and so all it took was some well chosen details to make a stunning event!

All white flowers on the tables and classic silver, glass and china made for a beautiful evening. We put orchids on each place setting which I thought added a really nice detail to each place setting. Sticking with all white flowers meant that we could use a wide range of flowers for variety and texture without it looking too busy. I thought Belle Fleur did an amazing job - as always!

How stunning is this shot of the entire ballroom? This is a great example why lighting is such an important part of every event (and often unnoticed) - the floral arrangements pop in this shot because of the lighting and the dance floor looks warm and inviting without being too in the dark. Don't skimp on lighting, brides!

Another incredible thing about this couple is how giving they are. They partnered with Repeat Roses, an incredible organization that repurposes flowers from weddings and events and gives them to worthy causes, to reuse the flowers from the event. They were even featured in a Nightly News story for their generosity. It made looking around the ballroom even more amazing when you knew that all the flowers were going to be making people happy all over again!

I wanted to end with this lovely shot of Sam and Ken's first dance because I love the look on her face. When it comes down to it, my job is about making people happy. I can talk about flower arrangements, tablescapes, favors and lighting design, but if the couple isn't happy or if the party isn't fun, then I haven't done my job well. I had so much FUN working with these two and seeing them smiling, surrounded by all their friends and family having a great time, as cheesy as it may sounds, is all I could ask for.

I hope you all enjoyed getting a little more in depth view into one of my events. Make sure if you aren't already following me on Instagram to do so because I try to give glimpses into the "behind the scenes" of my day-to-day as often as I can. Have a great week everybody!

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A Classic New York Wedding at the Pierre Hotel