Hannah + Jessie: Planning & Styling

Okay, I’m going to come right out and say it - I loved planning my wedding. I know that for tons of couples the task is daunting and overwhelming - the never ending decisions, the constant familial feedback loop, the alarming # of times you start to question whether you should just elope and get it over with. The struggle is reeeeeal! But I am, by nature, a super planner, list maker, perfectionist, type-A Virgo to my core. So, it’s probably no surprise that it genuinely fills my cup to focus on details and planning things, especially for loved ones (I have legit planned a surprise birthday event for my husband for the last 9 years and manage to get him every single time!)

Determining which details were meaningful enough to integrate into our day & figuring out how to use them to create an experience for our guests was my favorite part of the planning process. I missed planning so much when it was over. I missed it so much that right before Hannah and Jessie approached me about planning & styling their wedding celebration - I’d already been toying with the idea of integrating design/planning services into A Heart String. While I've decided this is an offering best left to the professionals (& I have tons of recs all over the US!), I am so thankful I was able to pull it off just this once for my dearest friends.

Hannah and Jessie imagined a “magical communal experience” for their loved ones, to celebrate their first year as a married couple. Having never gotten the chance to officially celebrate, they wanted to exchange vows in front of their nearest and dearest & to bask in end-of-summer-vibes with an epic dance party.

My first order of business was assembling a dream team of vendors that I knew would understand H&J’s aesthetic. When they told me that they wanted clean + simple NY wildflowers + muted pastels, I immediately knew that we had to work with Abby of Hella Bloom on florals! Abby’s designs are always so unique + conducive to the space she’s working in & this event was truly the perfect example of that.

Her wistful and playful arrangements, coupled with her textural flower selections perfectly softened up the industrial feel of Shio Studio.

In the spirit of community, H&J opted for casual, snack-style seating for dinner, so that guests could freely mingle between rooms, sit for a quick bite & then get back on the dance floor.

Abby kept the centerpiece arrangements simple, wild and clean. The colored tapered candles are from Elizaville Beeswax who make (bee-friendly!) gorgeous thin tapers that added an elegant touch despite the playful color scheme.

& speaking of communal dining- JaJaJaMexicana absolutely killed it with the tacos! Guests happily chowed down on 4 vegan varieties all night + enjoyed the two signature drinks - the My TaiTai mocktail for Jessie (cucumber, coconut, pineapple, lime + mint) & The Boulevardier for Hannah (Bourbon, Campari, Sweet Vermouth).

As guests started arriving, they were greeted by The Traveling Poetry Emporium , who delivered poems to order on a chosen subject, live.

Hannah and Jessie wanted to share this experience with their guests after meeting them at an event & being blown away by the results of the poems that the TPE composed for each of them based on what the other shared. When they shared them with me, I knew that I had to find a way to integrate them into their day.

So! I had my amazing wedding calligrapher extraordinaire Mary Fama bring them to life on acrylic, so that guests were able to read them upon entering the space and meeting the poet!

Once the event was in full swing, I switched gears & handed it over to Justine of Together Events who did an amazing job of wrangling all of the moving parts & keeping things running smoothly all night - while I proceeded to have a whole buncha tequila sodas and celebrate with our friends. Super shout out to Judson Rappaport Photography for capturing the day!