Emily and Evan live in NYC and with the impending expansion of their family, they decided to celebrate their wedding at Emily's family home. Emily's parents, Susan and Chip enlisted the help of Kristyn of K.Kerkorian Weddings and Events and everything magically came together. I first worked with Kristyn a billion years ago when she managed all of the weddings and events at The Colonnade Hotel, when I found out she was starting her own planning company I was overjoyed. Kristyn is so experienced, well-connected, calm and an absolute joy to work with!
I started my day with Emily and her friends and family and Audrey was just down the street with Evan and the guys. Hair (Le Jour by SJP) and Make up (The Doll Face Duo) was underway as the final touches were being made to the Sperry tent in the backyard.
Emily and Evan chose to eschew many of the typical wedding formalities, preferring to keep everything super relaxed. As Emily slipped into her dress and added a little lip balm, her dad Chip happened to walk by and I just love his expression here.
Emily and Evan wanted to enjoy cocktail hour with their friends and family (seriously, wait until you see the food, they would have been crazy to miss out on it!) so they chose to do all of the family pictures before the ceremony (Smart move! Hair and makeup is fresh and you don't have to spend your first hour of married life standing in a row for photographs). They didn't want to do a formal first look and there was no official wedding party so Emily just came out of the house when she was ready. Audrey and I couldn't help ourselves though, we kept the cameras up just in case and I love Evan's reaction as Emily walked outside. The bonus is Emily's brother Michael in the background.
We took some relaxed family pictures and portraits of the almost-newlyweds:
Emily and Evan slipped inside to sign the kettubah:
Guests arrived to the idyllic backyard with rosé flowing, a harpist playing and enjoyed the sunshine before the ceremony started. I'm thinking of setting up a petition on Change.org, shouldn't every wedding start with a chilled glass of rosé?
And then it was time for the wedding! Evan walked in with his proud parents Sharon and Kenny. His niece, Indy, played flowergirl and she took her role very seriously. Emily walked out of the house alone and then met Chip who escorted her down the aisle. Emily and Evan were married by family members (his Uncle Howie, her Aunt Diane), alongside their parents, under the chuppah held up by even more family members, it was absolutely beautiful to document:
Guests made their way into the courtyard where there were all sorts of fabulous little sofas and chairs hidden amongst the trees. Now would be a good time to mention that Emily's brother Michael is the genius behind Fat Baby in South Boston (if you haven't been, what's wrong with you? It's my regular brunch spot on a post-wedding Sunday, I bring along the papers and dive into a bowl of breakfast rice with pork belly and a fried egg or a couple of sushi rolls) and is part of the restaurant group behind South Boston favorites like Loco Taqueria & Oyster Bar, Capo and Lincoln. Let's just say that no-one was left hungry at this wedding and there wasn't a stuffed chicken breast in sight!
The overall design aesthetic was beautiful, do you think I can get one of these bars for my home? Kristyn worked with Peak Event Services (love those guys) and Cody Floral Design for all the lovely!
Seriously, who doesn't love a mini slider with a fried quail egg? As Audrey and I drove home, we were like "Yup, that was one of the best weddings to attend as a guest!"
Emily and Evan stuck to their laid-back vibe and skipped introductions, they opened the dancefloor to an acoustic version of Don't Take The Money by Lourde and Evan even attempted a dip.
As if all of the amazing food wasn't enough at cocktail hour, guests were treated to the most amazing dinner, carne asada tacos with fresh guacamole, grilled street corn, spicy chicken wings, truffle ricotta ravioli, panzanella salad, risottos, mushroom dumplings, crunchy tuna rolls with spicy aioli, dynamite salmon rolls with avocado and jalapeno, spring rolls and more. My stomach is growling as I type this. I sense a trip to Fat Baby in my future...
Toasts were given throughout the evening. Susan and Chip welcomed everyone to their home and Evan and his family to theirs. Evan's best friend Jeff brought the house down as he shared his tales of Evan's love of efficiency and ability to track down the best Jewish deli wherever he is in the world. Emily's aunts shared their stories of Emily always knowing her mind and how she's more like a sister to them now. Emily's dad Chip had laughing and then swiping at their eyes as he shared his delight of finding out about Baby A and Baby B.
Late in the night, everyone danced the hora and I have never seen anyone quite as serious and stern as Evan when he told the guys about to lift Emily up to be incredibly careful with her and the twins!
Dancing continued late into the night along with a never-ending supply of desserts.
I snuck Emily and Evan outside for 2 minutes to take advantage of the twilight-y blue sky. There was never any doubt that these two were having an absolute blast celebrating with their friends and family who had traveled near and far to be with them.
And that's it for today! Next up on the blog will be a beautiful wedding at the Ritz Carlton AND The State Room, and then a stunning Park Plaza wedding for your viewing pleasure!
I'll leave you with this last image. Emily & Evan (and your wonderful families!) thank you so much for trusting me as your wedding photographer, I hope you enjoy this handful of favorite images, wishing you a lifetime of love, laughter, health and happiness together!
