Real Wedding: Erika & Mike at J. Verno Studio

This winter wedding is all kinds of pretty.  Deep, rich jewel tones, perfect cold weather accessories, and a bride and groom who aren’t afraid of low temps and a little wind, all in the name of some amazing photos.  Erika and Mike wanted their wedding to be a giant party where guests could cut loose and have a blast.  From the funfetti cake (the best kind of cake IMHO), to the felt mustaches that doubled as escort cards and silly photo props, to what appears to be the most EPIC father/daughter dance ever, it looks like their November wedding was just that.  Other noteworthy details?

• The prettiest hem and train I’ve ever seen on a wedding dress.  Ever.
• The emerald green gloves and faux fur shawl that Erika purchased from H&M for a “whopping $10 total.”  She said they were her favorite accessories.  Mine too, Erika!
• Stunning chandeliers that added intimacy and beautiful pink and purple uplighting that added color to the reception venue
• Donations made to charities near and dear to the couple’s heart – Animal Friends and Four Diamonds Fund
• A cookie table that was created by the long-time family friends and bakers of the Lake George Baking Company.  This is the same bakery that made all of the bride’s birthday cakes as a child and they lovingly delivered all of the yummy treats from upstate New York!

These stunning images from Beth Insalaco make a great case for why winter weddings can be oh-so-beautiful.  Summer, eat your heart out.

From the bride…

When and how did you two meet?
As my husband is a talented and humourous writer, I’ll use his words from our wedding website…”During their time in the Happiest of Valleys (PSU), the couple – more aptly know as Birdle – were both involved in Penn State Dance Marathon.  They were doing their part to help beat pediatric cancer when Cupid – or Captain Morgan – shot both of them square in the behind.  However, each kissed their fair share of frogs and frogettes before Mike finally worked up the nerve to ask Erika to his fake frat formal.  He was such a romantic.  They danced, probably sang, and enjoyed a few cocktails before eventually realizing they were perfect for each other.  From that day on, the two were inseparable.”

Juicy details on the proposal, please!  Where, when, how?
Again, my husband’s words from our website…”After stringing Erika on for more than four years, Michael finally popped the question in upstate New York on June 17, 2011, at roughly 2:00 pm.  His ploy began weeks earlier when Erika had bought him a Nikon D3100 to get him started with his new hobby, photography.  However, Erika didn’t know that the gift she bought Mike would be the excuse he needed to get her to the perfect location – Congress Park in Saratoga.  The plan was to head up to the park – the first place Erika had taken Michael on their first visit – take a few photos and find the perfect spot to pop the question.  Keeping true to Murphy’s Law, it was a crappy day full of rain and humidity but that didn’t stop Michael.  After walking through the park, taking some crappy pictures of ducks, and sweating like a fat kid, Michael finally found a cute spot in the park and dropped to one knee to ask Erika to be his wife.  Even with the grandiose hand gesture, Erika was on-board to spend the rest of her life with Michael.  The ‘holy crap we got engaged’ text message was sent to friends and family and the calls began flooding our airwaves.  From that moment on, the two have been happy, healthy and ready to party.”

Describe the wedding.  The look, theme, style, colors, etc.
Mike and I decided from the very beginning to stay true to our personalities and to our wishes for our wedding.  This meant a lot of fun and laughter.  While we wanted to have a traditional wedding ceremony, the plan for our reception was to throw an all around fun party to enjoy with our family and friends.  The party started off right by steering clear of traditional table numbers and providing all of our guests with their own felt mustache-on-a-stick.  Each table was represented by a famous mustachioed figure from Mario to Burt Reynolds.   Since we were getting married in November, I wanted the rich, romantic colors – plum, emerald green, and wine red.  I have a slight obsession with green so I did not hesitate to have some green accessories for the day.  As our venue was visually pleasing in its bare state, we did not feel like we needed to do much in regards to floral arrangements.  We had clean, simple arrangements and, of course, dark green moss on every table.

What inspired your vision?
I knew from the start that I wanted a clean and relatively simple dress for our big day.  Wedding dress shopping felt stressful.  I didn’t like getting gussied up with belts and tiaras by the salespeople.  I only went to one store and tried on about four dresses before I took my search online.  I came across PreOwned Wedding Dresses and was amazed to find that brand new dresses were up for grabs at incredible prices.  I would not recommend this method for everyone.  I didn’t try on my dress until I was fully committed and opened up the package at my in-laws home.  Thankfully, it was perfect.  The Art Deco style touches, like the cord details and the amazing scalloped hem and train, had me falling in love at first sight.  At this point, it only felt right to go 1920s with the rest of my wedding day style.

Bride to Bride

What advice would you give to other Burgh Brides planning their big day?
The best advice I can give is to just be you.  Corny, I know, but so true!  It feels wonderful looking back on our wedding knowing that Mike and I decided on details regardless of what the “norm” was or the heart attack we may have induced in our mothers.  (Although, anyone who knows us was surely not surprised by any of it!)  Mustaches aren’t the first thing that comes to mind when most people think of weddings but for us it was just the hilarious punch our wedding needed.

Vendors
Bride’s Dress: Matthew Christopher via PreOwned Wedding Dresses | Bride’s Jewelry & Accessories: Earrings & bracelet: Macy’s; Beaded clutch: Borrowed from the groom’s nana; Fur shawl & green gloves: H&M; Veil: Alex Bridal | Bride’s Shoes: Mia via 6pm | Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Lazaro via Wedding Shoppe, Inc. | Cake: Cakes by Tammy | Cookies: Lake George Baking Company | Caterer and Linens: Yes, We Cater | Ceremony Location: Assumption Church | Ceremony Program: Different Designs | DJ: Dan Koch of Fifth Ace Entertainment | Hair & Makeup: Val-Lerie’s Hair Design | Menswear: BLACK by Vera Wang at Men’s Warehouse | Mustache Tie Clip: Tsaiclip | Photographer: Beth Insalaco | Reception Venue, Lighting, & Photo Booth: J. Verno Studios | Videographer: Steady Creek Cinema