Weddingbee Blog

Thea and Ryan met by chance at jury duty in 2004 and were married 3 years later at the gorgeous Westside Loft in New York City. Mr. and Mrs. Bee were also married at this very same modern venue!

Venue: Westside Loft
Date: March 10, 2007

Bridal Gown Designer: Made by Thea’s godfather’s wife
Photographer: Kenny Pang
Videographer: Matt Adams
Event Design/Caterer/Croquembouche/Florist: Thom Lussier of Cafiero Lussier. He also helped us coordinate the day of the event.
DJ: John Sinclair from Aria Melody
Honeymoon: We went to Zanzibar and South Africa. It was the trip of a lifetime. We went on a Safari and I could hardly believe my eyes. Truly an amazing experience.

We were engaged in April 2006 and when it was time to choose where, there was no question that NYC was the place. We met here and had both lived here for years so the decision could not have been clearer.

Our décor colors were green and pink.

My dress was made by my godfather’s wife. We bought gorgeous lace in the fabric district in NYC and had it custom dyed to an off-white. The dress was made for me, so it fit like a glove! It was inspired by Monique Lhuillier.

Pre-Wedding Details

Ryan and I chose to see each other before the wedding (as opposed to seeing each other before we first walked down the aisle) and it was the best decision we ever made. We spent the entire afternoon with our photographer and videographer running around NYC taking photos. The weather was amazing and it made the day feel even longer!

Bridesmaids

I’m not a fan of bridesmaid dresses so I had my bridesmaid pick any style or brand of dress that they wanted as long as it was a shade of green. They all looked beyond gorgeous and comfortable in their own dresses. It also allowed them to buy dresses in their own price range. They each carried a single flower that our event designer matched with each girl.

Ceremony

We wanted to do our ceremony and our reception in the same location so it would be easy for our guests and we were planning a non-religious ceremony, which allowed us flexibility. Although we were both raised Catholic, we chose to have a more personal ceremony that focused more on the two of us and involved family and friends. My husband came up with the great idea that we would write letters to each other and have close family read them as part of the ceremony. The letters were emotional and funny at the same time. Many people came up to us after to say how much they enjoyed listening to the ceremony.

Wedding Location Detail

We wanted a unique wedding with unexpected food and bright, colorful design. We chose of the West Side Loft in Manhattan because it has a modern feel of a loft but with soft touches such as crystal chandeliers…it was the perfect palette for our day.

We had bright pink tablecloths along with green flowers and paper lanterns on each table. These colors also were tied into the invite.

Food

Ryan and I love food and wine. We love to cook and explore all types of restaurants. When it came time for our wedding food we wanted to do something a bit different. We had a giant mashed potato bar that people are still talking about! For the meat option, instead of doing a typical filet we chose to do short ribs that were slow cooked for hours. This was much more realistic (and tasty) when thinking about feeding a big crowd. We also did a traditional French wedding cake (because we love cream puffs and not because we’re French). It’s called a Croquembouche and it was delicious.

Favorite Moments

Our favorite moments were spending time together before the ceremony, seeing all of our friends and family in one location, and dancing the night away!

all photos by Kenny Pang

Any Advice for Future Brides?

#1. Go with the “WHAT TO” play list not the “WHAT NOT to” play list. Pre-pick 75 percent of your music with your DJ or band. Literally put together a list of the music you want to hear. Let them fill in the rest so there is an element of surprise. Everyone danced all night long at our wedding.

#2. Don’t stress about what didn’t get done. The moment I sat in the chair to get my nails done before the rehearsal dinner I released it all. What’s done is done! Relax and just have a blast. Everyone follows your vibe… if you’re dancing and having fun, so will your guests

#3. Start the day with breakfast even if you’re not hungry!

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