Glamorous Black-Tie City Wedding: Aaron and Diana

September 24, 2015

The groom kisses the bride on the cheek as they climb into the vintage cadillac to head to the reception.

The bride's sparkly Jimmy Choos sit perched on the window sill as the bride gets ready.The maid of honor helps the bride zip up her dress as the flower girl admiringly looks on. The bride slips into her sparkly heels as she puts the finishing touches on her look. Surrounded by historical portraits at the Driskill, the groom ties his bow-tie in preparation for the big day. A special moment is captured when the groom turns around to see his beautiful bride for the first time. The bride and her bridesmaids follow each other outside of the church to get some group pictures. Lit up by the beautiful colors of a stained glass window, the bride calmly waits to walk down the aisle. Family and friends of the bride and groom fill the pews of Central Christian Church as they wait for the ceremony to start. The grooms mother looks up lovingly at her son as they walk down the aisle. The adorable ring bearer patiently waits to walk down the aisle as the ceremony begins. The groom lovingly watches his beautiful bride walk down the aisle. The bride and groom hold hands and look into each other's eyes as they recite their vows. Surrounded by family and friends at Central Christian Church, the bride and groom prepare to say "I do". The groom fist bumps a close friend sitting in the pew as he and his new wife walk down the aisle. The bride shares a sweet moment with her grandmother as the reception begins. The reception decor perfectly compliments the beautiful ballroom of the Driskill Hotel. Huge floral centerpieces and candles decorate each table at the reception. Purple and pink flowers line the center of the gold mirrored table for the wedding party. Suspended gold centerpieces and mirrored gold table numbers are just a few of the stunning accents that tie the room together. The bride and groom laugh along to a funny toast given by a close friend. The bride and groom clap along to a violist performing on stage. Purple uplighting with a gobo pattern gives this area of the ballroom a fun, modern feel. The bride and groom share a magical moment during their first dance as husband and wife. Friends of the couple share of a fun moment on the dance floor during the final few songs of the reception. The groom greets his guests, sharing a laugh with friends on the dance floor as the music kicks up. A redheaded friend of the couple shows off her dance moves during the reception. The father of the bride hits the dance floor to celebrate the bride and groom during the reception. As the reception draws to a close, the bride and groom share one last dance with their friends and family.

How did you choose your venues: Central Christian Church and The Driskill Hotel: We both always envisioned our reception at The Driskill.  We love The Driskill because of the history and character of the hotel.  It also provided a very formal setting that lent itself nicely for a black tie affair.  

Having a traditional church wedding was very important to us.  We immediately fell in love with Central Christian after visiting the church and meeting with Judye (Central Christian wedding coordinator).  It didn’t hurt that Jenny was very familiar with the venue and had some amazing pictures to show us of weddings she previously photographed there. 

Describe your decor and how you chose it?  The general theme of our wedding was Old Hollywood glamor.  We gave Caplan Miller and David Kurio complete creative freedom as long as it went along the lines of our theme, and incorporated our colors.  The focal point of the room was a long smoke mirrored table.  Hanging greenery painted gold, hanging candles, and lots of candles and floral arrangements lining the table really set the mood from a design standpoint.  Caplan Miller and David Kurio then accented the space with custom bars, candelabras, large floral arrangements, and furniture that worked well with the space and theme.      

Why did you choose me, Jenny, to be your wedding photographer?  Hiring a great photographer was extremely important to us.  We looked at top photographers both locally and nationally, and Jenny’s work really stood out.  Her experience shooting at both Central Christian Church and The Driskill, and emphasis on unique settings and high style shoots meshed well with our vision.  

What was one of your favorite moments from the your wedding day? The “first look” was a moment that we will always remember.  Initially we were against doing a first look.  We are so glad that we decided to do a first look because it was a special moment between just the two of us.  

What was your favorite image from your wedding day? Picking a favorite image is tough because we loved so many pictures from that day.  The one picture that really captures the moment is when we are walking out of the church and Aaron is giving a friend a fist bump.  The high of that moment is really captured in the photo.

Did any of your other vendors go above and beyond for you? It is tough to single out any one vendor as we wouldn’t change one thing.  The core team of Caplan Miller, David Kurio, and Jenny DeMarco all exceeded our expectations.   

Do you have any tips to share with other couples? From a planning standpoint, enjoy the process and trust your team.  Also, step back and soak in the fact that everyone at your wedding is there is to celebrate your love.

 

Thank to this amazing vendor team!

Event Coordinator and Designer: Caplan Miller Events

Ceremony: Central Christian Church

Reception Venue: The Driskill Hotel

Floral Designer: David Kurio Designs

Cake: Simon Lee Bakery

Furniture Rentals and Decor: Marquee, Townsley Designs, Suite 206, La Tavola Linens

Lighting: ILIOS

Music: Barton Strings, The Dry Water Band

Violinist: Josh Vietti

Hair: Janette St. Paul