If you remember my wedding, you know I’m a big fan of restaurant venues, so I’m loving this fun celebration from photographer Lindsay Madden! When the first few venues they visited didn’t fit the bill, Lindsay and Max turned to wedding blogs for something different, and stumbled upon My Moon…

The bride borrowed earrings from her sister, and wore “something blue” shoes by Badgley Mischka.

Is it possible the best part of getting married in Brooklyn is portraits with the New York City skyline in the background?

Says the bride, “Neither of us really had any idea of what kind of wedding we wanted to have. From the beginning, it was more about what we didn’t want: didn’t want a big wedding, didn’t want a wedding hall, didn’t want a traditional ceremony, etc. When it came down to deciding what we did want, we both knew that we really just wanted to throw a fun party, so we took inspiration from many of our friends and their experiences at weddings (what they liked, what they didn’t like). Most of the details were purely just because we wanted them, like the tasty macarons instead of a cake and including Jewish traditions, such as the hora, even though our ceremony was largely non-denominational.”

SEE THE FULL GALLERY FOR MORE FROM THIS FUN BROOKLYN WEDDING.

 

Why did you choose this location for your wedding?  When we first started looking for wedding venues, we assumed we would get married outside of the city. After seeing a few suburban venues that screamed “wedding hall,” we knew we wanted something different and that we really, really wanted a New York wedding after all. We started using wedding blogs to find potential venues, and one day, we happened to see photos of a wedding at My Moon. We visited one night for dinner in December and immediately put our deposit down for their last available Saturday in 2013. By June, the space was even more amazing than the day we initially booked it. The garden was in full bloom with lush greenery and beautiful flowers, and we knew we had made the right choice. On top of that, the food was amazing, and their Events Manager was so easy to work with. It was just perfect.

What was your favorite moment or part of the day?  One of our favorite moments was an unexpected toast from Lindsay’s dad. He wrote a 7-page speech the morning of the wedding and delivered it flawlessly. It had the whole room laughing and crying, and the rest of the guests were telling him how great it was all night. A close second to that is Max’s 7 year old brother, Daniel, who dominated the dance floor with some pretty impressive dance moves. He totally stole the show!

What was the best advice you received as a bride?  It’s completely cliche, but don’t sweat the small stuff. For months, I spent time worrying about how the flowers were going to look since I was letting the florist pick seasonal flowers. They weren’t perfect on the big day, and you know what, nobody cared! Spend your time worrying about the big stuff.

What advice do you have for other brides?  Worry less. Throughout the entire planning process, I had “guilty bride syndrome” and felt like I was imposing a lot of stress on my friends and family since many had to travel to New York. I worried about where people would stay, how they would get around, what they would do in their “down-time,” and in the end, everyone just figured it out. In general, brides worry about a lot of things that they don’t need to. So, worry less, and enjoy more!

Do you have any budget tips for other brides?  Budgeting was one of the hardest parts of planning a NYC wedding. Right from the start, you’re out 50% of your budget for venue and food, so keeping your other vendor costs on budget is very important. On the other hand, one unexpected splurge I made was on a really nice hotel room to get ready in with my bridesmaids. It was expensive but totally worth it for all of the pictures taken there.

Is there anything else that helps tell the story of the day?  Max and I met in college but really started our lives together in New York. Getting married here was so important to us because it was a reflection of who we are and all that we love about the city. We left our wedding feeling loved, happy, and most of all very, very lucky to be surrounded by so many great people celebrating our relationship in our favorite place in the whole world. It was a pretty magical feeling.

Photographer: Lindsay Madden / Venue, Catering: My Moon in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York / Officiant: Jesse Hendrich / Dress: Alyne from Solutions Bridal / Shoes: Badgley Mischka / Tux: Alton Lane / Shoes: Hugo Boss / Socks: Happy Socks / Bridesmaid Dresses: J. Crew / Stationery: Tie that Binds / Rentals: Atlas Party Rentals / Macaron Tower: Dana's Bakery /DJ: DJ's at Work, NYC  / Hair, Makeup: Styled by Jen