September 18, 2014

Jillian + Artem / Simply Elegant New York Dream Wedding

Get to know the wonderful Jillian + Artem:
How did you meet? We met at the start of our sophomore year at Binghamton University. We were next door neighbors in Mountainview’s Marcy Hall. Artem and his dad were carrying a mini refrigerator and I was so excited to meet my new neighbor that I tried to shake his hand while he was holding the fridge – ha! We became friends over the first several months, but soon realized that we were falling for each other and started dating in March 2007. We got married almost 8 years to the day we met!
What attracted you most to your husband/wife?
Jillian: Artem is a kind, funny, intelligent, handsome and lovable guy! He is such a selfless and genuine person who puts others before himself. We have so much fun together, and I love spending time with him. I can’t imagine my life without him.
Artem: Jillian is so amazing that she makes me want to be a better person. She is always smiling (with that gorgeous smile) and is incredibly kind. I love spending time with her – whether it is traveling internationally, partying or just relaxing on the couch, we always seem to have a great time.
How did he propose? For our five year anniversary, Artem planned a night out in NYC to see the New York Philharmonic Orchestra at Lincoln Center. Before the show, we went to a romantic dinner at The View, a revolving restaurant on the 48th floor of the Marriott Marquis in Times Square. The backdrop was the breathtaking views of the NYC skyline, and as Artem was taking my picture, he got down on one knee, pulled out a beautiful ring and asked me to marry him. I said yes! We called and texted family and friends while eating dinner and toasting champagne during sunset. After the concert, we met up with friends at a bar next to Lincoln Center to celebrate!
What inspired the vision for your wedding? The theme I always envisioned for our wedding was simple elegance. We wanted the look and feel of the wedding to be timeless and beautiful, with a fun pop of color to fit the end of summer season. The groom and his groomsmen wore classic black tuxedos, and the bridal party wore beautiful coral gowns. The pink, peach and coral flowers in the bouquets and centerpieces really complemented the gowns, and each groomsman had a coral rose (and socks!) to add a subtle touch of color to match the theme.
Tell us about finding your venue. When we visited the Greentree Country Club, which features a large grand ballroom with white marble floors, black accents, mirrored columns, beautiful chandeliers and floor to ceiling windows overlooking the water, we knew we had found our wedding venue. It was the perfect mix of elegance and simplicity to fit our theme. During our first visit, the late owner of the venue captivated us with his amazing stories of generations of weddings at the Greentree, and so we knew it was not only a gorgeous venue, but that the staff at the Greentree truly cared about their clients’ weddings, and from that moment, we knew that it’d be a perfect spot for our wedding.
What was your biggest planning challenge? There are so many decisions to make when planning a wedding! Your mind goes in so many directions about which vendors to choose, what dress to by, how to wear your hair, etc. With so many resources for brides these days (i.e. Pinterest), it can get overwhelming! It’s also challenging to stay within your original wedding budget with the endless possibilities of wedding planning!
What was your favorite design element of your wedding? The flowers were definitely my favorite design element of the wedding. We had an incredible floral designer, Jerry Della Mura of Mr. Bokay Florist and Greenhouse. When I first saw my bouquet the morning of the wedding, I was overjoyed! It included light pink, peach, coral and ivory roses with ivory hydrangea and a satin ivory ribbon. It was the most gorgeous bouquet I’ve ever seen! The bridesmaids’ bouquets were amazing as well, complimenting my flowers and their beautiful coral gowns. The centerpieces on the table at the Greentree were stunning – the room was black and white and the table linens were a beautiful ivory, and the centerpieces added gorgeous pops of color to the room. There were also single rose buds placed on the bar and cocktail tables. The room looked so beautiful!
Did you have any DIY details? I did have several DIY details! We put together our favors, which were an almost exact duplicate of my parent’s wedding favors – small bottles of wine with a small bag of Jordan almonds, a small silk flower and tied with a ribbon with our names and wedding date. Since we had 240 guests, my wonderful bridal party and fiancé helped me put together the favors and welcome bags for the hotel room! My best friend, Lauren, helped me design my bridal shower invitation and ceremony programs. My friend and bridesmaid Monica created my monogram crystal cake topper. My other friend and bridesmaid Marissa helped me create and decorate our wedding envelope box. I created some cute wedding signs for our sweetheart table, entry table, bar and bathrooms. I also made “Will you be my MOH/bridesmaid?” gift boxes for the girls and decorated champagne glasses to toast while getting ready. It was definitely fun to add some personal touches to the wedding!
What was the most memorable moment of your wedding day?
Jillian: The most incredible moment of the wedding day was the moment the church doors opened. As I walked down the aisle with my dad, I saw my future husband gleaming at the altar. I saw all of my family and friends who traveled from near and far to celebrate our big day. I was always convinced that I was going to cry a lot at that moment, but I was just so happy! Looking around at all of our guests – some smiling, some crying – and seeing Artem’s big smile waiting for me, I felt a sense of peace and pure bliss that our big day had finally arrived! The ceremony and church music was absolutely beautiful, and the reception was a blast, but that first moment was truly magical!
Artem: Besides seeing Jillian in her dress for the first time as she walked down the aisle with her father, the most memorable moment of the wedding day was after our ceremony when we went out to a park to do our photo shoot. However, on the way to the park it was pouring rain, and we got flood warnings on our cell phones. Then, just when it looked like it could not get any worse, and that we would have to forgo the entire photo shoot, the sky cleared up, the sun came out and we got some beautiful pictures before returning to the reception and partying with all of our family and friends.
Describe your cake: Our cake was a four-tiered round cake decorated with the same beautiful colored roses that adorned our centerpieces and bouquets. At the top of the cake was a sparkling letter ‘D’ for our last name. Although the cake was supposed to be all white, the flowers and cake topper made it beautiful and unique. The flavor of the cake was mocha cappuccino with fresh raspberries, topped with white chocolate buttercream icing, and it was very delicious!
How was your experience with your photographer? Where do we even start?! From our engagement shoot to our wedding and day after shoot, Sara and Jason have been absolutely incredible!!! They are wonderful people who have a genuine passion for what they do. We feel so lucky to have found Sara and Jason through our good friends Monica and Dave who had their engagement shoot at Disney World. When Sara and Jason were in NYC for Monica and Dave’s wedding in June 2012, we had such a blast exploring Central Park, Times Square and other parts of Manhattan for our engagement shoot. The photos turned out so amazing, and we knew that we had to have Concept Photography as our wedding photographer. Sara and Jason are so talented and easy to work with. Our wedding day was better because of Sara and Jason, and it felt like they were part of our group of friends who simply belonged at the wedding and who graced us with some fantastic photographs. We are so captivated by their work, and hope to work with them again in the future (and will make sure all our non-married friends book Concept Photography for their weddings, too)!
What’s next for you and your husband as a couple? We are going to enjoy living on the Upper East Side of Manhattan and continue having the time of our lives, but now as a married couple! We hope to travel to Europe next year, visit family, explore new places, and would love to start a family one day in the future.
Can you please list your vendors?
Venue: Greentree Country Club
Videographer: Small Moments Studios
Flowers: Mr. Bokay Florist and Greenhouse
Invitations: Always Impressive
DJ and Lighting: Andrew Klein-DJ Clockwork, Gotham Events
Makeup: Meredith Hayman
Hair: Christina D Hair Salon
Dress: Sottero and Midgley from RK Bridal
Jewelry: Tejani

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