When we found The St. Laurent Social Club, we immediately fell in love.
Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love…
The foundation of our love story is music. It has completely enveloped our lives and relationships. We met at a concert, which led to us being in a band together, and eventually led to us building a music studio in the heart of Williamsburg. But there is so much more to our story than just music. I feel our story is proof that fate exists because we met at the exact right time in our lives. Our paths leading up to that moment could not be more different. He was the jock, I was the band geek. He was popular, and I was the weird kid. We originally went to college pretty far from one another. But I transferred to a school closer to NYC as he quit his soccer career to pursue music. We both decided to go to the same concert one night at the Bowery Ballroom. And the rest is history.
How/where/when did you meet – and what were your first impressions?
We met at a concert. I never show up to concerts when doors open, but my ticket was on my phone, and my phone was dying. So I ran to the venue and got in to see it was just one group of guys there before me. We all started talking, and I thought they were all really cool guys. I remember going home and telling my roommate, “I just met some guys I want to be friends with forever”. And that was actually true; I just didn’t realise at the time that I had met my husband as well.
What styling and visual elements worked best for you? (could be things, the florals, particular hire products, or your marquee, etc., something the stylist created, or simply just the scenic beauty of your location or the existing design of your venue).
Being creatives, we cared a lot about the space itself being beautiful. When we found The St. Laurent Social Club, we immediately fell in love. The interior design of the space is so chic and cool, we knew we wouldn’t have to do much to the space to get it wedding-ready.
What did you enjoy most about the planning process, and do you have any tips for couples starting their wedding planning journey?
We really didn’t rush ourselves when it came to planning. We took a month just to enjoy our engagement, and then we worked on finding a venue. Once we found the venue, we chose a date that was almost 2 years out. This really helped us feel less stressed about the process, and let us actively save money before we had to pay for deposits. I would definitely recommend not rushing the process if you can.
Tell us about your vendors. Were there any standout suppliers you would like to make special mention of?
The venue itself was seriously incredible. Judy & Harry’s, the restaurant inside The St. Laurent Social Club, actually ran the entire wedding. Their staff was unbelievable. I barely felt nervous the day of because they made everything run so smoothly. Their food and drinks are also top-notch. The restaurant is owned by Chef David Viana from Top Chef, so I knew all of our guests were going to be in for a treat. We’ve also decided that for our anniversary every year, we’re going to make our way back and have dinner there as a tradition.
But they weren’t the only standouts. Our photographer, Molly, was incredible. She not only captured the vibe perfectly, but it also just felt like she knew exactly what we wanted. She also blended in with the party like a guest, and everyone loved her. She’s also just a fantastic person. She made doing our couples portraits fun, and it felt like we were hanging out with a friend.
And lastly, our friends DJed our afterparty, and it could not have been more fun. Not only are they all super talented, but they know us personally. They perfectly curated their sets without us having to give any direction. And us being so picky about music and not wanting a typical wedding DJ situation, this worked out so perfectly.
Tell us about your main outfits, what was unique, and is there a story?
I had tried on my aunt’s old wedding dress and absolutely loved it, but it was way too small on me. I was disappointed because to make a dress bigger would require finding the same material and redoing major parts of the dress, which would cost a ton. I decided to look for my own dress, and I ended up finding a dress that looked and felt almost exactly like my aunt’s dress. So even though I didn’t wear her dress, it still felt special to wear a dress just like hers.
Tell us about your wedding and engagement rings.
We designed all of our rings at Frank Darling. We went to many local jewellers around Brooklyn and Manhattan, and we kept coming back to Frank Darling. They were just the best to work with; they had tons of lab diamond options, which I preferred, and they had such unique designs. We’re both so happy with our rings.
What were one or two elements that were most important to you both that you were happy to spend a little more on? (food, photography, florals, the venue, your outfits?).
The most important things to us were the space itself, the food & drinks, and our photographer. We wanted the space itself to provide as much as possible and be beautiful enough that we didn’t have to decorate much. That was a tall ask, but we found the perfect place. The food & drinks were super important to me, and it just so happened that our venue was also an incredible restaurant. And our photographer was extremely important to us because we really have no great photos of us together. After being together for 11 years, we only have some crappy iPhone photos together, so getting some really beautiful photos that captured the vibe of the day perfectly was really important to us.
Was there a favourite moment (or two) that you will treasure always?
Honestly, it was our ceremony, which really took us by surprise. The ceremony was the part we were both so nervous about. We both kept saying how we were so nervous that we just couldn’t wait for the actual reception to begin. But Ricky’s uncle, AJ, officiated and made it so incredibly special. Also, our friends & family were so fun during the ceremony, cheering and laughing. It really felt like no other ceremony I’ve been to before. It just felt so us.
What does being married mean to you, and are there any special rituals you have that you would like to share?
So many people say “being married feels no different,” but for us, it felt like an upgrade. We have always put love and effort into our relationship, but now it feels like there’s a new level of commitment behind everything we do. And saying husband and wife is fun to boot!
LOCATION The St. Laurent Social Club, Asbury Park, NJ, USA, @thestlaurentsocialclub; After Party – Lovesick, Asbury Park, NJ, USA, @dear_lovesick BRIDE Betsy, @betsywendtwhere GROOM Ricky, @rickyberotti PHOTOGRAPHER & VIDEOGRAPHER Molly Adams – Molly Meets Magic, @mollymeetsmagic FLORIST Peter James Floral, @peter_jamesevents CELEBRANT Anthony DelPrete ENTERTAINMENT Ceremony/Reception Strings – Little Kruta, @littlekruta; After Party DJs – Noah Prebish, @noah_prebish; Richie Quake, @richiequake; TJ Freda, @hellotjtj CATERING Judy & Harrys, @judyandharrys STATIONERY By the bride – Betsy Wendt, @betsywendtwhere RINGS Frank Darling, @frankdarling BRIDE’S DRESS Ceremony & Reception – Jenny Yoo, @jennyyoonyc; After Party – Tularosa, @tularosalabel; Revolve, @revolve BRIDE’S SHOES Larroudé, @larroude BRIDE’S ACCESSORIES Earrings – Adorn Pili, @adornpili; Scarf – Jenny Yoo, @jennyyoonyc; After Party Bag – Maje, @majeparis; Sunglasses – Ray-Ban, @rayban NAILS Jacqueline Blossom, @jacquelineblossom HAIR & MAKEUP Sophie Moiseeva, @sophiemoiseeva_ BRIDE’S FRAGRANCE Miutune – Miu Miu, @miumiu GROOM’S SUIT Suitsupply, @suitsupply GROOM’S SHOES Johnston & Murphy, @johnstonmurphy GROOM’S ACCESSORIES Tie, Pocketsquare, and Socks – The Tie Bar, @thetiebar GROOM’S FRAGRANCE Lampblack – Fzotic, @fzotic
