I knew pretty shortly after dating that our relationship was different than anything I’d ever experienced, and I couldn’t picture my life without him.
Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love…
We live in New York City with our two cats, Kyuubi & Yuna. I (Shannen) work as a designer at a design agency in Brooklyn, and Michael works as an operations manager for an event company. We both love spending quality time at home, Studio Ghibli movies, vintage finds, Sunday morning brunches and traveling the world together.
How/where/when did you meet – and what were your first impressions?
We actually met when we were just 14 years old through mutual friends but reconnected when we were in college and both working at the same summer job at a movie theatre. We started chatting (/flirting!) one day on a shift together and have been pretty much inseparable ever since. 9 years later, we’re married and still love movie theatre date nights!
When did you first realise that this was someone you’d like to spend the rest of your life with?
Shannen: I knew pretty shortly after dating that our relationship was different than anything I’d ever experienced, and I couldn’t picture my life without him. We automatically clicked and felt so comfortable and at home with one another. Mike embodies so many qualities I wanted in a forever partner – He has the biggest heart, he’s patient and selfless, and he never fails to make everyone around him laugh. Family is really important to both of us, so it was the cherry on top that we fit into each other’s families so well since the day we met.
Michael: Kind of cliché, but it was pretty much love at first sight for me. I had always had a crush on her when we were younger, and everything felt so natural when we reconnected years later. We also have the same core values and sense of humour and just generally complete one another.
Was there a proposal? Tell us a little about it…
Shannen: Mike planned a birthday trip for me to Spain and proposed at the María Luisa Park in Seville. The whole proposal was so romantic and lovely – we went for a walk through the park right before sunset, and we asked someone (who I thought was a stranger) to take a photo of us on this beautiful cobblestone bridge. Turns out, the stranger was a photographer Mike had hired and when I thought we were posing for a photo, he got down on one knee and proposed! We still had a few days left on our trip, so it was nice to be able to spend the rest of the time enjoying our engagement before we came home and celebrated with our close friends and family.
Michael: I proposed to her in Spain, and I was so nervous about her finding the ring the whole trip! The day I was going to propose, we visited a museum and a metal detector almost gave me away. I luckily got by without her noticing, and we took a walk to this beautiful garden where I proposed right before sunset.
Tell us about the vision you had for the mood or style of your wedding.
We wanted our wedding to feel intimate, lush, chic and design-forward. We have lived in NYC our entire lives so it was important to us to celebrate our marriage here with our closest friends and family. When we found a restored 19th-century metal foundry, we knew it was the perfect (and absolutely stunning) raw venue for us to embrace the strong architecture of our city in a unique way. We loved the idea of contrasting the structural, industrial look with organic, warm and romantic details. As for our color palette, we got married in Autumn, so we leaned into those warm autumnal hues with our floral, stationary design and details.
What was one element you were happy to splurge on?
Our florals!! We love how our florist transformed the space into an overgrown, romantic and wild garden, so the installations our florist created really brought the entire vision to life.
Did anything happen on your wedding day that you laugh about in hindsight (even if it was stressful at the time)?
SC: I woke up the morning of our wedding to pouring rain and a forecast of storms all day. I was so worried about my hair, makeup, and the first look of the outdoor photos we had planned. In hindsight, I wouldn’t have changed a thing! The rain added such a beautiful and romantic ambience through the windows of our ceremony that all of our guests loved. And our photographers got so creative with new spots for photos that we would’ve never thought about or got otherwise! The rain also cleared up by sunset, and we got the most stunning photos in the courtyard lit up by the string lights.
Tell us about your main outfits, what was unique, is there a story?
SC: I had a vision of wearing a long sleeve, detailed and vintage-esque dress. I actually went to 8 different bridal shops and thought I had already found my wedding dress, but when I went to my last bridal appointment, I was instantly drawn to this Leah Da Gloria dress that was nothing like what I had tried on before. I loved how unique, different and dramatic it was – I instantly had an overwhelming feeling that it was the one.
CEREMONY + RECEPTION The Foundry, @thefoundrylic FLORIST August Sage & Violet, @augustsageandviolet PHOTOGRAPHER Paul with Forged in the North, @forgedinthenorth OFFICIANT Groom’s Uncle COORDINATOR Brit Pooler with Modern Rebel, @modernrebelandco MAKEUP The Beauty Boys, @thebeautyboys.ny HAIR Marisa Smith, @marisasmithhairboss BRIDAL DRESS Leah Da Gloria, @leahdagloria BRIDAL SHOP Bridal Reflections NYC, @bridalreflectionsny BRIDESMAID DRESS Azazie, @azazieofficial GROOM TUX & GROOM’S PARTY The Black Tux, @theblacktux VEIL Thrifted EARRINGS By Neval Jewelry RINGS Mociun, @mocium SHOES Badgley Mischka, @badgleymischka CAKE Lady Bird Bakery, @ladybirdbakery BRIDAL & GROOM – GETTING READY HQ The DuVal Suite at The Foundry, @thefoundrylic STATIONERY Designed by Bride – Shannen Craft, @shannencraft LETTERPRESS A&B Letterpress, @abletterpress CEREMONY & COCKTAIL HOUR MUSIC NYC Ceremony Music, @newyorkceremonymusic RECEPTION ENTERTAINMENT James Mulry, @jamesmulry
