BOOKSTORE WEDDING INSPIRATION – JONELLI & TONY
| Hi Guys and thanks so much for stopping by the cafe…it’s ‘Wedding Wednesday’ and I have the most beautiful couple and beautiful wedding to share with you today…have you ever considered having your reception in a bookstore…yes, a bookstore….well, that’s exactly where Jonelli & Tony held their reception and I love it….capturing all the details and all the pretty of their day, the AMAZINGLY talented Caleb & Kari Nichols of Cottonwood Studios…Caleb & Kari’s work is beyond GORGEOUS and I’m so happy to have them stop by the cafe today and share all the beautiful images and inspiration with us…let’s check out all the details…..Enjoy!! |
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| Jonelli shares all the planning details with us…..
‘Tony and I never set out to have a ‘New York’ wedding. Frankly we thought it would be WAY too expensive!! We explored many options: Belize, where my family is from (I didn’t want to be a beach bride), Montreal where Tony is from (felt too ‘lop-sided’) and Vermont, a happy in-between (too cold for our Fall wedding)! NY came into the discussion when I came across a list of ‘affordable’ wedding locations in NYMag (I think). The Housing Works Bookstore was on the list. I was hooked almost immediately. I used to study at Housing Works during college and given the fact that Tony and I both went to NYU and had numerous friends in common but never met, the location felt like a ‘*tip of the hat*’ to our story! Due to the size of our wedding and the fact that housing works is an operating business we had to find a separate location for our wedding ceremony. I learned about the Museum of the City of New York from a childhood friend. It is truly a gem right under our noses. I grew up in Harlem, where Tony and I now live, and had no idea this museum was so close to home! The beautiful marble staircase sold us. We both agreed that were we to have our wedding in NYC it had to be unique! We were also happy that both locations are non-profits. Once we had our locations everything else fell into place. We didn’t want our wedding to be too thematic. We were very careful to not make it too ‘library/bookstore’ or too ‘big apple NYC,’ but we had fun with little For our ‘save the dates’ – we sent handmade library due date cards, a hint for guests to the reception location. We also used the due date cards for our guest book. Instead of table numbers we used the names of our favorite books. Our ‘escort cards’ were mini books that we made from matchbooks. For wedding favors, we gave guests book marks to hold their photo booth strips. For our out-of-town guests we played up the NYC aspect a little. We made goodie bags filled with ‘NY’ things: a NYC map (totally free from NYC & Company) with key wedding locations marked, napkins, hand sanitizer, KIND bars, Tate’s cookies, water bottles, handmade lavender sachets and a ‘how to catch a cab/use a metro card’ guide (designed by Tony). Tony also designed ‘how to dance the hora’ napkins for the cocktail hour!’
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| Jonelli & Tony’s favorite memory of the day…….. Jonelli: ‘Tony and I made the decision early on not to see each other before the ceremony. No first looks. This meant we were on a tight timeline and had to stagger our arrival at the museum. On the day of the our wedding Tony and his groomsmen were running a little behind schedule which left me with 10 or 15 minutes alone (after a long morning of hair and makeup). I’m sure most brides wouldn’t be thrilled with being alone on their wedding day but looking back I really cherish the moment. Our schedule was non stop all day, for me those few minutes of quiet to take in the day is something I’ll always remember.’ Tony: ‘Seeing Jonelli walk down the staircase approaching the alter was a truly emotional moment that won’t easily be replicated.’ |
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| Jonelli’s advice to those planning their wedding: ‘Communication is key. You don’t want your wedding day to arrive and be filled with resentment for the person you’re about to marry! Also, you’ll never make everyone happy. While it is polite to consider your families’ wishes at the end of the day you only get your wedding day once – it should be what you want it to be.’ |
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| Caleb & Kari, thank you both so much for sharing all the beautiful images from Jonelli & Tony’s special day with us…and to Jonelli & Tony, we wish fo you a lifetime filled with happiness and love!!
Style Team Bridesmaid’s Dresses: Jenny Yoo for BHLDN ‘Annabelle’
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