Snow, a winter’s evening sky, and twinkling lights reflecting on silver and blue…Complete that with the most romantic proposal story, the intimate nature of the ceremony (Brenna’s brother acted as officiant), the cutest little flower girl (their daughter) and you have a wedding day which is not only beautiful but the perfect celebration of the deep love between this wonderful couple.
Brenna and Phil’s nighttime winter wedding in snowy New York state certainly had us swooning in the House of Elliot studio and we are honoured to share their wedding story with you.
Bride Brenna’s beautiful wedding look was timeless and elegant and she chose to wear our ‘Evangeline Elliot’ white lace wedding boots paired with an sweetheart neckline Sophia Tolli gown and stunning chapel train.
A huge congratulations to the happy couple and we hope you love the joy which their photographer Juliet Rose captured so amazingly below.
So how did you meet your husband and how did he propose?
We did our undergraduate studies at the same university. Phil was a Resident Assistant in the building I was living in during my second year, so we met on move-in day when he was checking my best friend into our suite. We became friends quickly, and our relationship grew from there. Flash forward 7 years to the proposal…I had just finished giving our 5-month old daughter a bath and was trying to encourage Phil to go out to meet up with a friend of his without me because I was tired. He convinced me to go with him, so I went to change into dry clothes. When I got back to the living room, he was down on one knee holding a ring. He asked me to marry him with our daughter in the car seat right next to us and, needless to say, I said yes. When we got to the bar to meet up with his friend, I realised why he really wanted me to go – a bunch of my friends were there. He had planned a surprise party for my birthday which had been two weeks prior. I later found out that he had planned to propose during the party, but made a last minute decision to do it at home. We announced our engagement at the party and spent the rest of the night celebrating!
Where did you get married and who did you invite?
We got married at The Fox Hollow in Woodbury, New York. We invited about 120 family members and close friends.
What was the main inspiration for your wedding?
We had a nighttime winter wedding, so we selected colors with this in mind. Our colors were navy blue, silver, and ivory. These colors were represented in the dresses and tuxedos for the bridal party, as well as tied into the bouquets, table décor, and the cake. Instead of floral arrangements, we used lanterns with candles as table centerpieces to add to the late-night vibe.
Tell us about your wedding look
I wanted something classic and elegant, but not a huge ball gown. When I went dress shopping, I knew I was looking for a corset back and was fairly certain I wanted a sleeveless dress with a sweetheart neckline. I wanted some detail – a little bit of beading or sparkle, but not too much. The dress I ultimately decided on was perfect. I wore Sophia Tolli’s ‘Giner’ in diamond white. It was everything I was looking for – corset back, sweetheart neckline, a dropped waist so that it looked classic without being a big ball gown, flattering pleating throughout, a little bit of sparkle on the neckline and hip area, and a chapel train. I wish I had an excuse to wear it again! I found a veil with beading and sparkle around the edge that matched the details on the dress and swept my hair up on one side with a sparkly clip.
What made you choose a pair of House of Elliot boots for your wedding day?
I came across a picture of the boots online somewhere completely by chance, and the photo was not linked to House of Elliot in any way. As soon as I saw them, I knew I had to have them. I spent two days doing random Google searches trying to find them and finally found the House of Elliot website. I absolutely LOVE boots and lace in general, so the combination of the two was perfect for my wedding day. All of my friends who saw them said they were made for me. The detail in the lace on the boots is gorgeous and the quality is excellent. I don’t normally wear heels, but I wore these boots for about 9 hours and I felt very comfortable.
What did you love the most about your wedding day?
I loved how personal it all was. My brother officiated the ceremony, one of my bridesmaids who is a very talented pastry chef made our cake, and our amazing photographer and musicians were all friends that my brother and I grew up with. All of the members of our bridal party were very close friends who we have come to consider family – we didn’t include anybody because we felt like we had to, but rather had our closest circle supporting us throughout the day.
What pearls of wisdom would you share with future brides who are planning their wedding?
Do “first look” photos! It was so nice to be able to see my husband before the ceremony and have a few minutes alone with him before being surrounded by people all night. The day before the wedding was hectic with last minute things to do, so the first look was our time to share our excitement about what was about to happen without having to worry about who else was around. This also meant that we were able to go to our cocktail hour and enjoy ourselves because we were able to take all of our bridal party, family, and bride and groom photos before the ceremony. We also didn’t have to spend our reception walking around greeting guests because we were able to do that during cocktail hour.
Brenna and Phil would like to thank and acknowledge the following amazing wedding vendors for making their day special!
Photography:
Juliet Rose Productions
Website: julietrose.info
Instagram: @julietroseproductions
Venue:
The Fox Hollow
Website: www.thefoxhollow.com
Hair & Makeup:
Beauty and Elegance Hair Studio
Website: www.beautyandelegancehairstudio.com
Instagram: @beautyandelegancehair
Wedding Dress:
Designer – Sophia Tolli purchased from Blossom Brides
Website: blossombridesny.com
Instagram: @blossombridesny
