Photo: Ira Lippke Studios
Jacqueline rarely refuses dessert. But on a December evening at a chic Chelsea restaurant, she couldn't work up an appetite for a slice of cake or cup of mousse. She'd expected her boyfriend David to propose—when he didn't, Jacqueline wasn't sure how any sweet could soothe her. "The waiter kept pressing us to get something," the Brides fashion account director recalls, "but I kept insisting we just wanted the check."
"Five minutes later," Jacqueline confesses, "the hostess comes over with the most beautiful plate of desserts." Around its rim, written in chocolate, were the five little words Jacqueline so desperately wanted to hear. "David got up from his seat, got down on one knee and proposed," she says. "The whole restaurant started cheering, and it was just perfect."
Photo: Ira Lippke Studios
For their November nuptials, the couple envisioned "a classic New York wedding with a twist," the bride says. With a dramatic-yet-classic color palette of pewter and white, Jacqueline and David set about planning a refined wedding that would begin at theChurch of Saint Ignatius Loyola and end at Capitale. Then Hurricane Sandy hit.
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The storm ravaged New York City, forcing Jacqueline and David to find a new reception venue just 24 hours before their big day. Because "we had to change our wedding venue the day before our wedding, everything from start to finish was a special moment because the day almost didn't happen," the bride explains.
Photo: Ira Lippke Studios
The couple swiftly moved their reception from Capitale to the loft-like venue Espace, noting the last-minute change on their calligraphy reception cards.
Photo: Ira Lippke Studios
Jacqueline's position with Brides should have made easy work of selecting her wedding gown, she insists. "You would think after visiting so many bridal fashion shows during my years in the industry I would know exactly what I wanted," the bride says of her hunt for the perfect dress. "But I didn't."
Photo: Ira Lippke Studios
The bride began and ended her search at New York's Mark Ingram Atelier, where Mark Ingram himself helped Jacqueline select the perfect gown.
Photo: Ira Lippke Studios
After shedding nine dresses that missed mark, Jacqueline fell for a lace Vera Wang gown. "Once I had the dress on, I immediately fell in love with it," she says. "It was the perfect mix of old and new."
Photo: Ira Lippke Studios
It's standout feature, the brides says, was a thin horse hair belt that Jacqueline took to the next level. "After walking around the atelier in the gown, I needed some more drama," Jacqueline says, "so I asked for their biggest horse hair belt in store. Once we put that on the dress, that was it. It was everything I had wanted in my wedding dress."
Jacqueline completed her classic look with Jimmy Choo peep toe pumps, Oscar de la Renta earrings and a crystal hairclip from Untamed Petals in the shape of a lily.
Photo: Ira Lippke Studios
The bride's lace-edge veil held a special place in her heart—it was her great-grandmother's 85-year-old veil.
Photo: Ira Lippke Studios
A mix of white hydrangeas, garden and tea roses, orchids, stephanotis and dusty miller, Jacqueline's bouquet was elegantly ethereal.
Photo: Ira Lippke Studios
Bridesmaids dressed in a mix of dove and charcoal gowns by Amsale.
Photo: Ira Lippke Studios
"My sister, who was my maid-of-honor, wore dove, and her dress was a bit different from the other bridesmaids," Jacqueline explained.
Photo: Ira Lippke Studios
Jacqueline and David selected Church of Saint Ignatius Loyola as the venue for their traditional Catholic ceremony because the bride's father attended high school there.
Photo: Ira Lippke Studios
Nearly 300 guests were greeted at the ceremony by tuxedo-clad groomsmen—and by views of the church's sweeping golden arches and intricate tile work.
Photo: Ira Lippke Studios
Bridesmaids carried round, white bouquets of roses and dusty miller down a long aisle and to the first pew, from where they watched the couple exchange their vows.
Photo: Ira Lippke Studios
The bride recalls a special moment just before the ceremony began: "When my father and I were standing alone in the church, waiting to walk down the aisle," she says.
Photo: Ira Lippke Studios
For their chic reception at Espace, the couple outfitted a mix of round and rectangle tables in pewter-colored table cloths.
Photo: Ira Lippke Studios
The couple's stationery suite also had a hint of gray—each piece was printed on heavy cotton card stock "with a tint of gray calligraphy," the bride says.
Photo: Ira Lippke Studios
"Our centerpieces were touches of white, cremes and light blush blooms," Jacqueline says of the array of arrangements displayed atop each table. Between flowers in mint julep cups and mercury glass sat hundreds of candles.
Photo: Ira Lippke Studios
Jacqueline "loved our cocktail hour," she boasts. "I didn't eat any, but I heard the food throughout the evening was amazing!" The couple served 10 passed hors d'oeuvres and had five stations, including cerviche, slider and pasta stations.
Photos: Ira Lippke Studios
The couple's white cake was inspired by a Vera Wang wedding app, the bride says.
Photos: Ira Lippke Studios
It, too, mimicked the couple's color scheme, with delicate gray details on each of its four tiers.
Photo: Ira Lippke Studios
Jacqueline and David danced the night away with guests to a 10-piece band from Craig Scott Entertainment.
Photo: Ira Lippke Studios
"The amount of love that was in that room is one of the greatest memories in itself," the bride says. It's a memory she treasures as much as the end of her engagement story.
Photos: Ira Lippke Studios
As the couple ducked out of that Chelsea restaurant and onto the street, Jacqueline recalls, she tried to call her parents to spread the good news. But even as she dialed, David pulled her into another restaurant where the bride-to-be spotted her family and future in-laws seated at a back table.
Photos: Ira Lippke Studios
"It was the greatest surprise and made the night even more special, being able to celebrate with both of our families," she says.
—Jillian Kramer
Wedding Planner: Bellafare || Ceremony Venue: Church of Saint Ignatius Loyola || Reception Venue: Espace || Bride's Wedding Dress: Vera Wang || Bride's Shoes: Jimmy Choo || Bride's Accessories: Oscar de la Renta, Moyna and Untamed Petals || Bridal Salon: Mark Ingram Atelier || Hair: Sydney Madison Salon || Makeup: The Posh Bride || Bridesmaids' Dresses: Amsale || Mother of the Bride's Dress: Stephen Yearick || Florist: Fleurs || Caterer: Espace || Stationery: J. Bean & Co. || Calligraphy: Molly Jacques Illustration & Design || Cake Baker: Espace || Favors: Sara's Gracious Goodies || Entertainment: Craig Scott Entertainment || Videography: Reuben Hernandez || Photography: Ira Lippke Studios