Q: Tell us about your wedding! What was the inspiration behind your day? Did you have a specific theme, style or color palette? Did you incorporate any cultural or religious traditions in any part of your day?
A: I scouted Instagram continuously for wedding ideas! My vision for the wedding was for it to be modern, clean, and timeless but with a twist. Our wedding was white and gold with a touch of black. We had a traditional, Jewish wedding. We got married under a Chuppah and signed a beautiful custom Ketubah created by Alyssa Judlo.
Q: Let's talk wedding decor. How did you decorate your space for the ceremony and the reception? Was any part of the decor DIY?
A: As far as décor, our wedding planner really helped to bring my vision to life. The 1 Hotel in South Beach is decorated with beachy whites and beiges, and lots of lush greenery. I wanted the wedding décor to be clean, modern, and timeless without taking away from the beauty, and the vibe, of the hotel. In The Atrium, where we had our reception, the aisle was lined with candles leading up to our mirrored Chuppah, which was covered in white and beige roses and hydrangeas, as well as some greenery. On either side of the aisle were beautiful, white, flower marker urns that sat on mirrored pedestals at the entrance. We placed a green hedge wall behind the entrance for impact. We had candles lining the second level ledge and our monogram illuminated on top. In the Terra Ballroom, where the party was held, there is a beautiful living green wall, which we used as a backdrop for the band.
Q: What were the florals like in your wedding? Did you use flowers in any of your design elements like the bridal bouquets, centerpieces or ceremony backdrop? Did they play an important part in the overall style of your wedding?
A: Candles and flowers played an important role in the overall style of our wedding. We had three different centerpiece styles at our wedding. All three styles incorporated a combination of candles and flowers. The head table was a long, serpentine, table with curving rows of white roses and candles. We had a flower wall for the escort cards with a custom neon sign that read, “The Werners EST. 2019.” After cocktail hour, the flower wall, with the neon sign, was moved to the ballroom and placed behind the cake. The backdrop made for a beautiful picture of us cutting the cake!
Q: Did you personalize the day in any way (food trucks, guest entertainment etc.)? What were some of your favorite parts of your wedding?
A: The whole day felt really personalized to us, and what we wanted for our wedding. Shake Shack is Jeff’s absolute favorite and was the only thing he requested at the wedding! We served Shake Shack as our late night food. For dessert, we served a selection of artisanal donuts from The Salty Donut. We had an unbelievable black, white, and gold dance floor with our custom monogram in the middle. We also had a neon sign that read, “The Werners EST. 2019.” Our band did an incredible job of keeping everyone on the dance floor all night long. It’s hard to zero in on one favorite part of the wedding day. I remember standing on the dance floor and looking around at all our family and friends surrounding us. I have never felt more love than the love I felt in that room, at that moment, and nothing made me happier than that.
Q: Let's talk fashion. How did you both choose your wedding day look? Describe the looks in detail.
A: Unfortunately for Jeff, he didn’t have a say in his wedding day look. I had a vision for him. Jeff was classically dressed in a black tux, and black bowtie. For my dress, I wanted something simple, but elevated. My dress was white lace with a lot of raised flowers and some beading, which made it sparkle as I moved. It was modern but had a nude underlay, which gave it a kind of vintage feel. It was a bit sheer in some places and had a beautiful lace trim, which hung off my shoulders. It was important to me that on my wedding day, I looked like myself, just the prettiest version of myself. I wore my hair down with loose curls. For the ceremony, I wore a veil that has been in Jeff’s family for 90 years. It was originally worn by Jeff’s great grandmother in 1931 and has since been worn by several family members including, Jeff’s grandmother, mom, and sister. The veil is truly a family treasure and I was very touched that they offered it to me. I am so proud, and honored, to be another bride who walked down the aisle wearing the family veil.
Q: How did you meet? Tell us about the proposal.
A: Jeff and I met in high school and were friendly, but nothing more. About 7 years after graduating high school, we met again at a party. We spent the entire night talking and have been together ever since! Jeff proposed in Colorado at the top of Elk Camp Mountain in Snowmass. We went on a morning hike and took the Gondola up to the top of the mountain. Once we were at the top, Jeff set up our GoPro on a bench across from where we were standing and insisted we take a picture. The GoPro was really on video mode and recorded the whole proposal!
Q: What was the most anticipated or special moment of your wedding day?
A: It’s impossible for me to pinpoint the single most special moment of our wedding day. It was the combination of all the little moments that made the day so special. Our photographers were incredible at capturing our wedding and all the beautiful memories of the day. Every time we look at our album, we feel like we are reliving our wedding.
Q: Do you have any wedding planning or marriage advice that you'd like to share with other couples planning their day?
A: Surround yourself with professionals that you trust to bring your vision to life whether that be your photographer, party planner, or florist. When you have trust in the people that you hire, it helps alleviate a lot of the stress. Also, enjoy the process of planning because the wedding goes by in the blink of an eye. Jeff’s grandparents, who have been married for 67 years always say, the secret to a successful marriage is “communication, communication, communication.”
