Good morning, everyone! Today I am thrilled to share a beautiful wedding that was photographed by the amazingly talented Karen Wise , at one of my favorite New York City venues, The Foundry .
Julia and Daniel were looking for a non-traditional space to hold their 100 person winter wedding. The Foundry was their first {and only} site visit. After they walked into the center of the cozy yet cavernous space, their minds began buzzing with ideas, and they booked the venue on the spot. As they say, sometimes you just know.
The 19th century building was originally – you guessed it – a foundry {a facility used to melt several kinds of metals down into molds}. Its brick walls and exposed beams still whisper of its industrial past, but the beauty of the Foundry lies in its chameleon-like ability to transform for all sorts of occasions, be it a photo shoot in its bi-level courtyard, a charity event around its rafters, or an elegant wedding, like Julia and Daniel’s, on a cozy winter weekend… take a peek.
Ceremony and Reception site: The Foundry , Long Island City, NY
Photography: Karen Wise , Brooklyn, NY
Officiant: James Covington , New York, NY
Gown: Diamante by Pronovias
Shoes: Martinez Valero at Kleinfeld
Hair: Martha Ellen Mabry , New York, NY
Makeup: Rebecca Casciano , New York, NY
Invitations: Hello Lucky! , San Francisco, CA
Flowers: Jessy from Fleurs , New York, NY
Catering & Cake: Tip of the Tongue Long Island City, NY
Music: Ceremony and Reception, Mike Bedkowski
Favors: Bem Casados by Bem Me Quer Desserts , Astoria, NY
Accommodations: Morgans Hotel , New York, NY
Honeymoon: Chile, Argentina, and Brazil {planned and booked by the groom} From the Bride:
Daniel and I met in law school in New York City. We live in Brooklyn and our families are also in New York. The Foundry was the only site we looked at and we knew right away that it was perfect for us. We wanted something different from the usual catering hall and were looking for something a bit edgy, as opposed to the traditional crystal chandeliers, etc.
We did not hire a consultant, we actually did everything ourselves. It was easier than we expected, but afterward we realized there were some details we overlooked. For example, we should have hired someone to do special lighting because the Foundry is rather dark.
Purple and silver are my favorite colors and I thought they would be a great fit for a winter wedding. Our invitations were “Pinecones and Roses” by Hello Lucky! They were letterpressed in plum/champagne, and had a wonderful, wintery feel to them.
I wore an ivory gown by Pronovias and added a silver sash to the gown {which I found on Etsy}. I also wore David Yurman drop earrings, a pearl and silver bracelet ordered from Etsy, and Martinez Valero shoes
Our DJ played some of our favorite songs throughout the evening. The processional song was “November Rain” by Guns & Roses, and the recessional song was “Viva la Vida” by Coldplay. Our first song was “A La Primera Persona” by Alejandro Sanz… We continued the evening with dance music, including lots of Latin and Brazilian songs {my husband’s mother is from Brazil}.
We did not have a sit-down dinner, but more of an extended cocktail party, and we tried to preserve as much dancing area as possible. We placed long tables with benches into the Foundry’s arches and had a few tall cocktail tables, but most of the room was a dance floor. The florist hung lanterns with candles from the balcony level. The upper level was designed with more of a lounge feel with low tables and floor cushions.
Our signature cocktail was a passion fruit bellini which we created together with the caterers. During cocktail hour we passed seared tuna on wasabi blini, potato pancakes w/crème fraiche and caviar, and baby lamb chops. Then had a raw oyster bar, caldo verde soup shots, whitefish salad on pumpernickel toast, braised short ribs over quinoa and pulled pork sliders.
The wedding cake was decadent… it was chocolate with passion fruit mousse. One small cake was made for us to cut and the same flavor was made into individual chocolate bombes for the guests. We ended the evening with traditional Brazilian wedding favors called “Bem Casados.” They are little cakes filled with dulce de leche, wrapped in purple and silver tissue.
About the Photographer:
According to a recent story from the New York Times, Karen Wise “treats your wedding like photojournalism,” striving to capture all its creative aspects, including the food and the decor. Karen has received critical acclaim for her work, and uses her “documentary and artistic style to capture and tell a beautiful story in the most honest and creative way possible.”
In 2008, Karen was named one of American Photo Magazine’s top wedding photographers in the world. In 2007, she was ranked by The Knot as one of the top 10 New York Wedding Photographers. With over 10 years of wedding photography experience, Karen shoots as near as New York, and as far as India, always with a unique elegance and detail to her work.
Karen’s photography has been published in Vogue India, Marie Claire China, Martha Stewart Weddings and Town & Country Weddings, among others. She has offices in New York and Los Angeles.
p.s. a very big congrats from Merci to Karen Wise on her recent engagement ! xx!
All photos courtesy Karen Wise .
