Last Friday I second shot a wedding for a friend at The Mill Lakeside Manor and it brought back memories of Katherine and Chris’s wedding day last year. These two lovebirds (both teachers at the school where I used to teach!) got married just over a year ago already but their wedding day is still getting plenty of attention – it was published recently on WeddingLovely! We just love when our couples get published!! It was actually the first time our work was featured on WeddingLovely so we were thrilled that the editor loved Katherine and Chris’s wedding just as much as we did. In honor of the feature, today I’m sharing a little insight into this beautiful academic-themed wedding day. Thank you to Katherine and Chris for sharing all these details about your big day – we loved reading them and know our readers will, too! Especially all the FRHSD peeps! Miss you all!
How they met and how he proposed
“We met during my first year of teaching. Chris was already teaching English for a few years at our school. We would see each other in the hallways and faculty rooms, but we were both shy! It wasn’t until we were proctoring a state test together that we had the opportunity to get to know each another – we weren’t allowed to talk during the exam, so we passed notes to each other as the students took their test. We finally began dating soon after that. Three months into our relationship, Chris took me on a date to Grounds for Sculpture, a local sculpture garden and park. As we walked through the gardens, they found a small bench by a quiet brook. Chris only told me this part years later, but sitting there in the serene shade of that place, talking to each other, he decided that day that he wanted to marry me. About two years later, Chris took me back to Grounds for Sculpture. This time he was uncharacteristically quiet – little did I know it was because he was carrying an engagement ring with him. Late in the afternoon, the summer sun gently falling through the leaves, we returned to that spot by the brook, and he asked me to be his wife.”
“Our main inspiration for our wedding day was incorporating our love for teaching into our day. We are both high school teachers, we met at our job, and we both love what we do! We also both have a love for anything antique and timeless, so we kept our teaching theme romantic with a vintage vibe. Our color theme was blush pink and grey, with other pastel accents to keep it light for the summer time.”
The decor
“Every part of decor that we were drawn to was somehow related to our personal interests. We both love a love for all things that transcend the immediacy of the moment, and have a timeless beauty. The church we were married in is incredibly beautiful and breathtaking on its own, so we did not feel the need for any decor besides a few simple flower garlands.We wanted our reception decor to have a low key and vintage elegance. We opted for simple table decor with timeless lace table runners. To incorporate our teaching theme, we placed a few vintage books in the center of each table (we spent months scouring flea markets and eBay to find the perfect ones). We topped our books with several fountain pen ink bottles filled with mixed florals; we both have a love for fountain pens, and also loved the understated yet unique look that they gave. We added personalized pencils with our wedding hashtag in vintage glass beakers and flasks – a nod to Chris’s father who taught chemistry for 40 years. Finally, to integrate some math (what I teach), our table numbers were vintage addition and subtraction flashcards. Additionally, we found a antique library card catalog that we used to hold our guest’s place cards. Chris used library cards to handwrite all of our guest’s names and table numbers, and we arranged them in our card catalog in alphabetical order. Overall, I loved that we decided against more “typical” centerpieces to instead reflect our own personal interests and style. My favorite thing about our decor was that we invited our guests to take home whatever they wanted: the books, the floral arrangements, etc. Our friends and family still come up to us and say how much they love the book they took home, or that they still have their ink bottle from our wedding on their shelf. My father even took our card catalog and turned it into an end table for us. Every time I look at it, I remember our wedding! It will certainly become a family keepsake.”
The florals
“I worked with our florist to create bouquets that were classic, but not too overdone. I went with a classic white bouquet comprised of roses, hydrangea, and stephanotis for their traditional meaning of happiness in marriage. For my bridesmaids, rather than matching their flowers to their dresses, I wanted different colors that would complement pink. Their bouquets had peach roses, pink miniature roses, purple hydrangea, and off white freesia. Chris’s boutonnière matched my bouquet with a white rose and stephanotis, and our groomsmen’s boutonniere’s has peach roses. As previously mentioned, our centerpieces consisted of simple, multicolored flower arrangements places in fountain pen ink bottles.”
“I (Katherine) am Russian Orthodox, so our ceremony was conducted at St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Howell, NJ. The Orthodox wedding ceremony is beautiful and full of symbolism. It was an incredible feeling for both of us to reflect on the meaning of each piece of the service.”
Wedding Attire
“For my wedding dress, I wanted a classic full skirt, but I still wanted it to look light and airy to reflect the season. I also knew that I wanted some sort of sleeve or cover over my shoulders for our traditional church ceremony. My late grandmother was a seamstress at the original Kleinfeld Bridal boutique in Brooklyn, New York. I had always known since I was a little girl, and later on when I was watching “Say Yes to the Dress,” that I would go to Kleinfeld’s to find my wedding dress. The associates at Kleinfeld’s listened to all of my ideas and helped me decide on a beautiful lace and chiffon Maggie Sottero gown, and a matching fingertip length veil. My dress was an absolute dream come true! I also chose a crystal headpiece from Etsy that matched the floral details of the lace in the dress. As far as jewelry, I wanted to keep things classic and timeless. My parents gave me a pearl bracelet and matching pearl and diamond earrings as a wedding day gift, both from Tiffany & Co. I have a love for shoes. . . actually, more of an obsession. I have plenty of 4 inch heels in my closet, but I knew that I didn’t want to risk have to change into flip flops after 10 minutes on my wedding day. Still, I wanted my wedding shoes to be special and something I could wear over and over again. As a shoe addict, that scene in the Sex and the City movie where Mr. Big proposes to Carrie with a pair of blue Manolo Blahnik’s pulled at my heartstrings. To keep things fashionable but comfortable, I opted for a similar pair of Manolo Blahnik’s with a low heel in a fun coral color. These shoes were a favorite part of my wedding day look, and I was able to stand, walk, and dance in them all day long! These are currently the crown jewel of my closet. I let my bridesmaids choose their own dress, with just two specifications on length and color: floor length, and blush pink. I loved the recent trend of having mismatched bridesmaids dresses, and wanted everyone could choose a dress they liked and were comfortable in. I love how their different variations in style and color looked both in person and in photos! Chris wanted a classic tuxedo that was light for the summertime. He chose a light grey tuxedo, with a slightly darker grey for our groomsmen. I think the grey worked wonderfully with the pink of my bridesmaids’ dresses.”
“Our main favors were small jars of honey with a wooden dipper, attached with the Victor Hugo quotation, “Life is the flower for which love is the honey.” We chose honey as a our favor for two reasons. First, we wanted something that people wouldn’t throw away or stash in a drawer, and something that everyone could enjoy. Second, my late grandfather kept bees in his backyard, so our choice of favor was also a way to incorporate his memory into our day. The music for our cocktail hour was a jazz trio led by a family friend. He did an amazing job providing exactly the vibe of music we wanted, and our guests and I loved the intimate feel of having a small group of live musicians as they enjoyed their food and drinks. We also had matchbooks for our guests next to the bar, which were decorated with covers of classic books. Our card box was a wooden TARDIS box, reflecting our mutual nerdy Doctor Who obsession. Another way that we personalized our day was through our invitations. Our calligrapher designed and hand drew our our entire invitation designs based on our theme, and calligraphed all of our envelopes. He even drew in a Shakespeare bust and a geometry textbook to reflect what subjects we teach! Apart from seeing all of our decor choices come together so beautifully, our invitations are one of the things about our wedding that still amaze us. We will always treasure them because they were so incredibly detailed and personal.”
The most anticipated moment of the wedding day
“For both of us, besides seeing each other for the first time in church, our most special moment of our wedding day was our first dance to the song, “La Vie En Rose” by Louis Armstrong. It was everything we wanted for our first dance; classic, romantic, and a reference to one of my favorite Audrey Hepburn movies, “Sabrina.” After we chose the song, we spent months imagining what that moment would be like. It was surreal to hear that song play at our reception and realize that we were now dancing to it as husband and wife.”
“My family is both Greek and Russian, so during the reception, both types of traditional dancing took place. We danced to the traditional “kalamatiano” to the Greek song “Orea Pou Ine I Nifi Mas” (“How Beautiful the Bride Is”) as well as traditional music from the island of Crete. Our relatives and friends threw money over us as a wish for good luck and prosperity. Later in the evening, we danced to the “Hopak,” which is a Russian dance where a large circle is formed in the center of the dance floor. People go into the center of circle to do their most impressive dance move as an entertaining form of contest. I loved that every guest at our wedding was able to join in on these dances and have fun, regardless of their background.”
Advice for other couples
“With wedding planning or with marriage, keep in mind what is most important – the two of you. At the end of the day, nothing matters other than you and your other half being happy. For your wedding, choose things that you both like, that speak to you in some way, rather than giving in to what is typical or pleasing other people. I think keeping this in mind makes a wedding fun and memorable for you and for your guests.”
Want to see the full feature of Katherine and Chris’s wedding on WeddingLovely? Click here!
Idalia Photography is a team of husband and wife wedding photographers serving NJ, NY, PA, and beyond. We specialize in romantic, timeless, and classic weddings. Are you planning a wedding? Click here to view our wedding portfolio or contact us for availability and pricing. Happy wedding planning!
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If we haven't met yet, I'm Alex! I'm passionate about discovering beautiful stories, documenting genuine moments, and capturing timeless images along the way. Here I share my latest work, a peek at the heirlooms we create, and helpful resources. Thank you so much for visiting my blog!
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