A Vintage-Inspired, Farm-to-Table Wedding in New York

By the time they said their I do's on August 5, 2017, three years after they met, Avril Nolan and Quy Nguyen had already traveled all over the world together. There are many interesting things to know about their relationship, but this—that they love to hop on a plane and land somewhere new—may be the most telling.

While others travel for work or relaxation, Avril, a brand consultant, and Quy, director of styling for Ralph Lauren Home, seek out beauty and history. They might scour flea markets for rare Yves Saint Laurent dresses from the '70s, or stop in Kyoto for one-of-a-kind kimono fabric. On their trips, there are no typical arguments about whether to spend the day poolside or on a tour bus. They always agree on what to do: hit antiques stores, markets, and off-the-path neighborhoods to find wares that make their artsy hearts sing.

At the start, though, one might not have thought to pair these two simpatico souls. There is the age difference: He is 43; she is 29. ("But I've been a 70-year-old since I was about 10, and he's more like a child. So we balance each other out," Avril says.) And there's their very different backgrounds: Avril moved from Ireland about eight years ago, and Quy's family escaped Vietnam in 1975, eventually settling in Texas. Yet when Avril saw Quy at a party in Brooklyn, she felt an immediate connection. "I remember him just taking my hands and looking at them. I felt that I'd met him before. Or that I knew him from another time," she says.

They had a very successful first date (at a museum retrospective of sculptor Robert Gober's works) and second date (Avril biked to Quy's apartment with ingredients to make him his first apple crumble), and were soon in love. About a year later, they decided to turn their shared passion for stylish treasures into a shared business. FORM Vintage, an antiques and vintage retailer and consultation brand, is the superchic result. "We're different creatively. I'm into objects and antiques; she's into fashion. I'm more reckless and impulsive, and she's more pragmatic," he says.

Both personalities were brought to bear in planning the romantic yet unfussy, sophisticated yet simple wedding the couple threw at the Stone Ridge, New York, property of Quy's best friend's father. Last summer, the two paused their travels long enough to spend a week with family and friends in the countryside preparing for their nuptials. Then, for one beautiful moment, the perpetually in-motion couple stood still and declared their eternal love for each other. And there was no place in the world they'd rather have been.

"We wanted to keep our invitations really simple and minimal," says Avril, who addressed the envelopes herself; an illustration of a field of daisies by friend Niamh Langton was printed on the reverse with a blind letterpress impression by Coeur Noir.


Avril's attire was inspired by Victorian-era paintings, and she radiated old-world elegance on the big day thanks to a vintage lace dress she'd found 
in London and a wide-brimmed Jacquemus straw hat from France. "I had envisioned multiple Pinterest boards and shopping with my girlfriends," she says. "But I ended up getting the first dress I put on!" The couple's friend 
(and MSW's style director) Naomi deMañana created her wildflower bouquet. The groom wore a suit by Saint Laurent and wore cowboy boots as a nod to his Texan upbringing.

"There was a lot of coordinating to make sure we didn't see each other," says Avril of the night and day leading up to the ceremony. "It made it more special. Quy and I do so much together and we're rarely apart. I think it was important for us to have a night and morning completely apart."

True to form, the couple got their gold posy rings, which date to the early 18th century, from an antique-jewelry dealer in London. Instead of buying new wedding rings and having them engraved, the couple scored a pair of early 18th-century posy rings from a London jewelry dealer. The term is derived from the French word for poem, poésie. They can date back as far as the late Middle Ages and are characterized by the secret messages of love inscribed on them. In medieval times, the engravings were done on the outside of the ring; later, they would appear on the inside. "They're extremely rare, so it was very serendipitous that we found two with such beautiful sayings that could fit us," says Avril. Hers reads, "I Will Ever Love the Giver." His reads, "In Thee My Choice I Do Rejoice."

The ring bearer and flower girls wore gingham, the pattern 
of the day.

Paper fans, printed with a message, were given to guests before the ceremony.

One of the projects the couple tackled the week before the wedding was the simple white-linen ceremony backdrop. Five panels, sewn together, made up the 30-foot-by-10-foot curtain. Avril's dad officiated the Celtic knot ceremony to honor her Irish roots.

"Clair de Lune," by Debussy, as performed by Shelley Kyle was the soundtrack for the processional. The newlyweds recessed to guests toasting them with the sounds of tuning forks.

The groom was overjoyed that his parents, in New York for the first time ever, made the trip from Texas for their wedding.

Guests enjoyed milkshakes from Hudson Valley BBQ Co.—in classic glass milk bottles, naturally—at the reception.

Along with drinks, guests were given "loves me, loves me not" daisy cocktail napkins foil-stamped by ForYourParty.com.

Beautifully packaged bottles of Sōtō Sake made perfect favors. The spirit was also the basis for the sake mint lemonade that was the signature drink at cocktail hour.

A guest took a selfie with some locals.

An ostrich-feather pen and custom rub-on transfer elevated a simple white notebook-turned-guest book.

The centerpieces were created with blooms from FiftyFlowers and supplemented with fresh pickings from the property the morning of the wedding. Gingham linens rented from Heather Taylor Home added a homey touch. "People kept telling us to assign seats, but I refused," says Avril. "It's rare to get all these people together, and I wanted them to get to know each other and get out of their comfort zones."

Avril and Quy's wedding caterer, Hudson Valley BBQ Co., served up locally sourced casual fare (think burgers, corn, pie, and milkshakes) and 15 pies for dessert. A wood-fired pizza truck served late night fare.

The bride shared a happy moment with her sister and mother.

The couple's 
friend Diana Yen, of the Jewels of New York, baked the two-tiered cake and decorated 
it with flowers and foliage.

The photo booth, with its oversize crescent moon and backdrop of stars, was built and painted by the couple and their friends.

Guests had access to Polaroid cameras at the paper-moon-themed photo booth.

The newlyweds danced under a canopy of hanging paper-globe lanterns. The first dance was to "I Love How You Love Me," as performed by Jimmy Crawford.

Bags of cherries given as favors were very on-brand for the summer-in-the-country wedding

Matchboxes that read "You're hot!" held sparklers for the evening's festivities

Catering, Hudson Valley BBQ Co.; Orapello's Wood Fired Pizza

Wholesale-flower provider, FiftyFlowers.com

Photography, Jessica Antola

Stationery, Niamh Langton design; Coeur Noir Specialty Printers letterpress

Cake, The Jewels of New York

Music, OJ San Felipe

Rentals, Heather Taylor Home; Sav-On Party Central

Bride's gown, Jane Bourvis

Bride's accessories, Jacquemus hat; Gabriella Kiss jewelry; Porselli ballet flats

Bridesmaid's dress, Anthropologie

Groom's suit and boots, Saint Laurent

Custom napkins and matchboxes, ForYourParty.com

Custom rub-on transfers (for fans and guest book), ReproGraphX

Alcohol, Sōtō Sake; Flatiron Wines & Spirits

Sparklers, Wedding Sparklers Outlet

Guest book, Sax "Blanc" hardcover

Pen, Maison Margiela "Stylo Ostrich White Feather" pen