An Intimate Vintage Wedding in New York City

Laurel Pinson and Joel Weber joke that they met while watching television for a living. They were both working as freelance writers for a website that promoted television trivia. After a couple of years of friendship, a romance sparked. On October 9, 2010, they celebrated their nuptials in their adopted beloved city of New York. The ceremony (in an intimate garden they stumbled upon when they first started dating) and reception (in one of the city's most alluring hotels) were elegant and full of old-world charm.

A postcard with an old image of New York City was made by the couple, and personalized on the back with a pair of rubber stamps designed with a font called Archive French Shaded. The pair's initials and a large ampersand were stamped in different ink colors, and used again to decorate the rehearsal dinner gift bags and thank you cards.

The groom's family honored the bride's Texas roots with a rehearsal dinner at Hill Country Barbecue. Out-of-town guests and family received an invitation (made by Bowne and Company, Stationers) to gather in the intimate event space for a Southern dinner, including mac-and-cheese poppers.

The letterpressed invitation suite by Mr. Boddington's Studio included a map to help out-of-towners get their bearings.

Tara Jones calligraphed the envelopes using her "Flourished Rook" lettering.

Laurel's cascading bouquet included roses, hydrangea, porcelain berries, ranunculus, and amaranthus, all in pretty ivory, blush, and nude hues.

Joel's porcelain-berry and laurel-leaf boutonniere was accented by ribbon and feathers.

Laurel's fashion background played a big part in her wedding attire. While attending a Phillip Lim sample sale, she spotted a dress on the rack for $200 -- it had come right off the runway and just needed a little TLC to repair some snags. "I could tell it was perfect, even though I tried it on over all my clothes in a crowded room," Laurel said.

Laurel accessorized the dress with her mother's diamond earrings and her grandmother's diamond-and-sapphire bracelet. The self-described shoe fanatic looked all over for a bold pair of shoes but ended up in a pair of Topshop gold platforms she already had in her closet.

On one of the couple's first dates, Laurel told Joel that if he wanted to make the relationship work, he needed to get a tuxedo. By the end of the week, he'd purchased a simple yet elegant Calvin Klein tux. It proved to be a smart purchase -- and a great look for his wedding day.

Laurel's mother and sister, Charlotte, flank the bride. Charlotte (and Laurel's friend Lauren, who was also a bridesmaid) wore feather-light dresses found at a Gary Graham sale that were dyed a lush gray hue.

Joel's brother Alex was the best man.

Laurel and Joel spent a lot of time writing and crafting their ceremony. "Those who attended the wedding left knowing us better than they did before," Laurel said.

The 100 guests encircled the couple during the ceremony in Jefferson Market Garden. Highlights included the couple's good friends reading an e.e. cummings poem, an instrumental performance of some of their favorite Beatles songs ("All You Need Is Love" among them), and a New Orleans-style jazz recessional. A double-decker bus transported guests to the reception.

Florist Sarah Ryhanen of Saipua enhanced the magnificent setting of the Bowery Hotel with elegant centerpieces. English roses, herbs from the couple's garden, and seasonal foliage sat atop slices of tree trunks from Joel's family's Christmas-tree farm in Oregon and amidst small stacks of old books.

Joel proposed to Laurel during a recording session with StoryCorps -- an oral-history project that gives you 45-minutes in an audio booth to talk to someone important to you, which later gets archived in the Library of Congress.

Their wedding coordinator, Annie Lee, of Daughter of Design, thought it would be great to set up a recording station for guests to record their well wishes and stories about the newlyweds.

Black-and-white photos of the bride's and groom's grandparents were displayed next to mercury-glass votive candle holders and old card catalogs holding guests' escort cards. In addition to providing table numbers and guests' names, the couple -- both avid readers -- personalized the cards with fictional book titles that were inside jokes or reflective of memorable moments appropriate for each guest.

Upon entry, guests were surprised with bagpipe music, in honor of the bride's Scottish heritage.

Guests dined on family-style Italian cuisine (catered by Gemma) that included antipasti, salads, pastas, steak, and chicken.

Before the ceremony, Laurel and Joel met up with their photographer, Tec Petaja, to take portraits at some of their favorite spots in downtown Manhattan: The Flatiron Building, a frequented magazine store, a favorite diner, and cobblestone streets. Later in the evening, they took a few more photos on the terrace of the hotel. The skyline of the city provided a stunning backdrop.

The adjoining corner patio of the hotel provided guests with a place to lounge and enjoy the sunset.

During the holidays, Laurel always makes Joel a banoffee pie, a traditional British pie of banana, toffee, and cream. In tribute to this sweet tradition, the couple served a Banoffee groom's cake from Tea & Sympathy. Cupcakes from Sugar Sweet Sunshine and a small, flower-dressed, tiered cake from Pinisi Bakery decked the dessert table.

Photography: Tec Petaja
Coordination: Annie Lee of Daughter of Design
Desserts: Sugar Sweet Sunshine; Pinisi Bakery; Tea & Sympathy
Makeup: Nam Vo
Music: Elan Artists (ceremony); Andy McEvoy (bagpipes); Greg Denard Orchestra (reception)