TIL DEATH DO US PARTY
One day while leafing through our wedding and event calendar for 2023 (yes, I still use a paper calendar) I saw Halloween weekend was wide open. I thought to myself, “Man, I love Halloween. I hope someone reaches out.” Call it fate, call it kismet, call it the Three Witches granting my wish and now I’m indebted to them forever– but lo and behold, no joke, there was an email sitting in my inbox the very next day from Sabrina inquiring about October 28, 2023.
!!!!!
Let’s back up. When Jessamine launched at the beginning of the year, we hosted a giveaway. Sabrina and her mom won funky citrus floral centerpieces. Sabrina is a talented photographer and took super cute cat photos of her and Angelo’s sweet baby Minnie in and amongst the flowers, which sealed the deal for lifelong friendship.
Now fast forward to our initial consultation. Sabrina and Angelo delicately asked how onboard I would be to lean into a non-traditional halloween themed wedding. I countered, “What if we did an opulent, haunted Victorian mansion tablescape replete with dripping candles, sexy fruit, and TULLE?”
Sabrina and Angelo, to their credit, are a “Yes, and” kinda couple and we were off to the races.
SABRINA + ANGELO
THE WHITECHAPEL PROJECTS
28 OCTOBER 2023
MINNIE :: CAT FLOWER COLLAR
One of the prettiest cats I have ever had the pleasure to make an acquaintance with is Minnie. Look at those eyes! One of Sabrina and Angelo’s top priorities on their wedding day was to include Minnie and deck her out with one of Jessamine’s signature pet floral collars. She was exceedingly patient while I tied the bow around her neck and strutted around their wedding suite like a perfect model.
SABRINA :: MOODY DAHLIA CASCADE BOUQUET
Sabrina wanted dahlias, a darker berry color palette and a styled cascade bouquet. Their wedding song was “Black Dahlia” by The Gaslight Anthem so I had to make it happen! Luckily, October is prime time for locally grown dahlias and I had a bevy to choose from. Tied off with yards of trailing hand-dyed ink black velvet ribbon, this bouquet nods to the best of fall flowers. It’s moody, it’s witchy and so much fun.
And let us not forget to highlight Angelo. His plum suit? Chef’s kiss. I’m a huge fan. I made sure he got the prettiest dahlia to match with Sabrina’s.
BERRY AND BLACK WEDDING PARTY
Black is anything but basic for your wedding party. See how the flowers just pop against their outfits? Truly a florist’s dream. Sabrina and Angelo’s wedding party were stunning and very sweet to boot.
WEDDING CEREMONY
The brick walls at The Whitechapel Projects are an incredible backdrop for a ceremony. The brick gives such a textured and lived in feeling that highly saturated florals pair beautifully with. Black modern lanterns lit the aisle as dusk (and party time!) approached.
COCKTAIL RECEPTION AND DANCING
One fun detail I loved in their wedding stationery was the lunar cycle. When I found the perfect candlestick holders to surprise Sabrina and Angelo with, I knew they had to have their moment on the sweetheart table. For the curious, the banner lyrics are from “After The Party” by The Menzingers. For the reception farm tables, I wanted guests to feel like they were invited to a sultry medieval feast. Sumptuous candlelight was a must in all it’s different flavors (taper, pillar and votive), as well as piles of pomegranates, figs, and grapes; gobs of smoked bud vases around moody centerpieces. Carnation flower mounds and ikebana inspired pieces dotted the restaurant where guests dined on tasty hors d’oeuvres and small bites.
Sabrina and Angelo looked so joyful the entire night. It was truly a pleasure to bring their vision to life, and to be entrusted to do so. Sabrina and Angelo from the outset told me to just do my thing, and it is a great honor to be given the creative freedom and trust necessary to do just that.
A huge shout out to all of their vendors, especially photographer Cassie Castellaw and her husband videographer Dom of Simple Love Films. Their teaser video is INCREDIBLE. Cassie photographed my wedding, much of Jessamine’s beginnings, and we cannot recommend them enough. And maybe at your wedding you’ll meet Sabrina– she’s Cassie’s second shooter!
Florist: Jessamine Venue: The White Chapel Projects, Long Branch, NJ Photography: Cassie Castellaw Videography: Simple Love Films Coordination: Enchanted Allure Events Barista: Steady Hand Cafe DJ: Karin Fjellman Hair and Makeup: Lambs and Wolves
