Hilary and Brad Celebrate With An Elegant, Fun-Filled Reception

 

Given Hilary’s taste for glitz and glamour, it comes as no surprise that she celebrated saying “I Do” with a reception comparable to the fabulous parties F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote about in The Great Gatsby. There was luxurious décor, sparklers, pulsating music, and a showstopping 5-tier wedding cake. Here, the bride talks about the final chapter in her Real BB Wedding story.

Part 4: Reception, Centerpieces, and Sweetheart Table

After a preliminary round of toasts during cocktail hour, guests found their seats via a captivating escort card table and made their way to the Plaza’s ballroom. There, the vibrant pink color scheme gave way to white and gold. “Brad wanted an all white ballroom, which I thought was a nice idea to keep everything romantic,” Hilary says. “The Plaza is marked by gold ornamentation on the ceilings and walls. There was something so beautiful and elegant about having clean white.”

 

 

Reception décor featured an array of various centerpieces with white and ivory blooms. Some tables were decorated with high centerpieces of voluminous roses and hydrangea complemented by cascading Phalaenopsis orchids in sleek glass vases. Glistening crystal strands, gold votives, and floating candles enhanced the display to stunning effect. The second style featured a low centerpiece of lush arrangements set in mercury gold vases. The mix of low and high centerpieces combined with warm candlelight brought a sense of intimacy to the grand space. Hilary remarks, “The ballroom was transformed into a white sparkly heaven and the uplighting in an array of pinks and purples made it so glam!”

 

 

 

Bedecked in gold linens, gorgeous florals, and glowing candles, the sweetheart table was befit for the modern day princess and her prince. The newlyweds had prime view of their custom dance floor that read “Just Married” and the stage. It goes without saying, Hilary and Brad’s first dance was one for the books!

 

 

 

“When I was coming up with the vision for my wedding, I went back and forth with Bride & Blossom about bringing pink into the ballroom. I finally decided to go all white, but was still thinking of ways to tie in the pink theme.” Soon after, Hilary met with wedding cake designer extraordinaire Ron Ben-Israel. “Working with Ron, I was struck with the idea of putting pink flowers on my cake. He asked Rachel for photos of my décor and then made the exquisite sugar flowers and also incorporated sparkly accents. It was perfect!”

 

 

 

One wedding gift that truly touched Hilary’s heart came from her sister and brother-in-law. “My sister kept tormenting me, saying that she had ‘the best surprise.’ And she was very insistent that I didn’t go into the ballroom the day before my wedding.” Turns out, her sister had arranged for a live painter to capture the celebrations and she needed to come in early to get started. “After cocktail hour, my sister finally lets me in on her surprise. As we walked to see the painter working in the ballroom, she starts to cry. I was absolutely astonished!”

 

 

Brad and Hilary made sure the night would be fun-filled from start to finish. At one point, the stage was ablaze with shooting sparklers. Everyone had a blast posing in front of the personalized photo backdrop complete with the couple’s wedding hashtag.

 

 

 

 

In a day filled with once in a lifetime memories, we asked Hilary if there were any that stood out. “Prior to seeing each other for the first time, Brad gave me a special card and gift titled ‘To my Special Bride.’ I had some alone time to read it and realized that I am the luckiest girl in the world.” She finishes, “In all honesty, I partied like I have never partied before – it was like my own little concert with not a care in the world. I was on cloud nine the entire night! We are so blessed to have been able to share the wedding of our dreams with family and friends. And I am so lucky to have Brad as my forever!”

 

 

Venue: The Plaza
Photographer: Hechler Photographers
Videographer: Josh Edward Films
Bride’s Dress: Rivini
Bride’s Shoes: Jimmy Choo
Groom’s Tux: Hugo Boss
Groom’s Shoes: Magnanni
Cake: Ron Ben-Israel
Hair: Gabriella Luele
Makeup: Cindy Santarella
Invitations: Arlene Segal Designs
Music: Hank Lane Music + GeoEvents
Lighting: Bently Meeker
Custom Dance Floor: Bombshell Graphics
Linens: Table Wraps
Custom Photo Floral Wall & Indoor Sparklers: GeoEvents
Live Painter: Katherine Gressel