Marisa and Josh Wedding - Bride and Groom Portrait - Gotham Hall - Emma McDonald Weddings

Weddings

BB Featured Bride Marisa on Her Romantic Mira Zwillinger Wedding Dress

Marisa and Josh Wedding - Bride and Groom Portrait - Gotham Hall - Emma McDonald Weddings

Marisa and Josh Wedding – Bride and Groom Portrait – Gotham Hall – Emma McDonald Weddings

Not everyone looks forward to the process of figuring out what they are going to wear down the aisle. “I don’t love playing dress up,” BB Featured Bride Marisa admits. “I actually hated wedding dress shopping.” However, because she stayed true to her understated personal style, Marisa’s experience navigating the deep waters of bridalwear was quick and pain-free. Here, she shares all the details about her breathtakingly romantic Mira Zwillinger dress and wedding day accessories.

Part 2: Wedding Dress and Personals

Before even setting foot in a boutique, Marisa had her eye on Mira Zwillinger, the Tel Aviv based bridal label known for designs that combine ethereal embellishment with modern sensibility. “I saw one of their dresses on Instagram and fell in love with it. From that point on, every dress that I saw and liked ended up being by Mira Zwillinger.”
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Marisa and Josh Wedding - Bride and Groom Portrait - Gotham Hall - Emma McDonald Weddings

Weddings

Marisa & Josh: A Timeless White Floral + Greenery Affair at Gotham Hall

Marisa and Josh Wedding - Bride and Groom Portrait - Gotham Hall - Emma McDonald Weddings

Marisa and Josh Wedding – Bride and Groom Portrait – Gotham Hall – Emma McDonald Weddings

Marisa and Josh began dating in high school. They decided to stay together after graduation, despite going away to different colleges. Marisa says, “We agreed that as long as our relationship makes sense to us, we will make it work. And Josh and I have been together ever since.” Being in a long-distance relationship helped the couple prepare for the challenges of planning a wedding during a global pandemic. She explains, “Of course postponing due to Covid-19 was heartbreaking because of the waiting and uncertainty. But at the same time, we had been together for ten years, so what was one more year in the grand scheme of everything?”
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Elana and Greg Wedding - Bride and Groom Portrait - Angel Orensanz Foundation - Dave Robbins Photography

Weddings

Elana & Greg’s Unforgettable, Dance-Til-You-Drop Reception

Elana and Greg Wedding - Bride and Groom Portrait - Angel Orensanz Foundation - Dave Robbins Photography

Elana and Greg Wedding – Bride and Groom Portrait – Angel Orensanz Foundation – Dave Robbins Photography

“My wedding vision really took shape after I found my dress – a unique, asymmetrical gown by Viktor & Rolf featuring a large statement flower,” BB Featured Bride Elana says. “Using the white flower motif as a point of reference, art-inspired design and styling punctuated our reception decor, from the sculpturesque floral centerpieces to the 72 black and white framed photographs displayed for guests to view during cocktail hour.” Here, Elana shares the final chapter in her Real BB Wedding story.

Part 4: Reception, Card Table, & Centerpieces
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Elana and Greg Wedding - Chuppah - Angel Orensanz Foundation - Dave Robbins Photography

Weddings

Elana & Greg Exchange Vows In A Deeply Personal, Spellbound Ceremony

Elana and Greg Wedding - Ceremony Atmosphere Chuppah - Angel Orensanz Foundation - Dave Robbins Photography

Elana and Greg Wedding – Ceremony Atmosphere Chuppah – Angel Orensanz Foundation – Dave Robbins Photography

After the rehearsal dinner at Beauty & Essex the evening before, BB Featured Bride Elana spent the morning of her wedding getting ready at the Ludlow Hotel Penthouse. Then it was off to Angel Orensanz Foundation where guests arrived just as autumn twilight was beginning to descend on the Lower East Side. Here, Elana talks about her and Greg’s breathtakingly personal ceremony shared before family and friends.

Ceremony & Chuppah

In addition to its high vaulted ceiling, rich ornamentation, and spellbound atmosphere perfect for hosting an important celebration, Angel Orensanz Foundation is a symbolic landmark of Jewish history and culture in New York City. “The venue was once home to various synagogues over the years, serving waves of Jewish immigrants that once called the Lower East Side home,” Elana explains. “As an ode to the immigrant generations of our family before us, we only found it befitting to have our wedding in a venue, and in a neighborhood, that represents the cradle of the American Jewish experience.” Elana and Greg were also drawn to the fact that Angel Orensanz Foundation didn’t look like a wedding venue. “An art exhibition and event space as well as one of the oldest surviving synagogues in NYC, it felt very true to who we are as a couple,” the bride says.
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Elana and Greg Wedding - Bride and Groom Portrait - Angel Orensanz Foundation - Dave Robbins Photography

Weddings

Elana & Greg: The Art of Love at Angel Orensanz Foundation

Elana and Greg Wedding - Bride and Groom Portrait - Angel Orensanz Foundation - Dave Robbins Photography

Elana and Greg Wedding – Bride and Groom Portrait – Angel Orensanz Foundation – Dave Robbins Photography

After connecting through the dating app, The League, Elana and Greg had their first date in May 2016 at La Esquina, the trendy Mexican restaurant in Nolita. Talking to mutual friends eased any nerves before their initial meeting. Elana remembers how easy that night felt for her. “Our quirky senses of humor helped us hit it off from the beginning. I was drawn to Greg’s dedication to his family, career ambition, and generosity. And he has a great smile.” As their relationship evolved and became more serious, she was the first to say, “I love you.” The feelings were mutual with Greg admitting, “I have been waiting to say those same words for a very long time.”
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Lianne and Justin Wedding - Bride and Groom Kissing Bouquet - The Library Hotel - Liz Andolina Photography

Weddings

A Look Back At The Real BB Weddings Of 2021

Lianne and Justin Wedding - Bride and Groom Kissing Bouquet - The Library Hotel - Liz Andolina Photography

Lianne and Justin Wedding – Bride and Groom Kissing Bouquet – The Library Hotel – Liz Andolina Photography

You don’t have to be the ‘resolutions’ type to use January 1st as the day to take stock of all that has happened in your life during the previous twelve months. For us, 2021 was marked by growth, new experiences, and gratitude. After an extremely tumultuous 2020, we joined fellow vendors in wading back into the waters of wedding planning and production. To be part of the behind-the-scenes magic that goes into creating the most important event in a couple’s life together is never lost on us. The sentiment was felt especially hard this past year as we watched our clients finally have their big day after countless, often soul-crushing postponements.
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