On a sunlight-filled day in the middle of November, Felicity and Kade threw a celebration full of personal touches. At the Metropolitan Building, the couple told their story through the details of their wedding. The most personal were custom band-aid tins with “love hurts” inscribed on the side – a nod to their engagement, which Felicity says she ruined when she found the ring Kade had attempted to hide in her purse. “I had rummaged through to get out a band-aid to avoid blisters with the new pair of espadrilles I was wearing,” she explains. So instead of a proposal at the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens, Kade unexpectedly found himself asking for Felicity’s hand in the foyer of their apartment. Despite the improvise, “It was the perfect proposal,” says Felicity. “Just us and our dog!”
What was the easiest planning decision you made?
Felicity: Our cake! I knew I wanted something simple and delicious, something that people would enjoy eating rather than just looking at (i.e. no fondant!). We only had one cake tasting – the cake was delish and we had a fun time mixing icing and filling combinations – and by the end of the 30 minutes or so we had our decision made.
Kade: I didn’t really have much to do with the planning except the music. I knew there should be three bands with three distinct styles of sound for the cocktail hour, dinner and reception. When I found each of the bands I knew immediately they were the ones. The cherry on top was the decision for a gospel choir to come out for a few songs to highlight the reception band. I’m really proud of the outcome.
The most difficult?
Felicity: It’s a tie between my dress and our invitation suite. With my dress, I never had an “ah-ha” moment. I was actually more or less set on another dress when I ultimately tried on the one I wore. I remember trying on the dress and thinking, “Oh, I feel like a bride.” I knew it was definitely “the dress,” I just wasn’t sure it was the dress for me. When I purchased it, I was taking a bit of a leap of faith and it wasn’t until afterwards that I felt certain it was the right decision.
The invitation suite was stressful mainly because of the pressure I put on myself. I wanted to strike the right balance of fun, personal and timeless. What we ended up with is not what I envisioned at the outset, but I’m so glad I gave myself over to the process because I loved the finished product.
Kade: Finding a slim fit, fly front, pleated bib tuxedo shirt in size 16.
What part of wedding planning was the most fun for you?
Felicity: The facials! I decided instead of obsessively exercising, I would obsessively care for my skin. It ended up serving the dual purpose of ensuring I was a “glowing bride” and providing scheduled relaxation which was very necessary the closer it got to the day. And I never felt over indulgent because, after all, I was getting married!
Kade: Definitely the beer tastings and the hangs with my friends in the weeks leading up to the wedding.
Did you learn anything new about yourself or each other throughout the planning process?
Felicity: I surprised myself by not wanting to micromanage every single detail day of – but instead, I ended up just putting my faith in it all working out as planned and sat back and let everyone else manage me!
Kade: Trust my visions.
I remember trying on the dress and thinking, 'Oh, I feel like a bride.'
Felicity
I wanted to feel closer to my wife than I ever had, I wanted to get chills when I heard the music, I wanted each guest to have the time of their lives, I wanted to make every conversation count...
Kade
...I wanted to remember everything.
Kade
Did you have a wishlist of things you hoped for on your day?
Felicity: There were four things I hoped for: One, I looked amazing, two, all my guests had fun, three, I had fun, and four, the pictures turned out great (thanks Nathan!!).
Kade: I wanted to feel closer to my wife than I ever had, I wanted to get chills when I heard the music, I wanted each guest to have the time of their lives, I wanted to make every conversation count, I wanted to remember everything.
What did you do to add personal details to your wedding?
Kade: I think the whole event was personal. There were pieces of Felicity, me and us in every detail. The invitations, church, bandaids, matchbooks, the beer bar, bands/gospel choir, slippers, food, the photo booth… the list goes on right down to the hand soap in the bathroom. That’s what I loved about the wedding – everything felt like an elevated state of natural.
What advice do you have for couples on their wedding day?
Felicity: For any bride honeymooning directly after the wedding, my veteran pro-tip would be to buy all new socks and underwear to pack for the honeymoon. The last thing you want to worry about the day before your wedding is doing laundry to have enough clean unmentionables to make it through the next two weeks!
Kade: Don’t stop dancing.
What we ended up with is not what I envisioned at the outset, but I’m so glad I gave myself over to the process because I loved the finished product.
Felicity
I think the whole event was personal. There were pieces of Felicity, me and us in every detail.
Kade
Don't stop dancing.
Kade
Credits
- Second Shooter Michelle Mosqueda
- Planning Firefly Events
- Cake Nine Cakes
- Catering BITE new york
- Dress Vera Wang
- Floral Design Poppies & Posies
- Floral Donation Repeat Roses
- Hair Eva Scrivo Salons
- Makeup Kelvin Dume
- Lighting Bentley Meeker Lighting & Staging
- Music, Ceremony Gotham Strings
- Music, Cocktails Molecular Organ Trio
- Music, Reception Fleur Suele
- Music, Afterparty Atomic Funk Project
- Stationery Karla Lim
- Venue, Ceremony Grace Church
- Venue, Reception Metropolitan Building
With a graduate degree in painting, Nathan Smith brings a distinctly compositional sensibility to his work at The Day, where he is also known as the house philosopher. Having extensive experience living internationally, Nathan has a special ability to pick out the unique beauty of varying cultural traditions—something he is able to do whether the wedding is in New York or a more exotic destination.
