Vibrant and lavish could be the only words to describe the wedding of high school sweethearts Kathryn and Assad.  They first meet at a coffee shop around the corner from both their houses; Kathryn would stop on the way to school for her morning coffee and Assad would be there with his family having breakfast.  One day he asked her for a ride to school and their friendship was started.  That friendship blossomed into a loving relationship and an absolutely gorgeous wedding.  Joanne Gregoli, of Elegant Occasions, helped to pull all the details together into an event that will never be forgotten.

Kathryn’s dress was just to die for!  Stephen Yearick created this perfectly fitted and exquisitely detailed gown with a scalloped V-neck embellished with beading at the bodice, hip, and hem.  Both the dress and cathedral length veil were purchased at Kleinfled’s in NYC.  Her silvery heels were a Stuart Weitzman creation.

Kathryn incorporated her family heritage by pinning her grandmother’s rosary and a frog pin from her aunt to her pale pink and violet bouquet.

The girls looked ravishing in bridesmaids’ dresses by Jim Hjelm in a rich lavender hue purchased at Bridesmaids At Nonchalance in Morristown.  We just love the slight variations in the dresses!

Kathryn and her father shared a moment in the limo while Assad and his groomsmen looked like they walked straight out of a movie set in their tuxes and shades.  The boys escorted Assad’s mother and grandmother the few blocks to Holy Rosary Church that they attended as children.  As the rest of the wedding party followed you couldn’t help but notice that both the bride and groom came from exceptionally close families.

The reception moved across the water to Pier Sixty in New York City.  Amaryllis Decorators transformed the ballroom into a lush palace with golden fabrics, hanging jeweled votives, and rich arrangements of flowers with every shade of violet, pink, and red and green imaginable.

The couple was announced by traditional belly dancers with full candelabra regale while the crowd threw money onto the dance floor, later to be given as tips for the entertainers

NYC Swing kept the dance floor so lively even we wanted our dancing shoes and the crowd was just full of incredible dancers!

We asked Kathryn about the topiary lion to which she told us “Assad in Arabic means lion.  It’s my husbands name and was also his grandfather’s name.  It’s kind of a family symbol.”   The groom’s cake, an almost a life-sized replica of the couples adored dog, was flown in from Seattle by Mike’s Amazing Cakes.  They’re one of the most amazing confectioners we have ever come across!

The bride changed into her second gown, a Jenny Packham design from Mark Ingram Bridal Atelier, to share a touching father-daughter dance.  A friend of the family brought his traditional Arabic band to the stage and everyone joined the bride and groom on the dance floor.

The sunset on the Hudson lit the edge of Pier Sixty beautifully and the affair went on long into the night..