Kate and Brian sitting in (standing under) a tree…
The first Create Dinners wedding is in the books! Naturally, it was our founder Kate Pauley’s to Brian Vallario. And as one might expect, it was packed full of meaningful moments and a lot of creative women that we’ll gush more about throughout this post.
The couple chose three words to guide their wedding weekend: Joyful, Thoughtful, and Simple. When planning any event, we cannot more highly encourage defining its purpose. We deeply admire Priya Parker who has a beautiful book on gathering that we love and recommend reading. This helps make every wedding decision easier, keeping the values and vision top of mind.
The weekend started with welcome drinks on a Thursday night at The Ace Brooklyn, also known as the official hub for the weekend. Lots of guests were out-of-towners, so Brian and Kate put together a weekend guide with a map of all their favorite spots so everyone could explore the city in between planned festivities.
With the guides came custom “I <3 New York” bags with local treats like cookies from Milk Bar and Hal’s Chips. With a bride from Texas, hospitality and a warm welcome was a must.
Friday, June 3rd was the wedding day.
Getting ready was low-key, with Shimu on makeup duty, and a stunning bouquet delivery from our dear friend Molly Ford. Kate’s “dress” was actually a top and skirt, hand crafted by Philadelphia based designer Megan Lawrence, owner of The Law. Ellie Patterson captured the entire day — RUN at any opportunity to work with this woman. She’s incredible.
Brian and Kate had their “first look”, made a quick stop by the Ace’s photo booth, and hailed a cab to head to the ceremony.
The ceremony was at 10am in Fort Greene Park standing under Brian and Kate’s favorite tree.
Strings played a slower, romantic version of their song, “Believe” by Cher as Kate walked in with her dad, and they said their vows surrounded by an intimate group of 30 family members and very closest friends. Their dog, Otter, was there too. Both Brian and Kate agree that saying their vows was the highlight of the day, allowing them to share their love and hearts with each other and those present.
The celebration continued down the street at Maison May, an old brownstone turned venue, where additional friends and loved ones awaited. On the way, Brian and Kate stopped by their stoop for a few photos.
A French-inspired brunch included huevos rotos, thick cut bacon, market salad, smashed potatoes with truffle aioli and a ricotta green goddess tartine.
Natural wines, local beers, mimosas, and Aperol spritzes were poured. Speeches were made, happy tears were had, a Brooklyn blackout cake was cut, good tunes filled the room, and the reception truly was joyful and easy from start to finish. In the evening, all went out for a classic NY night, dancing into the wee hours at The Emerson, a staple Clinton Hill dive bar.
To cap the weekend, everyone gathered back at Fort Greene Park for a Saturday afternoon picnic. Everyone laid out blankets, brought their favorite provisions and relaxed.
Naturally, the weekend happened because of a lot of talented creative female entrepreneurs — our heroes and the reason Create Dinners started. All of the incredible vendors who made the day all the more special and perfect are listed below.
Planning: Create Dinners
Photography: Eloise Photography
Florals: Flowers by Ford
Dress: The Law Bridal
Veil: Lady Sycamore Bridal
Rings: Catbird NYC
Earrings: YAM NYC
Brooklyn Blackout Cake + GF Peanut Butter Cookies: Ovenly
Venue: Maison May Brownstone
Additional shout out to the late Issey Miyake for designing to coolest groom's suit we’ve ever seen.
Cheers to love!