Real Wedding New York

ABC Member Planner: Melisa Imberman, The Event Of A Lifetime, Inc., www.theeventofalifetime.com, melisa@theeventofalifetime.com.Photographer: Tory Williams.Non-member businesses involved: Metropolis Country Club (venue).The couple: Jenna went to college with one of Mike’s friends. After graduation, all three lived and worked in New York City. One night, Jenna was going out with her college friend and he brought along Mike, his old friend from home. They hit it off immediately.Wedding date: May 10, 2014.Inspiration: Jenna was drawn to the aesthetic of a rustic elegant look that included organic and “green” elements.Color palette: Neutrals.Budget: $150,000.Guest count: 220.Most unique design element: We used many organic and recycled elements throughout the wedding. Farm tables and traditional round tables were decorated with either burlap runners or burlap cloths; slices of birch were used to hold signs; chalkboards were used for signage; the bar was a farm table with an assortment of vintage containers for garnishes, ice, and wooden drink stirrers; and more.Biggest challenge: We planned for an outdoor ceremony at sunset. It rained in the days leading to the wedding, and the forecast for the wedding day kept changing so I arranged for a tent just in case. On the day of the wedding, it rained on and off, so we did have to use the tent. However, it was so hot and humid that the tent felt like a sauna. In the hours prior to the wedding, we were putting the sides of the tent up every time it stopped raining so the tent could air out and just as soon as we did, the rain began and we had to rush to put them down.Learnings: You must always have a plan B! Jenna had her heart set on an outdoor wedding and didn’t want to entertain the thought of rain. I had to convince her of the necessity of booking a tent even if it served only as a back up.