Real Wedding: Kathleen & Andrew

An intimate, unconventional wedding in Brooklyn

Beautiful Intimate Wedding in Brooklyn | Cozy Bridal Event

A wedding should be something that reflects who you are, your soul and your vision of the world. Kathleen and Andrew did just that with their intimate wedding in the heart of Brooklyn. Their ceremony, surrounded by wildflower bouquets and urban flair, created an atmosphere of genuine tenderness and joy. The absence of traditional wedding rituals only emphasised their uniqueness and how special their day was. Read on for more details on organising an unconventional urban wedding.

Tell us a little about yourselves. How did you meet? What do you do for a living? What are your hobbies?

We met in 2019 through Hinge, and quickly realized that we lived across the street from each other in Brooklyn. Beyond this stroke of fate, we shared a lot of common interests in fashion, photography, and comfort food. One long walk after another, we dreamed of ways we could work together — Kathleen as a creative director/product designer and Andrew as a photographer — on creative projects that explored identity, tradition, and community. Over the course of our early years together, we experimented on a range of fashion editorials and long form narrative photo projects. Outside of these passion projects, we love playing with our two bunnies (Jubi and Leo), dressing up for fun events, and simply lounging at home, playing video games and watching TV.

Can you share your engagement story?

We decided early on that we would both be exchanging and receiving engagement rings. With a loose idea of how we wanted it to look, we worked with Ceremony to refine our vision and designs. We commemorated the engagement by booking a suite at a hotel above the cafe that we first met at. We then planned a getaway in upstate NY, where we scouted, produced, and photographed our own engagement photoshoot. We styled our own outfits over the course of a couple days, photographing on a tripod and self timer both during sunrise and sunset. We used the open fields and nearby Airstream as a dreamy, ethereal backdrop for our unconventional engagement shoot.

Where was your wedding? Why did you choose this venue?

The wedding happened a few blocks down from our apartment in Fort Greene. We chose this venue because it suited our vision of a comfortable, intimate, and casual setting where our friends and families could gather and celebrate over food and drinks. The space was homey, big enough to accommodate our guests, but not too big where it felt impersonal. There was a cute backyard patio and a beautifully decorated and lit interior, elements that we thought were charming and added character.

What was the concept behind your wedding and how did you find your inspiration?

We wanted the most comfortable wedding — one that didn’t actually feel like a wedding. We didn’t have groomsmen and bridesmaids; we didn’t have speeches; we didn’t have a first dance or a dance floor. Instead, we opted for a free flowing format where people could mingle, eat, and drink casually — anything otherwise would have felt out of character for us.

How long did it take to plan your wedding? Did you encounter any challenges during the planning process?

Before planning our wedding, our main goal was to have the least stressful wedding possible; we didn’t want the planning process to feel like a chore — a checklist that we had to cross off. So we booked our venue a year in advance and gradually approached the vendors to communicate our vision. Fortunately, the venue’s infrastructure (food, service, decor) simplified a lot of our planning process so we didn’t need to worry about a wedding planner, logistics, etc. But we quickly learned that no matter the size of the wedding, we’d still have many of the same considerations: event photography, flowers, outfits, expectations from loved ones, logistics for people traveling from out of town, and a loose structure for our non-traditional wedding. But with these factors in mind, we made decisions that we were ultimately comfortable with.

How many guests did you have? And what was the seating arrangement at the wedding like?

We had about 60 guests. There was assigned seating for both sides of the family, but open seating for everyone else. Inside the brownstone, there were two floors - the upper floor where we cut the cake and the lower floor where we ate and held the ceremony (in the backyard). Small tables were set up throughout the venue, where people could pop in and out of conversations and move through each space.

Tell us about your outfits. How many different styles have you tried?

For Kathleen, she tried on two dresses but quickly fell in love with a dress from a brand called Kamparett. Her hair was a braided bun, inspired by traditional Korean braided hairstyles. For her shoes, she used one of her favorite pairs of heels from Prada that she already owned - one that added a pop of color to her entire outfit. Weddings are expensive as it is and she didn’t want to buy something that she might only be wearing once. For Andrew, he wanted a minimal but modern suit; the pant and blazer combination from Wooyoungmi gave a structured silhouette, accompanied by a Celine skinny tie and an Our Legacy textured shirt. He didn’t want to wear a traditional dress shoe, so he instead opted for a Marni loafer with an elevated platform.

Did you have any special performances or entertainment?

We skipped out on most special performances or traditional wedding events that felt unnatural for us. But we did have a cake cutting ceremony featuring a gorgeous yuzu + shiso cake from Yip Studio sampled prior to the wedding.

What was the most memorable moment from your wedding day?

There was no specific stand out moment that we could recall but it was the most fun wedding that we’ve attended, even as the hosts. The weather was perfect and we were able to see friends and family all in one place, especially the ones who traveled long distances to see us.

Are there any vendors that you would like to tell us a little more about?

We’d like to thank all of the vendors (listed below) that we worked with for being so accommodating, flexible, and willing to bring our vision to life!

What advice would you give to couples who are currently planning their wedding?

Have fun with it! Weddings - and a lot of the traditions that come with them — aren’t absolutely mandatory but if you choose to have one, remember that it’s an event for yourselves as much as your loved ones.

Did you make a gift for guests, and what was it? What did you give each other as a gift?

We gave all of our guests disposable cameras so they could photograph our ceremony and reception from their own perspectives. As collaborators on many photography projects ourselves, we wanted people to participate and engage with the wedding and make fun pictures that we would then develop, scan, and upload to our website. It ended up being a lovely photo album for both ourselves and for our guests.

What helped you cope with the anxiety before the wedding?

Whenever we were overwhelmed, we’d remind ourselves that this wedding was a celebration, not a mandatory performance that we needed to accomplish for the sake of others. We did a great job of reminding each other that all of our decisions were made with our vision in mind: to have the most natural and casual gathering with our friends and family.