Two dancers met doing what they love, and then they fell in love. Jordan and Michel wanted to have a small affair for those closest to them.  Jordan and I have been friends since 7th grade, and it was such an honor to be a part of her day.  I have been photographing her for years, and being able to photograph her on her wedding day meant more to me than she’ll ever know.  She was such a beautiful bride, and has picked such a wonderful man to stand by her side for a lifetime.

The day began as they got ready in their home, and then saw each other for the first time. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a groom more excited to see his bride!  The two then exchanged gifts that they’d gotten for each other.  Michel is Cuban, and Jordan found a vintage watch produced in Cuba centuries ago. It was something that he never would have guessed, and I know he cherished.  Michel’s gift was the perfect diamond studs Jordan had always wanted.

After a walk with their dog, they headed to the place where they met working on ‘The Nutcracker,” The Ruth Paige Center for the Arts. Their ceremony was held at a small performance space; the perfect intimate venue. They spent time with friends and family before their short but sweet ceremony. All of the decor for the ceremony was put together by Jordan and her mother. Afterwards, they spent some time dancing! Instead of a traditional reception, they decided to treat their guests to a cultural experience!  To honor Michel’s family who was unable to attend and his heritage, they took their guests out to dinner at a traditional Cuban restaurant. It was the perfect ending to the perfect day for these two love birds.

 

From the Bride: “Our wedding day was on December 28th, 2014. I chose December because my fiance (now husband) and I met while dancing in the Nutcracker Ballet together and because I have always loved the romance that surrounds the holidays. We had 25 guests and kept things as minimal as possible. We chose to skip many wedding traditions and vetoed a wedding party as well as an “official” officiant. My best friend from high school “hosted” our ceremony and my dad got certified as an officiant and signed our marriage license at the end of our ceremony, right before we toasted to champagne. Our ceremony was set up with chairs in a circle, and our photographer (Meghan) suggested the brilliant idea of doing a “reverse receiving line” meaning we welcomed our guests by waiting to greet them as they entered the space before our ceremony, instead of waiting to talk to them after. Our venue is actually a dance and music theater that we had performed and rehearsed in before. The theater lights and sound system were perfect because we didn’t have to worry about renting or installing anything. Set up was quick and easy and required very little decoration to achieve the stark and wintery-white look I had dreamed of. My inspiration for the entire day was actually to have it resemble an elopement as closely as possible. We kept the plans for the timeline of the day of very loose, and slept in, relaxed, and walked our dog the morning of the wedding and we skipped the traditional reception in favor of an intimate dinner at our favorite restaurant. I didn’t want to plan for or deal with a large amount of people or details, instead wanting to focus absolutely all of my energy on my husband to be. My mom and two of my closest friends were the saviors of the day and helped to make it more special than I could have imagined. My mom is a “retired” interior designer turned crafter and made a bouquet out of tons of antique brooches that she poured hours into finding at garage sales, antique shops, and flea markets. She added a brooch from each of my grandmothers and from my great-grandmother, which made it even more special. My mom also found and crafted antique Christmas ornaments that we used as a “guestbook” (having each guest sign a Christmas ball, to hang on our tree for years to come), antique silver trays, antique and thrifted picture frames, and urns full of beautiful, sparkling greenery. The antique and DIY theme that my mom worked so hard with went perfectly with my vision of joining a beautifully intricate 1920’s aesthetic with a simple, hassle free day. The single thing that probably spurred the inspiration for the decorations was my dress from BHLDN. I felt like an Egyptian goddess and was so comfortable the whole night.”

 

Ceremony Venue – Constellation  |  Reception Venue – 90 Mile Cuban Cafe  |  Bridal Gown – BHLDN  |  Groom’s Attire – H&M  |  Portrait Venue – The Ruth Paige Center

 

 -Meghan