A wedding at the Bowery Hotel in New York around the holidays - can you get any dreamier than that? Well, try adding three gorgeous gowns, the cutest, coolest couple, AND a mid-dinner cameo from Spider-Man... 💛

Tell us about your wedding day and surrounding events! Where did it all go down? Did you have any particular inspiration or musts when choosing the location?

We had our rehearsal dinner at Jean's on Lafayette and our wedding at the Bowery Hotel, both of which felt dark, cozy, sexy, and warm, which is exactly what we wanted :)

Becky and Jeremy at their rehearsal dinner. 

Jeremy and I knew we would get married at the Bowery well before we were even engaged. It’s our home away from home whenever we’re in NYC, which is often. Every time we stayed there together throughout our relationship, we’d try to sneak into the event space on the second floor (with varying levels of success).

We also loved the idea of everyone moving down to the lobby after the official wedding was over, which ended up being one of the best parts of the night.

An iconic New York locale like no other. ✨

How did you and your partner meet? What was the proposal like?

We met at a bar on the Lower East Side in 2015 and started dating immediately, like that day. Unfortunately, a week after we met and became inseparable, I was moving to LA with my boss for five months. Luckily, we worked in the same industry, and that brought him out to LA often, but still, the distance was a bit too much for such a new relationship. We broke up after a few months but remained close through work and social circles and got back together in early 2022.

Becky looking glowy the morning of her wedding.

Jeremy proposed in December of 2023 in London - exactly a year before our wedding day. We were on our way into our favorite martini bar (Duke’s - a truly life-changing martini), and he dropped to one knee in the courtyard. I went nonverbal out of elated shock for about two weeks - I kind of still am.

*Books reservation at Jean's for next trip to NY...*

Describe your Happy Isles dress and/or dresses! When did you know it was the one?

I had three wedding weekend dresses, all of which were from Happy Isles! For the rehearsal, I wore a floor-length vintage dress with beading in the shape of small snowflakes - it might have been my favorite of the weekend, honestly.

The crew for the weekend! (We peep a feather trim beauty from HILA as well...)

My ceremony and cocktail hour dress was a massive 90’s vera wedding dress that I almost refused to try on because it felt so not… me. It was very princess-y, and not what I thought I wanted, but as soon as I put it on, I knew - however, when my friend and the lovely ladies at HI told me I looked like a Degas ballerina in it (what more could you possibly ever want), that officially sealed the deal.

Right girl. Right dress.

Finally, for dinner and dancing, I wore a very 1930s-inspired beaded dress; I honestly don’t even know how to describe it, so feel free to help me out here. My husband refers to it as the Gatsby dress, and it was definitely a crowd favorite. I bought all of my dresses the day I first tried them on at Happy Isles - it was love at first sight with all of them. Happy Isles was also my first and only stop in the dress-buying process!

Slinky and shining in a 90s does 20s beaded gown.

What did your partner wear down the aisle, and did you share outfit pics before the big day?

Jeremy wore a gorgeous brown custom Tom Ford suit for the rehearsal (it was a big hit with our guests) and a Ralph Lauren purple label tux for the wedding day. I showed him my dresses immediately and even brought him to my second appointment at HI.

He’s very opinionated, so there was a possibility he wasn’t going to be into my dresses, which I was fine with - I just wanted time to digest that before the wedding, but he actually adored all of them.

Loving the peek of something blue!

How did your guests respond to your outfit/s? Were there any standout reactions?

I must have said the words “Happy Isles” a thousand times throughout the wedding weekend. Everyone loved all three dresses and was desperate to know where I got them.

The dinner and dancing dress came with a stunning beaded scarf and I actually think that was the most complimented out of everything - it tied the look together and was so unique and special — also a great prop on the dance floor which was very welcomed as at 31, I still do not know what to do with my hands.

The scarf. The surprise hit of the after party!

Honestly, though, our wedding was black-tie, and our guests really brought it. I enjoyed seeing everyone else’s looks far more than I enjoyed being fawned over.

Stealing a post-ceremony smooch.

Where did you shop for accessories and how did you style your look/s? Give us the deets!

I’m not much of a jewelry person and tend to like to keep things super simple. I wanted to give the dresses and… well, me… their moment, so I only wore my wedding rings and my mom's vintage tennis bracelet; I was very bummed to have to give that back at the end of the weekend (hint hint, mom).

For the rehearsal as well as dinner and dancing, I wore some gorgeous limited edition silver and gold Manolos with, I’d say, almost art deco detailing, and for the ceremony, I wore royal blue suede Manolo kitten heels. Both pairs were perfect for dancing, and I’ve worn both several times.

We're all about mixing gold and silver here at HI HQ.

What was the most memorable aspect of your dress-shopping experience? Is there anything you would like to highlight or share with other brides considering an appointment at Happy Isles?

I dreaded wedding dress shopping with every fiber of my being. I had an idea of what wedding dresses were “supposed” to be going into my appointment, and none of it appealed to me whatsoever. I had been following HI on Instagram for a while, but I finally took a leap of faith and booked an appointment.

Wedding dress shopping at HI ended up being nothing like the nightmare scenarios I had been dreaming up. I have told everyone who asked that I wish I had never had to shop anywhere but HI for the rest of my life.

Dreamy and moody.

Genuinely the best and most comfortable shopping experience that never felt rushed or pressured. The women who work at the HI in Los Angeles have such incredible taste and really understood what I was looking for, and they gave their honest and knowledgeable opinions.

A great example of how movement makes a good dress, great.

I would recommend HI as a first stop for any bride feeling anxious about the dress-shopping process, and I would be willing to bet that for most, it will be their first and only as it was for me.

Okay. Your HI wedding dress is a person. What is their name, and describe their perfect date!

Oh, this is so fun! I’ll go with the “Gatsby” dress. Her name is Frances, and she wants to drink champagne out of a coupe and eat a minimum of a dozen oysters, followed by a burger and fries, ideally at the dearly missed Cafe Stella.

All in the details.

Getting serious for a second. Did you ever feel like you were breaking the mold or challenging expectations while wedding planning? What were some ways you stayed true to yourself during what can be an emotionally complex experience?

Jeremy and I very much prioritized each other, fun, and warmth in the planning of our wedding. We tried not to put too much thought into what any aspects of our wedding “should” look or feel like and were able to stay true to ourselves on that very easily. We’re both highly opinionated and very specific about the things we want, but luckily, our tastes overlap nearly perfectly.

An intimate cocktail hour. 

We exchanged vows privately, opting for a quick ceremony led by a close friend infused with the perfect amount of humor, and instead of doing a first dance, we had two of our favorite songs (that we would have done a first dance to) Harvest Moon by Neil Young and The Man in Me by Bob Dylan played on acoustic guitar as our processional and recessional songs.

Loving the lush, deep florals.

We opted out of a wedding cake and instead had a tiramisu (my favorite dessert) tower by the dance floor to keep the night moving and the energy up. We had a close friend hand-draw all of our stationary and seating charts, and he captured perfectly what we were going for on his first pass.

Picture perfect illustrations set the tone.

My favorite little touch was the craft paper we laid over our tablecloths and mugs full of crayons at the dinner table to encourage doodling. People got VERY into it, and we kept many of our favorite drawings done by friends and family.

Butcher paper on the tables + crayons for a unique and playful twist to dinner.

They say every wedding has a “wild card” moment. Did anything unexpected happen or surprise you during planning or the day of?

Honestly, no!! Everything went according to plan, and if it didn’t, I would be far too happy to notice it. We got very lucky in that way. If anything, I kept waiting for something to go wrong but was thrilled when it didn’t.

Guests sporting paper crowns c/o their Christmas cracker place settings.

HOT TAKES: Do you have any wedding planning or dress shopping advice? Please pay it forward to our future brides!

Your and your partner's happiness is the priority. Keep any frustrations about the process focused on the process and away from each other, and you’ll be golden.

If you had to choose your single best wedding day memory, what would it be?

My four-year-old nephew went up to bed shortly after the ceremony but reappeared in his mom's arms towards the end of dinner in his Spider-Man pajamas. It was unimaginably sweet, and we got some fantastic photo booth pics with Spiderman.

Mini bottles of Don Julio made sure the dance floor stayed packed!

Also, Jeremy and I spent the whole day of the wedding together until it was time to get ready, and I wouldn’t do it any other way. I’m just as excited to see him when he comes back inside from walking the dogs as I am when we’ve been apart for weeks, so we didn’t feel it necessary to separate, and having him by my side all morning kept me centered and calm, which in turn reinforced the feelings of gratitude I have for him.

Pops of pink, red, and green kept things feeling lush and festive.

Now that the wedding chapter has come to a close, what are some dreams you have for your future, both personally and as a couple?

We have our honeymoon coming up at the end of March - two weeks in Paris, London, and the English countryside, all of our favorite places that are super special to us and our relationship. Planning that together has been so exciting, and we’re both counting down the seconds.

Jeremy just started a new chapter of his career, and it’s been beyond special and inspiring to watch him do what he does best and do it well. As for me, I’m a little over a year away from finishing my master's in clinical psychology, specializing in geriatric psychology - a dramatic departure from the work I did in the music industry for over a decade. Every day is new and exciting, and I can't wait to start working as a therapist.

💛

Venue and Caterer - @boweryhotel

Planner - @melissamcneeley with @ariel_lembeck

Photographer - @KylaJeanette and @Sarahteresa.kjp

Florist - @rebecca_shepherd_floral_design

Lighting - @stortzlighting

Hair - @facetimebeauty

Makeup - Me!

DJ - @william.grand

Photobooth - @mirmirphoto

Stationary - @itsjoemort