I remember leaving my meeting with Bradley and Joy on a rainy Sunday morning in Long Island City and thinking, “Wow, they were fucking awesome but there’s no way I’ll get this wedding though, I’m nowhere near cool enough.” I had wanted to shoot at their amazing venue, Brooklyn’s hipster Mecca the Wythe Hotel, since I had moved to New York. I was shocked and happy danced for a full 10 minutes when I got the email from Joy a few days later, and now that I’ve actually had the chance to document their amazingly funky and badass wedding, I still want to happy dance with how fortunate I was.
Joy and Bradley wanted to keep everything low key and cool, hanging out in the Wythe Hotel’s amazing wedding suites overlooking Williamsburg and lower Manhattan. Their friends (and a little bubbly) kept them calm since their wedding happened during a forecasted hurricane — yikes! But other than some unseasonably cold October winds that nearly made Joy her own something blue, the day went off without a hitch. Well, they got hitched. But you know what I mean.
Looking back on the day, I remember most how overwhelmingly unabashed Bradley was with his emotion. That’s not what you’d expect from a dude who looked ready to rock at the Brooklyn Bowl next door. From tears of excitement and wonder when he saw Joy for the first time or after they made it official to greeting every person on the street, Bradley’s generosity and openness was only matched by Joy’s easy smile and raucous laugh. Their wonderful guests shared in their outpourings of joy with excitement during their vows, camaraderie at cocktail hour, and amazing dance moves regularly interspersed with hugs as they boogied to a live band. Literally, this wedding should go down in the Brooklyn and Wythe Hotel hall of fame for being so rad.
The Wythe Hotel has custom wallpaper to remind you that you are indeed in Brooklyn.
Sometimes bridesmaids don’t do what you ask. That’s then you flip them off.
Forget “sealed with a kiss” — I’m all about “sealed with a high five.”
After finding these murals a few days before with Joy and Bradley, it has become my go to spot in Williamsburg. But no I won’t tell you where they are. You have to explore for yourself.
We also snuck onto the patio of the William Vale hotel just for some skyline scrumptiousness.
After being so cold outside, Joy borrowed (or maybe just stole?) this amazing jacket from a friend of hers. FRINGE FOREVER!
I really hope my fiancé starts crying as handsomely as Bradley did when it’s our turn to walk down the aisle.
And from here on, we partied!
Nothing can really beat this venue. I would photograph a wedding at the Wythe Hotel like 4 times a day.
Brides make the best DJs.
Joy and Bradley totally kicked off their marriage right!
PLANNER: Ashley M Chamblin Events
FLORALS: Floresta
CATERING and VENUE: The Wythe Hotel
HAIR: Rebecca Deamer
MAKE-UP: Alyssa Bono
DRESS: Bridal Garden
CEREMONY MUSIC: Randy & Topu
DJ: Jason Kibler/DJ Logic
BAND: MK Groove Orchestra Brass Band
