A Celebration of Love - Southern Comfort Wedding Theme in NYC -Munaluchi Bride

Technology is used in many different ways. One of many is finding your perfect match. For Alexis and Richard Nightingale, they have technology to thank for their encounter as they met via Match.com. Although living a few subway stops away from each other, the busy streets of NYC kept these two star crossed lovers away from each other until fate brought them together.

The couple married at the Tarrytown Doubletree in NY and chose the theme, Southern Comfort. They incorporated their backgrounds through their love of food. “We incorporated flavors that represented my southern heritage, his New York background, and our love for travel.” Their most memorable moments were too many to count. One memorable moment was when Alexis’ family honored the passing of her father. Alexis’ father passed away from cancer and to honor his love her uncles and cousins took turns dancing with her to Louis Armstrong and Elle Fitzgerald’s “Cheek to Cheek.”

No memorable moment is complete without the wedding dress. Alexis wore a classic lace, off-white gown with a one shoulder sheer overlay and tulle at the bottom that made her feel like she was floating. In the months leading up to the wedding, Alexis and Richard traveled to Paris where Alexis sought out the perfect material for he perfect veil. Inspired by Princess Kate’s veil, she bought few yards of silk tulle and brought it to a headdress maker in NYC to create her prefect veil. These picture-perfect moments were captured by none other than the talented, Sarah Tew from Sarah Tew Photography. Make sure to check out all of the images in the gallery.

Congratulations to the happy couple!

Quick Facts

Bride’s Name: Alexis Beene Nightingale
Groom’s Name: Richard Nightingale
Wedding Date: 06/29/2014
Wedding Location: Tarrytown Doubletree, Tarrytown NY
Wedding Theme: Southern comfort. We wanted this to be a celebration of love and a coming together of two families. Our tastes were simple, bright, and filled with joy.
Wedding flowers: Queen Anne’s lace, hydrangeas, orange gerberas, spray roses.
Wedding cake flavor: We had a dessert table with bite-sized sweets. This included key lime pie, cheesecake, salted caramel truffles, and blackberries and cream.
Favorite item on Wedding Menu: Shrimp and grits and the brisket and the groom’s signature drink, Jack Daniels.
First Dance song: “Turn Your Lights Down Low” by Bob Marley and Lauryn Hill.
Bridesmaids Gifts: Alexis made earrings for the bridesmaids to wear on the wedding day. She also gave them 2 Essie nail polishes in the wedding colors.
Groomsmen Gifts: Rich gave the groomsmen ties, engraved flasks, and cufflinks with each of their favorite NFL teams. The day of the wedding, Alexis sent Rich and the groomsmen matching socks, and a bottle of Jack Daniels. She also sent the groom a sterling silver picture frame engraved with a lyric from their first dance for him to put in his office.

The Proposal

A few years later, after a first date that landed on the same day of Hurricane Irene, they fell in love and bought a house together. For the first month they spent some time on decorating and really making their place feel like Alexis and Richard. Their love nest was perfect with a beautiful tree in their backyard, where they planned to take a photo in front of each year. On the evening of the proposal, Alexis was preparing for a night out not knowing Richard was planning the ultimate proposal surprise in front of their tree, the first picture they would take at their first home. He placed a camera on top of a ladder to capture the proposal on video. Alexis was surprised, but also convinced it would happen that day.

Wedding Style

During the reception, I removed this top layer and wore the strapless lace dress. I wore a small Ferragamo heel in bright orange for a pop of color. My favorite accessory was my veil. I was inspired by Princess Kate’s veil and wanted something sheer that draped beautifully. 8 months prior to the wedding we traveled to Paris and I scoured the fabric district for the perfect material. I purchased a few yards of 100% silk tulle, which I later took to a headdress maker in NYC to make the veil. I plan on passing this item down to my sister and future children.

Most Memorable Moment

There are so many! From the wedding reception itself, my favorite memory was having my 90 year old aunt recite a poem, and Rich’s father recite a poem that he had written for us. Another highlight was the photo booth. It was so much fun to jump in with our guests, and to see the final result. We loved that people who had just met for the first time looked like they were having so much fun in the pictures.

Wedding Advice

Really think about what is important to you as a couple. Figure out where you want to focus your energy and finances – and stick to it. Don’t get caught up in the details of what you think you should do or are expected to do. Remember that the wedding is about love. It’s not about the chair covers or the colored napkins – It’s a celebration of your union. And no matter what happens the day before or the day of – you’re getting married! Focus on that! One last thing – have your coordinator make you a to-go plate of your food and dessert!