When your closest friends and family live everywhere from Los Angeles to London, there’s nothing more exciting about having everyone descend on New York for your nuptials. During our rehearsal dinner, we caught up with friends that we haven’t seen in person in years, laughed together over the Newlyweds Game that my brother and sister put together and shared a delicious meal at The Smith on the Lower East Side. I originally wanted to find a white suit to wear, but absolutely fell in love with this amazing ruffled jumpsuit by Alexis. To accessorize the look, I added a personalized clutch by Edie Parker, nude sandals by Rochas and a ring and earrings from my latest obsession—fine jewelry rental company, Flont Club. Scroll down to see more photos and planning tips from our incredibly fun kick off party.
the flowers | My sister and I decided to do the florals ourselves for the rehearsal dinner. By that I mean, I went with her to pick them out, and she did all of the arranging. What a gem! Insider’s Tip: Gold vases elevate any tablescape for events, and these are only $6 each from Jamali Garden Center in New York’s flower district.
the rentals | We got simple, gold-rimmed chargers and striped napkins from the chicest rental company, Borrowed Blu. Then, we created our menus and tent cards on Minted, which were such an easy yet impactful addition to the table.
guest list | Me with my brother and sister! I’m the oldest, yet the shortest. Go figure.
the earrings | How amazing are these earrings from Flont Club?
the look | This is the jumpsuit that dreams are made of. Oh, and Chris looks cute too.
guest list | (From L to R) My best friend Joanna, my best friend Calvin who officiated our wedding, myself, my other bestie Sierra and Calvin’s boyfriend Eddie. We all met in college at University of Tennessee and have remained really tight knit over the years. 
guest list | My grandpa giving his speech, in which he invited everyone down to his karaoke barn (yes, a barn dedicated to karaoke) in Tennessee to celebrate our anniversary. Then, he sang a little Willie Nelson for the crowd. In short, he rocks.
guest list | British invasion: Chris and all of his groomsmen.
vips | My dad giving his speech after dinner. Most likely giving me a hard time about shopping or something in this photo…
guest list | Me and all my bridesmaids (and bridesman). 
the ring | I’m still just so in love with this ring that Chris got from Marisa Perry in the West Village. You can see more of their store in my post about picking out our wedding bands.
the game | My brother and sister came up with a bunch of questions for us to answer on white boards. We were pretty in sync for most answers, and it gave us something entertaining to do with all of our guests.
Photos by Shelby Gordon Photo
