If we had to sum up Anna + John’s Brooklyn brownstone wedding in one word, we’d have to say thoughtful. Yes, they’re totally stylish and oh so cute, but every detail that went into their Maison May celebration was completely unique to them and their 75 guests—right down to their sweet favors, a copy of Pablo Neruda’s Love Poems for each friend. It doesn’t hurt that Anna is a super talented designer (see all their graphic elements on her site here!), so each eclectic element came together just right. Thanks to Chellise Michael Photography for sending these whimsical, intimate wedding photos our way!
PS: Don’t forget to read their sweet proposal story at the end!
Our bride, looking incredible in Vera Wang with a Rachel Trevor Morgan hairpiece.
Really digging these quirky portraits Chellise Michael Photography captured at their stylish venue. Kind of Wes Anderson-esque, no?
Anna tells it, Since John and I are coming from different cultures and continents (literally), we decided to make our own rules. We wanted to gather our close and diverse group of family and friends from all over, and just simply celebrate our love in an intimate wedding. We wanted to get married in Brooklyn, the place where we met and the place we call our home.
Just some of the fun graphic elements A + J included…
They love traveling and bringing interesting elements from different cultures into their lives, so they pulled from different traditions to make their ceremony meaningful to them, such as having Noah bells for guests to ring after they were proclaimed husband and wife. Each bell is handmade and individually tuned, made in monasteries in India.
We chose the venue we did because we love the brownstone look—it really embodies the quintessential “Brooklyn” (perhaps an overused term, but so at home here) feel that we both love a lot (we met in Brooklyn, we live in Brooklyn, all of our vendors were from Brooklyn), and it felt so removed from the city at the same time. The space had distinct looks on each floor—fthe first floor almost resembles a French countryside house, the upstairs is such a beautifully clean parlor floor—just ornate enough to have its own vibe, but also minimal enough to compliment our décor. Even though there was a lot of white-on-white, the space didn’t look sterile once dressed. The textures were respected and reinforced, adding depth and dimension. The backyard was also lovely—surrounded by vines and a huge shade tree—so much so that we decided to have our ceremony there.
Really such a perfect venue for an intimate wedding!
They also continued the love poem theme they created with the poetry book favors through to the place settings… Each guest had a different love quote tied by blush white ribbon positioned on top.
We knew we were each “the one” for each other very quickly… almost immediately, in fact. The connection was mutual and so so strong, and after only a few months we both agreed that marriage was in our future. The proposal was simple but so so cute—after a night out on the anniversary of the start of our relationship, we got home and John ran to the bodega to grab some late-night snacks. He came home and started pulling his acquisitions out of the bag, finishing on one knee after pulling a ring out! It was so cute and so intimate and unfussy, and we finished the evening snacking and laughing and loving, full of excitement and incredible happiness.
So super cute. Congrats to Anna + John!
Photography: Chellise Michael Photography / Venue & Catering: Maison May in Brooklyn, NYC / Floral Design: Buds of Brooklyn / Makeup: Kavita Kaul / Invitation Suite, Paper Goods, & Favors: Bride, Anna Mili Design / Cake: Cake Hero / DJ: Ben Boyland/DJ Benny B / Rings: By Natalia Jewelry / Getting Ready Location: Airbnb – Notorious BnB Villa / Bride’s Dress: Vera Wang / Hairpiece: Rachel Trevor Morgan
