Danielle and John dated for eleven years and were engaged for two, then the pandemic hit and their spring wedding was put on hold. But In their hearts of hearts, they wanted to get married and have a celebration, whether that meant just the two of them or a small group. So, they chose October 15 as the date (the day before Danielle’s parents anniversary!), The Adelphi Hotel as the place, and set about planning a small celebration for themselves, immediate family, and a handful of friends. In a nod to the date and Danielle’s parents’ wedding, they had matches made to replicate theirs. John is a graphic designer, so he created the stationery (the liner of which was inspired by the water fountain at the Adelphi). Danielle is a florist and helped design her florals, which were executed by her boss, Kriss Ann Elario of Fleurtacious Designs. There were lots of thoughtful details, including the barber John had come to give all the groomsmen haircuts and beard trims!
More from our creative, sweet, red-headed bride who rocked her Lea-Ann Belter Iris:
How did you guys get engaged?
“We planned a trip to California after years of wanting to go. One of our stops was Joshua Tree. We stayed in a little Airbnb in the desert and planned to wake up early one morning to go on a hike to watch the sunrise. Our timing was a little off, so we pulled over to a beautiful rock formation and hiked up. We sat and watched the sunrise, and once it did, John got on one knee and asked me to marry him!”
wedding dress, veil + shoes: Lea-Ann Belter Iris and Bella Belle shoes via Something Bleu Bridal | photographer + videographer: Elario Photography | full vendor list at bottom
How did you choose your gown?
“After visiting a few bridal shops and finding a few dresses I liked, I finished with one final stop. I knew I wanted something more formfitting but I didn’t have a true vision of what I was looking for. I wanted a dress that was elegant and timeless to match my plans for the day. Once I put on my Iris dress, I had a completely different feeling and I instantly knew it was the one. I felt beautiful and truly like myself.”
Any advice for other planning couples?
“Planning a wedding is a lot harder and more stressful than I ever thought it would be. My advice would be to remember that your day is about the love you have for each other. Listen to your heart when making decisions and plans and always go with your gut. When planning a pandemic wedding, this is truer than ever. Everyone will give you advice on what they think is the right thing to do but, in your heart, you know what you want. We knew that moving forward with our wedding was the right decision because we didn’t want to continue postponing our life. We were able to have everything we wanted on a smaller scale and we couldn’t be happier.”
Danielle + John’s Adelphi Hotel Wedding Vendors
wedding dress, veil + shoes: Lea-Ann Belter Iris and Bella Belle shoes via Something Bleu Bridal | photographer + videographer: Elario Photography | planner: Katie O’ Events | venue, caterer, and cake: The Adelphi Hotel | hair + makeup: Alexandria’s Beauty Salon | menswear: Suit Supply | groom’s shoes: Cole Haan | barber: Gents Barber Shop | florals: Fleurtacious Designs | stationary: House of Bees | watercolor (liner in invitation): Jenny C Designs | calligraphy (on placard notebooks): Megan Fahy Calligraphy | rentals: Total Events | linens: BBJ Linens | rings: Hannoush Jewelers | officiant: We Marry U | ceremony music: Rich Ortiz | DJ: Trumaster