This Bridgeview Yacht Club Wedding was one of those picture perfect events – a gorgeous bride, a handsome groom, a fun bridal party, and family members who were kind to us at every opportunity. The crew was lead by Mike Ngo and Donnell Culver with additional camera work by Mike Giardino and Ishan Upadhyay.
Daniel and Karen have a unique love story – they met at a 4th of July Party 7 years ago, although they grew up just around the corner from one another their whole lives. Karen actually had no plans for the evening and was at the beach when she saw a friend who she hadn’t seen in awhile. He invited Karen to a party at his house that night. It was a last minute invite but because she didn’t have any other plans, she decided to go. Turned out Dan was invited to the party pretty last minute as well.
The party was a themed party where you were supposed to dress up as your dream job. Because she was invited so last minute, Karen didn’t show up in a costume. And since she didn’t know many people at the party, Karen almost left…until Dan walked in. He immediately got her attention. In fact, she made the first move. “So what are you supposed to be?” she asked. It wasn’t her best work but it got them talking. They ended up talking the rest of the night and bonded over the fact that they both thought the 4th of July was the best holiday.
Over the 7 years that they have been together, they’ve fallen in love with each other in many different ways. When they are apart from one another, they miss sharing experiences, whether good or bad, and telling the other about it.
Their Bridgeview Yacht Club Wedding was a perfect location for the couple – both really into boating and the water, they were able to keep a nautical theme throughout their day.
What was your favorite memory from your wedding?
Saying our vows and the first dance were both very special moments for me. I also enjoyed towards the middle of the night when we got pulled away for photos. At first I didn’t want to leave the room but it was really nice just having a moment of silence with Dan and being able to really take in the events of the day.
Your dress was GORGEOUS. Tell us about it and why you picked it!
I was looking for a lace gown with a low back. I loved how simple yet classic it was.
Did you have a theme to your wedding? If so, tell us about it!
We had a nautical theme. Dan and I have a sailboat that we restored together and it’s a big part of our relationship. Our wedding was at the Bridgeview Yacht Club right on the water. Dan actually made the trip over from Connecticut to the wedding venue on Long Island a few days before the wedding.
We bet your groom never looked so good! Tell us about his outfit.
Dan got his outfit for the wedding from Men’s Wearhouse. He wanted something practical that he and his groomsmen would be able to wear again so he went with a nice gray suit. He looked great as always.
Describe your day in 1 word
perfection
You’ve now been through the ups and downs of a wedding – any advice for other brides and grooms?
Don’t stress the small stuff. The small details may seem like such a big deal in the moment but you realize on the day of how little that stuff really matters. When it comes to the photos have as detailed of a plan as possible so you don’t have to worry about it the day of. Michael Justin’s team was great at staying on schedule and making sure all the photos I wanted were taken.