Alanna wore a Vera Wang gown with Chantilly lace appliqués and an organza fan-tiered skirt; Byrd sported a classic tuxedo from Barneys New York.
A couple's love for a season inspires an elegant, personal affair
The goal for the November 2007 wedding of Alanna Stack and Byrd Leavell was simple: “We wanted to celebrate fall in New York City,” says the bride, who grew up on the city's Upper West Side. They chose the venerable University Club, a venue right off Fifth Avenue known as much for its architecture as for its impressive library and art collections, as the site of their wedding reception, to reflect the city's history. “It felt like a great place to be on a crisp fall night,” Alanna says. And to give a nod to the season, they decided on an autumnal color palette of red and gold. With the help of New York City-based planner Loulie Walker, of Loulie Walker Events, Alanna, an avid reader, and Byrd, a literary agent, made literature a theme of their reception, to show their shared love of books.
After a ceremony at St. Vincent Ferrer and a reception at the University Club, the revelry continued in the cocktail-hour space, which Walker had transformed into a lounge. A DJ played as guests nibbled mini grilled cheese sandwiches and hamburgers, and—even people we didn't expect to stay,” the bride says. The highlight of her day, though, had come earlier: “Byrd and I were walking along Fifth Avenue on the way to the reception, and people were cheering and high-fiving us,” Alanna says. “It was a moment.”
Wedding and Bridesmaids' Dresses
Vera Wang, verawang.com
Groom's Tuxedo
Barneys New Yok, barneys.com
Wedding Planner
Loulie Walker, louliewalkerevents.com
Flowers
Belle Fleur, bellefleurny.com
Cake
Confetti Cakes, confetticakes.com
Reception Site
University Club, universityclubny.com
Alanna and Byrd were married in a traditional Catholic ceremony at the renowned St. Vincent Ferrer, a stunning French Gothic church with a dark, romantic look on Manhattan's Upper East Side, just blocks from the University Club. Alanna confesses that she was quite nervous as she entered the church. But, “The second I saw my husband, all the anxiety melted away,” she says. Here, garlands of greens and white flowers decorated the exterior of the church.
Walker worked with the designers at NYC-based Belle Fleur to create floral arrangements that would add a touch of sleek modernity to the historic site. “We wanted the setting to be elegant but didn't want it to feel at all stuffy,” Alanna says. Her bouquet was a cluster of deep red blossoms, including roses, calla lilies and peonies.
In keeping with the event's literary theme, the tables were all named for the couple's favorite stories of love and friendship, and the escort cards are bookmarks.
Guests sat amid the University Club's warm glow, created by NYC lighting expert Bentley Meeker, highlighting the flowers and the venue's architectural details. Tables were decorated with two alternating schemes: Some had towering, abundant arrangements of orchids surrounded by burgundy pillar candles; others had low, square vases, each filled with a single type of flower in rich red tones, including tulips, roses and ranunculus, plus more candles.
Christian Oth Photography
The wedding cake, by Confetti Cakes of NYC, was rich chocolate (inside and out), adorned with sugar apples.
The groom's cake, by Confetti Cakes, was styled as books that Byrd, a literary agent, worked on.
Christian Oth Photography
Between dances, guests hopped into a photo booth and divvied up the resulting snapshots, to take some home with them and leave some for Alanna and Byrd. “It was fun for us to see who got to know each other that night,” she says. “People from opposite ends of our lives ended up in pictures together.” And the photos weren't the only souvenirs; guests also took home copies of the couple's favorite books.
Even the bride and groom took a turn in the photo booth, striking a few playful poses for the camera.
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