An Intimate Brunch Wedding in New York City

Breanna Bartley and Austin Arrington's romance began in New York City when they were introduced by a mutual friend at a bar in October, 2011. And five years later, Austin proposed. "I'm an actress and had just come home from rehearsal," Breanna remembers. "He told me he wanted to show me something in our bedroom—and when I opened the door, he was down on one knee in his boxers, still wet from his shower!"

As for their wedding, the New Yorkers knew exactly where it would be: the Norwood Club, a private club in New York City's Chelsea neighborhood. "It’s an arts club that's funky, charming, sexy, cool," Breanna says. "And not in a 'this is hot right now' but in a whimsical, witty, and luxurious way." The bride actually worked the front desk there before she joined as a member, which made planning their June 3, 2017 wedding a breeze. Keep scrolling to see Phillip Van Nostrand's photos of how Breanna and Austin threw a fun brunch wedding for 100 of their closest family and friends—many of whom are musicians and performers like Breanna!

The bride rocked a two-piece jumpsuit by Lucia Rodriguez, which she paired with blue Manolo Blahnik heels (her "something blue") and a veil also by Lucia Rodriguez.

Breanna and Austin choose an outdoor ceremony site, where they were surrounded by their family and friends. They decorated the indoor-outdoor space with flowers that Austin purchased at New York City's flower market. "Because Norwood has so much personality, no decorations were needed other than flowers," Breanna says.

The couple exchanged vows they'd written themselves. "It was extremely hard to read out loud as both of us were super, super emotional," Breanna says. A close friend officiated the ceremony and actually played double duty as a musician, playing violin for the processional.

After exiting their courtyard ceremony, the newlyweds visited the entryway of the club, where they set up a "family board" of their childhood and family photos. "We put little labels on the pictures to say who everyone was," Breanna explains. "It the first time most everyone was meeting!"

Since the reception was a brunch, the couple served their favorite breakfast items (obvi!), with the most memorable being mini chicken and waffles. Guests mingled in and out of the Norwood Club as they sipped on the couple's signature cocktail, named the "Just Two."

The celebration quickly turned into a dance party when the couple took the floor for their first dance. "Our friends are artists, band mates, and Broadway performers, so for our first dance they came together to perform John Legend’s 'Stay with You,' " Breanna says. "We had vocals, guitar, trumpet, and a hand drum!"

And that wasn't the only performance—the couple had a toast and tribute section, during which Breanna surprised Austin by singing his favorite song. The bride's friends started playing the trumpet and piano before she jumped in to sing vocals to the jazz standard “Lullaby of Birdland.” "Our guests went wild! While they know I make my living as a performer, many of Austin’s family have never had the chance to see me live," she says. "It was a surprise to Austin and a treat for all of them!"

The couple ended the celebration by cutting into two wedding cakes—one chocolate and one Jamaican Rum cake—on the patio outside.