WEDDING WISDOM: BRAD & SCOTT

Brand and Scott's engagement was a spontaneous one! Three and a half years into dating, they found themselves enjoying one of Brad's signature Saturday brunches. As their conversation turned from the day's news to their love and life together, it became clear to the each Scott and Brad that this was the day they were to become engaged. A hop, skip and a cab ride uptown, deposited the two at Cartier. They were there to visit a dear friend, and perhaps to peruse a watch or two. But, before long, both found themselves at a vitrine full of wedding bands. Magic overtook the moment as both realized that, there and then, they'd committed to a life together. With rings on fingers, the grooms-to-be made their way further uptown to toast their engagement at the famed King Cole Bar at the St. Regis.

Scott and Brad's nuptials were a decidedly New York affair.

For their wedding, this illustrious duo held their ceremony at the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine. There are few places that are as breathtaking as this one. They hosted 85 guests at Bottino, one of New York's most iconic eateries. Scott & Brad have very generously shared the wisdom they gained during their wedding planning for all of you heading down the aisle.

1- What do you wish you had been told about planning a wedding before you started planning your own? Budgeting for the wedding was difficult to forecast and expect. Knowing that your budget will expand as you confirm the decisions, make sure you set your first budget marker below your absolute limit.

2- What was the most frustrating part of planning your wedding? Rather than a frustration, one challenge we faced was the process of finalizing the guest list. Limiting the size the wedding required us to make some difficult decisions about the number of people we were able to invite.

3- What was the most surprising part of planning your wedding? The small decisions are actually much more difficult, while the bigger decisions were easier. The things you think will be easiest can actually be the most time-consuming and can present some of the greatest challenges.

4- What single piece of advice you give a couple planning their wedding today? Consider using a venue for your reception that is adept at doing events to make the planning much easier. Selecting a restaurant for our reception allowed us to expect many of the costs and reduced the complexities associated with organizing the dinner.  While you may decide to have your ceremony in a unique location or setting, try to plan your reception in a venue that is equipped to deliver the level of service and experience you are expecting.

5- What would you do differently in planning your wedding? We would have preferred to have one day to ourselves prior to our honeymoon to rest and reflect after the wedding. We left very early in the morning on the day after our wedding, and we would have enjoyed a brief respite prior to leaving for our honeymoon.

6- What single memory do you cherish most about your wedding day? There was a moment at the altar when we turned around and saw all of our guests sitting in the Cathedral with the rose window in the background.  It was overwhelming. We didn’t realize the power of ritual and what it would mean to have our wedding at the Cathedral surrounded by our friends and family.

On the way to the reception we stopped at home to walk and feed our dog and enjoyed a glass of champagne. That was a very special memory.