A rural venue, gorgeous wedding tent and total immersion in nature — Mackenzie and Jonathan's wedding was infused with love, naturalness and sincerity. Read below for details of this wedding experience told by the bride and enjoy the photos captured by our talented member Hannah Marich.
Tell us a little about yourselves. How did you meet? What do you do for a living? What are your hobbies?
Jonny and I met senior year at the University of Michigan in a Marketing class. I work at a Talent Agency (WME/Endeavor) and Jonny works at Apollo Global Management. We live in NYC with our dog Sadie! We love being outdoors and are big foodies (even though Jonny is vegetarian); both of these were really important elements for our wedding.
Can you share your engagement story?
We got engaged in Aspen, Colorado in August 2022. Jonny's parents live in Aspen and we lived with them there for a while during Covid. It is undoubtedly our happiest place! One afternoon we went for a walk near the river and Jonny proposed — I was shocked. I thought I had it all figured out and that he was doing it in December. Both of our families and some of our best friends were there and we celebrated with everyone at The Caribou Club later that evening. Second best weekend of our lives!
Where was your wedding? Why did you choose this venue?
Our wedding was at Inness in Accord, NY. Our favorite place in the world is Colorado and we got engaged there — we wanted to recreate a similar outdoorsy feel for our wedding without having everyone schlep out there. Inness really reminded us of mountain life and is pretty close to our home in NYC. We also wanted many of our guests to be together for the full weekend and feel like they were having their own cozy getaway — Inness has these gorgeous cabins + a farmhouse which housed our closest friends and family and allowed us to bring that vision to life.
What was the concept behind your wedding and how did you find your inspiration?
We really wanted to lean into the upstate/fall vibe of Inness and keep things intimate and warm. I grew up with a big extended family and some of my fondest memories are when we all got together over these really amazing outdoor barbecue dinners. When we found Sarah Glover/Wild Kitchen Global's open fire cooking, it felt like the perfect way to recreate (for a larger group) the warmth of a delicious, home-cooked family dinner that we both love so much. And Saturday night we wanted to keep relaxed but, above all, fun. We did our ceremony outside and then had a casual family-style dinner followed by dancing (and an after party in Inness' Farmhouse that felt like a great college house party). While Friday night was super heavy on the upstate theme, we made Saturday a little bit more elegant and elevated decor-wise. Molly Ford (Flowers by Ford) helped us bring this gorgeous English-garden theme to Inness for our ceremony and dinner.
How long did it take to plan your wedding? Did you encounter any challenges during the planning process?
About a year!
How many guests did you have? And what was the seating arrangement at the wedding like?
160 guests and our tables were long farm tables with assigned seating
Tell us about your outfits. How many different styles have you tried?
Friday night I wore a long sleeve white Chloe dress that was relaxed and had a colorful woven/fringe element (on pockets/belt). I wanted my Friday night outfit to match our dinner — cozy, comfortable, and outdoorsy. It was from an older Chloe collection but very classic Gabriela Hearst style. My wedding dress was Ines Di Santo. I never knew what I wanted for my wedding dress but I knew I wanted to feel like myself and that a big skirt was never going to be for me; I loved that my dress was very simple and classic! And then I changed into a two-piece Prada set; it was an off-white with black lace detail. I thought it was fun to bring a little bit of black into the wedding wardrobe and I think I'll rewear that set forever — I already wore it in on my honeymoon.
What was your first dance song? Did you choreograph or improvise?
Our first song was Kiss Me by Sixpence None The Richer. It was Jonny's first suggestion and I loved it. We made up our dance ourselves the week of our wedding in our apartment.
Did you have any special performances or entertainment?
The most special performance to me was the song I walked down the aisle to — Iris by Goo Goo Dolls. Our band (Dart Collective) did an amazing job on the cover and it is mine and Jonny's favorite song to listen to together. We listen to the Maggie Rogers and Phoebe Bridgers version weekly! I totally surprised Jonny (I told him I was walking down to a different song) and, when I saw him, I knew he was very emotional over the choice :)
What was the most memorable moment from your wedding day?
I have 2...The first: signing our ketubah in an intimate room with a fire with our immediate families, closest friends, and grandmothers. Our parents gave beautiful blessings before we left for the ceremony and it was such an intimate and special experience. The second: the whole week ahead of the wedding, the weather forecast was iffy and I was very upset that I wouldn't be able to have the Friday night outdoor cookout dinner I had dreamt of for so long. We ended up being able to have it outside and it was beyond my wildest dreams... seeing all of our loved ones together around the food cooking was incredible and then our friends & family gave speeches that I'll remember forever.
Are there any vendors that you would like to tell us a little more about?
Our vendors were amazing. As I mentioned, Sarah Glover created the most insane dinner I've ever experienced. Molly Ford's flower design perfectly captured exactly what I wanted (and she happily changed the vision with me plenty of times). Dart Collective's music was epic! Our photographer, Hannah Marich, was so incredible — she made us feel completely comfortable and not posed which is exactly what I wanted; looking through her photos I'm able to relive the entire day. She also came to mine & Jonny's cabin on Saturday morning and did these gorgeous intimate shots of us chatting, exchanging surprise presents, and practicing our first dance — they are some of my favorite photos from the whole weekend. Our stationery and menus were incredible thanks to Parcel — a paper goods store right near where I grew up. And our planners, Loli Events, were absolutely amazing; they brought my vision to life so well and I am eternally grateful!
Did you make a gift for guests, and what was it? What did you give each other as a gift?
We made gift bags that had elements of our favorite places and memories. My favorite part of the gift bag was chips from our favorite lunch spot at the University of Michigan (Zingerman's) and vintage Aspen playing cards (we love playing cards with Jonny's family).
What advice would you give to couples who are currently planning their wedding?
Something will go wrong! Don't sweat it, it's the one time in your life that all your closest friends and family will be in one room celebrating. Take it all in, be grateful for the experience, and just have fun. You can't please everybody, but you should walk away feeling like it was perfect for you.
Photography: @_hannahmarich
Florals: @flowersbyford
Music: @dartcollective
Welcome Dinner: @missarahglover & @thewildkitchenglobal
Hair & Makeup: @naokosuzuki & @victorhenao
Planning: @lolievents
Venue: @inness_ny
