When an incredibly talented floral designer gets married, we expect no less than an amazing wedding. And when Ariel Dearie, the creative director of Ariel Dearie Flowers (a floral studio that she founded that specializes in arrangements for weddings and photo shoots and has worked with brands like Dior, Prada, and Bulgari), planned her wedding, that “amazing wedding” certainly happened.
Along with now-husband Andrew (they met at a living art installation a few years ago, when he pretended to need flowers for a non-existent project), Ariel searched high and low for all the pieces needed to pull their day together. In the end, she created some of her own accessories and designing her own florals. Read on for more of the planning behind this beautiful botanical wedding in Brooklyn.
More from the photographer, Lauren Balingit:
“The couple originally planned to get married in New Orleans, where Ariel is from, but all of the venues they were interested in were already booked for 2015. “I had done flowers for a wedding at the Boathouse in Prospect Park and had really loved it,” Ariel explains, “so we inquired and they happened to have this one Friday in June available.” They promptly booked it. “With the tall French doors and large terrace, the architecture of the Boathouse resembles some of the buildings in City Park in New Orleans,” says Ariel. “We also loved that the location was convenient and in the city, but because it’s on the lake, it manages to feel private and tucked away in the park.”
Ariel had a very specific idea of the simple silhouette she wanted for her dress. “During my search, I found a dress with the silhouette I wanted, but it was too basic—and then I found another one with the right silhouette but with too much embellishment,” she recalls. “When I eventually saw the Jenny Yoo dress, I immediately knew it was the one I wanted—it had the simple silhouette but with light beading on the waistline and the cap sleeves.”
The search for a crown was a bit more complicated. “I looked all over for one that was ornate but not over the top,” she says. “I originally thought about wearing a Victorian wax flower crown, but those felt too heavy. I also had a specific idea in my head for this and just couldn’t find it. That was when I decided to make my own crown of tiny freshwater pearls and rose gold. Now that I made that crown, I’ve realized just how special wedding crowns can be and am now making custom crowns for some of my clients.”
The couple’s simple ceremony was outside, overlooking the water. “The weather was absolutely perfect, which was very lucky, as the prediction had been heavy storms for days,” says Ariel.
The reception began inside the Boathouse with toasts made by both sides of the family. Andrew’s two brothers each made some funny speeches to kick things off, followed by Ariel’s family, including her nephews and 3-year-old niece. “Our DJ, Chances With Wolves [Kenan Juska], played incredible music,” says Ariel. “Dinner was hardly over when the whole party made its way out to the terrace to dance by the water. A limbo stick made by my little sister appeared, which led to a contest, followed by a full conga line. The music was so good that at one point I looked up and there were people across the lake dancing on the bridge and in the woods!”
