Stunning Geometric-Inspired Upstate New York Wedding

Geometric Hudson New York Wedding

Today’s upstate New York wedding is the perfect juxtaposition of old meets new: a beautifully historic building, decked out with modern, handmade geometric statues + centerpieces, all coming together with absolute ease! The details of Jen + Jon’s day point to a creative, fun, and ridiculously happy couple at the center of it all. They gave us lots of insight into their day, including what (and who!) inspired each decision, and officially prove once and for all that pizza + ice cream is the best way to celebrate any occasion!

Here’s Jen: We had a great time putting bits of ourselves into the wedding, from the geometric decor (and dress! and headpiece!) that reflected my love for engineering, to the meticulously selected songs showcasing Jon’s passion for music. Even the venue, Basilica Hudson (a non-profit multidisciplinary arts center also featured in our Top 26 Coolest Places to Get Married), was chosen because it represented the community of artists and musicians that have made upstate New York feel like home.

All of those things were personal and significant, but most of all we were inspired by our friends. We moved away from our home in Florida two years ago, and had to say goodbye to so many people we loved. Once we decided to get married, all we wanted in the world was to share our happiness with the people who had been by our sides and encouraging us each step of the way. 

The Portos were there to capture the day and raved about this amazing couple! Let’s have a look:

Geometric Hudson New York Wedding

Geometric Hudson New York Wedding

neutral tone bridesmaids

Jen picked out flowers to purchase wholesale, and her incredibly talented maid of honor arranged every bouquet, boutonniere, and table arrangement!

Geometric Hudson New York Wedding

Jon: We tried to include our friends in as many parts of the day as possible. When we started planning the ceremony, there was a moment when we both looked at each other like a light bulb had just turned on: Michael needs to officiate this! Michael is one of our favorite musicians – who once made us slow dance in the middle of his show because it was our anniversary – but he’s also a wise friend who we’ve looked up to for years. His ceremony was loving and sincere and absolutely perfect for us.

Geometric Hudson New York Wedding

Jon: We did make sure to have some moments to ourselves as well. We wrote our own vows, but instead of reading them aloud to all of our guests, we read them privately to each other while one of Jen’s bridesmaids played the song that sparked our friendship. It was beautiful and intimate; we were able to fully speak to each others deepest fears and aspirations without worrying about what vows were “supposed” to sound like. And no one had to hear our crying voices!

Geometric Hudson New York Wedding

Our Musical Choices

Processional: Gravity Rides Everything by Modest Mouse; You (Your Fears) by Coma Cinema (Instrumental arrangement performed live)

Recessional: Chateau Lobby #4 by Father John Misty

First Dance: Passenger Seat by Death Cab for Cutie

confetti canon exit

Geometric Hudson New York Wedding

Geometric Hudson New York Wedding

Jen: Our friends arranged the bouquets and boutonnieres, played the music during the processional, DJ’d the reception, and orchestrated the confetti cannons like total pros. Of course I’m thrilled at how the decor turned out (certainly a relief after hand-making so many centerpieces) and it was fun to eat pizza in the nicest gown I’ve ever owned, but I think the love and teamwork between our friends was what made the whole day so remarkable.

Geometric Hudson New York Wedding

neutral tone bridesmaids

Love this color palette with the deep red blooms!

Geometric Hudson New York Wedding

Geometric Hudson New York Wedding

Geometric Hudson New York Wedding

BHLDN wedding dress

Jen wore BHLDN’s Monica Gown with a custom geometric crown by Hilary Vittrock.

Geometric Hudson New York Wedding

Geometric Hudson New York Wedding

How sweet are they!!

Geometric Hudson New York Wedding

Our Advice To Those Planning Now

Jen: Before you do anything, sit down with your partner and set your priorities. Having this list will make it much easier to avoid spending too much time or money on things neither of you really care about, giving you more room in your budget for the things that truly matter to you. For us, the most important things were the venue and the photographers. We fell in love with the Basilica shortly after moving to New York, when we attended our first concert there. We love the work they do in the arts community, and we knew we wanted to get married there before we were even engaged. And of course, if we were shelling out for the dream venue, we wanted to have our moments there captured in a way we’d treasure forever.

Jon: With those funds set aside, it was a breeze to go with something budget friendly (and tons of fun) like pizza for dinner and ice cream sundaes for dessert. It fit our personalities better anyway. We knew neither of us cared too much about cake, so for cutting purposes we picked up a small, $10 coconut cake from the grocery store.

Jen: I guess what we’re trying to say is, don’t do anything out of obligation; do things that matter to you, and will make memories you want to share. You don’t NEED to have the perfect table settings or agonize over seating charts or toss a bouquet if those things aren’t important to you. That cake Jon mentioned? We forgot to cut it entirely. We were too busy dancing, and we have no regrets!

Geometric Hudson New York Wedding

Geometric Hudson New York Wedding

Did you notice the geometric floor sculptures here at at the ceremony? Jen made those with PVC piping! She also handmade by Jen matching centerpieces out of paper straws. Don’t they look great?!

laser cut name cards

laser cut name cards

Our Favorite Memory From The Wedding

Jen: That’s easy! For our last dance we chose the song "All My Friends" by LCD Soundsystem. It’s an incredible, overwhelming song about fleeting moments of youth, being anxious to grow up but then missing your past, feeling happy and sad at the same time, and at the end of the day wanting only to be with the people you love most. If we had a dollar for every time we’ve cried in my car listening to that song since moving away from Florida, that could have paid for the whole wedding. It was the obvious choice for this moment. As soon as the opening notes came over the speakers, the room was filled with balloons and confetti and suddenly we were up in the air. We ended our wedding by crowd surfing while holding hands, lifted up by our friends, to a song about how much we love them. It was the most wonderful and surreal moment of my life.

Jon: I think crowd surfing during the last song was my favorite part too! But I also really loved that the party kept going after our big sparkler exit. We actually just circled the parking lot in our getaway car and came right back for the after party.

sparkler confetti exit

We’re absolutely feelin’ the love from these two! Want to see more? All In White has the day’s highlights below in a super sweet video:

photography: The Portos // venue name: Basilica Hudson, Hudson, New York, USA // wedding dress: BHLDN Monica Gown // hairpiece: Hilary Vittrock // bride's shoes: Nine West "Mana" // bridesmaid dresses: chosen by each of the bridesmaids individually // hair stylist: hair done by Jen // makeup artist: Beauty With Julie // groom attire: Indochino // videography: All In White // paper goods: Zazzle // catering: Victoria’s Wood Fired Pizza // furniture rentals: Events Unlimited Party Rentals // music: Cecil Frena of Born Gold // officiant: Michael Bringardner // day of coordination: Jeanne Stark of Hudson Valley Ceremonies

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