See How One Couple Drew Inspiration From the Bride's Grandparent's Wedding for Their Brooklyn Nuptials

Using invitations from Minted, Jill and Gary invited 97 guests to join them in Brooklyn, New York, for a ceremony at the bride’s childhood church followed by a reception at The Players club, a private townhouse for actors, writers, and artists. “The décor of the venue is unlike any other, with a poker table that Frank Sinatra played at, and the untouched bedroom of Edwin Booth,” the bride says. “After receiving a tour of the place, I knew it had to be my venue, and that my guests would be in awe like I was. When you step foot into The Players, you are transported back into old Hollywood. It’s a pretty magical place.”

Gary’s one and only wedding request? That he could pair a bow tie with his classic black and white tuxedo, which each of his groomsmen also wore for the big day. “Gary loves color and loud prints, so the bow tie was a way for him to show his personality on our wedding day, and added some color to our neutral color palette,” says Jill.

The groom also chose not to shave his beard for the couple’s black-tie-optional wedding. “Everyone wondered why he didn’t,” Jill says, “but I love his beard, and that’s how he’s most comfortable, so he kept it. And I’m so happy he did.”

“It’s old Italian tradition for the bridesmaids and maid-of-honor to wear white on the wedding day, so that the bad spirits will get confused as to who the bride is,” Jill says. In love with that idea, the bride asked her friends to choose their own ivory gown to wear on the day. “It all came out beautiful, and I loved that the overall look was cohesive, but each girl was unique in her own way. One design doesn’t always have to fit all.”

Jill and Gary returned to the bride’s childhood church for their ceremony. “My father walked me down the same aisle he walked down with my mom, the same aisle he held me down when I was baptized, and the same aisle he watched me receive communion,” Jill says. “He is a very tough guy, but when it comes to his family, he is very sensitive, so it was an emotional moment for us.”

Luckily, because of the old building’s breathtaking architecture, the couple needed little in the way of décor. “We let the stained glass windows and dramatic look of the church speak for itself.”

Inside the reception venue, guests could take in framed portraits of Jimmy Fallon, Mark Twain, Walter Cronkite, and more on the townhouse’s colorful walls. During cocktail hour, the couple offered guests one of their favorite foods: macaroni and cheese. “It was very important to Gary and I that our wedding day was a reflection of us as a couple,” the bride says.

Thanks to The Players own unique décor, Jill and Gary didn’t have to do much to dress up the space. “I didn’t want to take away from it’s beauty,” Jill says. Tables were topped with ivory linens, candles, and tall centerpieces of baby’s breath so guests could chat with each other across the table.

Jill’s brother, an artist, hand-drew a picture of the Brooklyn Bridge, which the couple copied and gave out as favors to their guests. “He is so incredibly talented, and I love that it’s a souvenir that they can take home to remember their trip to New York,” says the bride.

Dessert was an epic ice cream sundae bar, but that didn’t mean the couple skipped a wedding cake. In addition to scoops of their favorite flavors, guests also enjoyed traditional vanilla cake with buttercream frosting.

The couple danced together to Elvis Presley’s “Can’t Help Falling In Love,” then opened up the floor to their guests. “For the last song, we requested ‘New York, New York’ by Frank Sinatra, and my husband and I got up on stage to sing,” Jill ssays. “It was one of my favorite parts of the night.”

Jill doesn’t regret going with her gut when it comes to wedding planning, and encourages other brides to do the same. “Do what you want,” she says. “I had so many people tell me that having different bridesmaids dresses would look sloppy, or that I was spending too much money on a certain thing. We didn’t listen to any of it, and everything came together perfectly. Don’t sweat the small stuff also, because at the end of the day, nothing else matters but the love you two share. It will all come together.”