Photo: Kevin Kelley Photography
Fashion designer Katie Fong met husband-to-be Owen Biglin at Manhattan’s Public House shortly after Hurricane Sandy devastated the area. Katie, who lived in Connecticut, was in town for a visit, while Owen was staying at a nearby hotel because his apartment had flooded in the storm. After few happy hour specials and some friendly conversation between their groups of friends, the two realized they had completely hit it off. In January of 2015, Owen popped the question while walking with Katie through Grand Central Station. “Everyone around us was clapping and congratulating us. It was so sweet, simple, and such a surprise everything I had ever wanted for a proposal,” Katie says.
On September 26, 2015, Katie and Owen invited 210 guests to take part in the couple’s ceremony and reception in the bride’s hometown of Greenwich. With plans to start a family there, the bride and groom wanted to tie the knot in church that they could call home for the rest of their lives, which they found in Second Congregational Church. And when it came to their reception venue, Katie knew just where to look: She recalled memories of fishing with her father each Sunday and passing by the Indian Harbor Yacht Club, her dream venue. Read on to see their stunning fall day overlooking the Long Island Sound, as captured by Kevin Kelley Photography.
As a designer who regularly works on custom gowns for clients, Katie knew from the start that she wanted to create her own wedding dress. Thanks to her partnership with a local bridal salon, the fashion-savvy bride still had the experience of trying on dresses, which helped her determine what style worked best for her body. “It’s something every bride must do!” she says.
In the end, she stuck to her original plan of creating something custom and decided on a fit-and-flare wedding dress with a Chantilly lace illusion top and alencon lace detailing. “When my maid of honor saw it during my first fitting, she broke out in tears and I did too,” Katie says.
Owen teamed up with one of Katie’s bridesmaids, jewelry designer Andrea Del Bello, to create earrings made with crystal quartz, moonstone, and sapphires for the bride to wear down the aisle.
Owen wasn’t the only one to design some accessories for the big day. Katie worked with a local jeweler to create a pair of sterling silver cufflinks for Owen that were engraved with the couple’s wedding date and monogram. He paired the thoughtful gift with a custom navy suit, Paul Stuart shirt, bowtie, and loafers.
Bridesmaids wore navy lace pencil dresses lined in white silk charmeuse from Katie’s own collection. The bride also gifted her attendants rectangular crystal earrings. Owen’s groomsmen paired khaki pants with white button down shirts and navy jackets.
Before their wedding ceremony, the bride and groom took part in a traditional Chinese tea ceremony. There, Katie wore an old fashioned “kwa,” a two pieced embroidered satin outfit, while Owen donned a requisite navy embroidered top.
Katie and Owen served tea to their parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles during the ceremony. In return, they receive red envelopes that represented good luck. The bride also received one more special token during the ceremony: Her mother gave her a jade necklace that Katie’s late grandmother had chosen for her to wear during the meaningful tradition.
With help from their reverend, the pair decided on a 45-minute-long ceremony that included classic vows and scripture readings. An organist played Canon in D while the bride made her way down the aisle, carrying a breathtaking bouquet of white mini calla lilies, roses, dahlias, Israeli ruscus, and seeded eucalyptus.
“Owen was raised Catholic and was used to the idea of a two-hour long ceremony, while I was raised Protestant and thought we should have a ten-minute long ceremony,” Katie says. “Settling on this ceremony instead was perfect. We kept everything modern with certain word choices.”
The reception décor was kept simple at this wedding, with white and navy linens used to top the tables and Chinoiserie pots as centerpieces. Guests snacked on hors d’oeuvres ranging from white truffle mac & cheese to lobster quesadillas before exploring the “summer dip” station, the “tea sandwich” station, and the two raw bars where everything from oysters and clams to shrimp cocktail were served up. They also sipped on “His” signature cocktail, the Dark & Stormy, or “Hers,” the Moscow Mule.
Once inside, guests watched as the newlyweds shared their first dance to Ray LaMontage’s “You Are The Best Thing.”
The couple’s tiered dessert consisted of layers of vanilla wedding cake with hazelnut filling and key lime cake (the groom’s favorite!). Katie and Owen chose a statement basket weave detail for the frosting and decorated the entire sweet treat with hydrangeas and Italian ruscus.
Photo: Kevin Kelley Photography
Mr. and Mrs. Biglin drove off as husband and wife in Katie’s late grandmother’s vintage Jaguar, closing the day with a meaningful touch. “Though it can be very stressful, enjoy every second of it,” the bride tells future couples. “All the crazy planning will be so worth it in the end!”
Ceremony Venue: The Second Congregational Church of Greenwich, Connecticut || Reception Venue & Coordination: Indian Harbor Yacht Club || Bride’s Wedding Dress & Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Katie Fong || Jewelry: Andrea Del Bello Jewelry || Hair & Makeup: Christopher Noland Hair Salon || Groom’s Attire: My Suit Bespoke Suiting || Groomsmen’s Attire: J.Crew & Vineyard Vines || Engagement Ring & Wedding Bands: Landsberg Jewelers || Florist: Mr. Bokay Flowers || Invitations: Minted || Music: ETA Music || Cate: St. Moritz Bakery || Photographer: Kevin Kelley Photography
Did you love this wedding? Then check out another couple’s Connecticut celebration in the video below.