A Modern Spring Wedding at Brooklyn Winery in Brooklyn, New York

Intimacy was key for Merary Soto (35 and a global VP at Andela) and Jon Saunders (34 and a chief operating officer), who remotely planned their Brooklyn bash from their new home in Nairobi, Kenya. An inviting palette of rose gold and navy blue warmed up the wood interior of Brooklyn Winery, an urban space the couple selected for its rustic charm. To solidify their status as husband and wife, the pair honored the African tradition of jumping a broom that Merary handcrafted. Laser-cut place cards marked each guest’s seat at wood dining tables lined with taper candles and delicate bud vases. “We wanted our guests to feel like they were coming over to have dinner with us,” Merary says of why they served a family-style meal. Clusters of cherry blossoms played up the venue’s existing potted plant inlays, and fresh blooms dotted the couple’s German chocolate, passionfruit and dulce de leche cake.