1. Real Weddings

A Simple Yet Sophisticated Wedding at Windows on Washington in St. Louis, Missouri

Gagan Raju (29 and a physician) and Alex Lawson (30 and a journalist) were introduced by common friends at a weekly supper club (called Pie After Dark

Gagan Raju (29 and a physician) and Alex Lawson (30 and a journalist) were introduced by common friends at a weekly supper club (called Pie After Dark) in Schaumburg, Illinois. They hit it off over discussions of movies, music and novelist Norman Mailer. Not long afterward, Gagan left for a fellowship in Washington, DC. The two kept in touch, and Alex eventually moved there for a new job. They moved again, together, to New York for Gagan’s first-year residency, and got engaged. They wanted to get married in their hometown of Chicago, but they couldn’t make any venues work with the limited time they had available. So they explored options in Missouri, where Gagan had attended undergrad. “We knew Gagan had a coterie of helpful friends who live in the area and could help us plan from afar,” Alex says. “We were fortunate that Windows on Washington in St. Louis was able to offer us a beautiful setup for both our ceremony and reception.” They went with a minimal design theme of geometric shapes and gold accents (as seen in the invitations), including gold and brass vintage reception centerpiece vases from India, geometric glass cubes, a beautiful gold cake and Gagan’s gold arrowhead hairpiece. Music was carefully selected to reflect the couple’s nontraditional tastes: the bridal party walked down the aisle to Seu Jorge’s cover of the David Bowie song “Rebel Rebel,” Gagan's processional was to Wilco’s “Jesus, Etc.,” the couple’s recessional was to Prince's “I Wanna Be Your Lover,” and their first dance was to Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti's cover of “Baby” (originally by Donnie & Joe Emerson). Music was key during the reception as well, when the DJ kept the dance floor packed all night. Not surprisingly, Gagan’s advice is to “choose only the best music—it makes the whole night memorably fun.” —Chrissy Sorenson

Gagan wore a simple yet sophisticated lace short-sleeve Amanda Garrett gown with a sheath silhouette. She accented her look with gold metallic shoes, art deco earrings, a bluestone bracelet and a fingertip-length veil.
The six bridesmaid gowns were intentionally bold and different from one another, contrasting with the minimalism of the bride’s look. Gagan selected the gold, blue and pastel dresses from both ASOS and Reformation in New York City. “I never saw them all together until the day of the wedding,” Gagan says.
The groom wore a charcoal Ludlow suit with a rough linen necktie in dusty blue. The orange boutonniere added a pop of color.
The bridesmaids carried smaller versions of Gagan's pastel flower bouquet.
A ceremony arbor, decorated in greenery and flowers, added a natural element to the industrial space at Windows on Washington in St. Louis, Missouri. The ceremony was held in the same space as the reception, sectioned off by trees strung in lights.
Gagan's makeup was natural and subtle—with the exception of bright, bold red lips.
Gold script added simple sophistication to plain white escort cards.
Round tables were decorated with white linens, gold vases, simple floral arrangements and candles. White chairs completed the modern white and gold aesthetic at Windows on Washington in St. Louis, Missouri.
Roses, peonies and greens decorated the tables in a springy palette of pink, purple and yellow.
Elegant gold numbers on white stock created modern yet sophisticated table numbers at Windows on Washington in St. Louis, Missouri.
The lemon and raspberry buttercream three-tier cake, accented in real flowers, replicated the look of brushed rose gold, with a middle tier of hand-painted gold arrowheads.
The first dance was a lo-fi and slightly staticy cover of Donnie & Joe Emerson’s “Baby,” performed by Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti—a favorite of the Gagan and Joe.