1. Real Weddings

Natalie & Joseph: A Cultural Wedding in Fort Wayne, IN

When Joseph (Joe) Plummer met Natalie Markoff, she was working at a new chocolate boutique in SoHo one warm August day. The two talked over hot cocoa,

When Joseph (Joe) Plummer met Natalie Markoff, she was working at a new chocolate boutique in SoHo one warm August day. The two talked over hot cocoa, and before Joe left, he asked her to lunch. The Bride Natalie Markoff, 31, president of PR The Groom Joseph Plummer, 32, founder and creative director of a production company The Date August 25 Four years after their first meeting in the chocolate shop, the couple was on a romantic trip traveling through Italy together. At sunset one evening in L'Andana, two waiters from the estate they were staying at approached them. One was holding a bottle of Bella Vista Prosecco, and the other was holding a silver tray filled with fresh-cut flowers from the property and a small white box. It was then that Joe knelt down on one knee and proposed.

The couple ordered four large cakes from Vosges Haut Chocolat for their reception. One cake was a pandan and dark chocolate cake covered with burnt orange flower petals and decorated with a cute banner.
The Programs
The scripted escort cards were placed into moss-covered containers and were available for guests to grab as they walked into the reception tent.
In addition to the four larger cakes, the couple ordered 50 mini red-velvet cakes for the guests to try. The cakes were displayed on clear stands and were surrounded by paper fans.
To capture a traditional Italian feel, the florist used decanters and wine bottles as the base for the floral arrangements, which included a mix of eggplants, grapes, peonies, rosemary, lavender, and roses.
The ceremony was held in an old cathedral with an all-marble altar lit solely by candles. As Natalie walked down the aisle, a friend of the family played a traditional Macedonian wedding song using Natalie's late grandfather's trumpet.
The Bridesmaid Bouquets
The reception unfolded in Natalie's parents' backyard. As guests walked down a stone pathway, there were various stops along the way to the reception tent. One station allowed guests to take Polaroids of themselves; for another, a fire pit was surrounded by intimate seating where guests could chat. Beneath the tent, crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, and iron candelabras created a warm glow.
Natalie's bouquet exuded the look of old-world romance. She carried a gorgeous cluster of pink, purple, and ivory roses, peonies, and grape hyacinths accented with greenery.