Ariel Dearie—the creative director of Ariel Dearie Flowers, a floral studio that she founded that specializes in arrangements for weddings and photo shoots and has worked with brands like Dior, Prada, and Bulgari—met Andrew Simkiss, partner at Acres New York, a film production agency, on Halloween in 2012. "It was the week of Hurricane Sandy, and Andrew was sleeping on his friend Seth's couch in Williamsburg," explains Ariel. "The storm had knocked out the power at his East Village apartment, and we were both brought to this 'fake house' party by friends—a full suburban house built into a warehouse as an art installation, complete with food in the fridge and clothing in the drawers." The two met in the "kitchen," and Andrew pretended that he needed flowers for a nonexistent film project as a ploy to get Ariel's number. "I suggested that we just get a drink instead," deadpans Ariel.
The couple had been dating for a little over two years when Andrew proposed. "After going out for dinner in our neighborhood, Andrew made an excuse to lead me down a nearby street," remembers Ariel. "He took me to the wine bar where we went on our first date and proposed outside, under the same tree where we had our first kiss."
The couple originally planned to get married in New Orleans, where Ariel is from, but all of the venues they were interested in were already booked for 2015. "I had done flowers for a wedding at the Boathouse in Prospect Park and had really loved it," Ariel explains, "so we inquired and they happened to have this one Friday in June available." They promptly booked it. "With the tall French doors and large terrace, the architecture of the Boathouse resembles some of the buildings in City Park in New Orleans," says Ariel. "We also loved that the location was convenient and in the city, but because it's on the lake, it manages to feel private and tucked away in the park."
Ariel had a very specific idea of the simple silhouette she wanted for her dress. "During my search, I found a dress with the silhouette I wanted, but it was too basic—and then I found another one with the right silhouette but with too much embellishment," she recalls. "When I eventually saw the Jenny Yoo dress, I immediately knew it was the one I wanted—it had the simple silhouette but with light beading on the waistline and the cap sleeves."
The search for a crown was a bit more complicated. "I looked all over for one that was ornate but not over the top," she says. "I originally thought about wearing a Victorian wax flower crown, but those felt too heavy. I also had a specific idea in my head for this and just couldn't find it. That was when I decided to make my own crown of tiny freshwater pearls and rose gold. Now that I made that crown, I've realized just how special wedding crowns can be and am now making custom crowns for some of my clients."
The couple's simple ceremony was outside, overlooking the water. "The weather was absolutely perfect, which was very lucky, as the prediction had been heavy storms for days," says Ariel. "Our friend Dawn Mauberret, who is an event coordinator, helped orchestrate everything. We had a cellist and acoustic guitar player to welcome our guests and play during the ceremony, and I walked down the aisle to 'Oh My Love' by John Lennon. The ceremony was just a few words from our friend who officiated, Jesse Israel, followed by our vows and readings from my mom and Andrew's brother. Jesse was a great speaker and did a wonderful job of finding a balance between being meaningful and heartfelt, yet humorous. As if on cue, a family of swans swam right up to the altar just as the ceremony ended."
The reception began inside the Boathouse with toasts made by both sides of the family. Andrew's two brothers each made some funny speeches to kick things off, followed by Ariel's family, including her nephews and 3-year-old niece. "Our DJ, Chances With Wolves [Kenan Juska], played incredible music," says Ariel. "Dinner was hardly over when the whole party made its way out to the terrace to dance by the water. A limbo stick made by my little sister appeared, which led to a contest, followed by a full conga line. The music was so good that at one point I looked up and there were people across the lake dancing on the bridge and in the woods!"
What song did you dance your first dance to?"That's How Strong My Love Is" by Otis Redding.
What happened after the reception?We went for a walk through Prospect Park, and after hopping in a cab, stayed the night at The High Line Hotel.
Where did you go on your honeymoon?We traveled the California coast. We started in Bolinas, north of San Francisco, where we stayed at a small cottage on a quail refuge and hiked the nearby nature trails and beaches. We then drove south along the coast to Big Sur, where we spent a few days exploring and eating at some of our favorite places like Nepenthe and Deetjen's.
Source: Ariel Dearie and Andrew Simkiss's Wedding at the Boathouse in Prospect Park
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