How exciting to say you work for MLB.com? Nicole can say just that! It was only fitting for their wedding to have a baseball theme and we are loving all of the fun details. Being in Texas, we are especially the Texas Rangers ones! GLK Creative sent us this great baseball themed wedding via Two Bright Lights. Nicole and Derek’s wedding is lively and full of color and FUN! We were able to catch up with Nicole and ask her a few questions about the wedding and her relationship with Derek…
How long have you been together?
We’ve been together for 8 years.
How did he propose?
It was 4-5-2010, the Mets home opener. Being Mets fans, we look forward to the start of the season, and the home opener is like a holiday for us. We both take off of work and either go to the game or go out and watch it. I had just come back from walking our dog, Tina, when Derek had breakfast prepared. I also noticed a card on the table and I remember asking him what the card was for. His reply was, “It’s Opening Day, it’s our holiday!” It made sense to me, so his plan was still intact and I had no idea what was coming. I opened the card and read all the metaphors about baseball and love and found it so touching. Then I got to the end saw the words “Let’s Get Married!” I put down the card and saw the ring in the opened box on the table and honestly couldn’t believe what was happening. I asked Derek a few times if he was serious, and then I accepted. We met up with some friends and watched the Mets win their first home game of the season!
What sold you on your wedding venue?
We had been to Studio Square many times since it had opened and loved the beer garden atmosphere. When they opened their event space, we knew that it was something we wanted to look at when that time came. We talked about the place as a venue for our wedding before we even really talked seriously about marriage, if that even makes any sense. The loft space and amazing views of Manhattan were two big selling points.
Derek and I had both felt strongly about not choosing a traditional space. A wedding is really just a big party and we wanted to pick a space where we could distill that essence, a place where formality and pomp and circumstance were not exuded by the space itself. Studio Square had none of that traditional, stuffy, matrimonial “baggage.”
We also wanted to craft our menu around ballpark-type foods served buffet style. We agreed that the best parts of most weddings is the cocktail hour, and we wanted the whole wedding to be like one long cocktail hour; were the guests weren’t forced to eat at specific times. This space really allowed for that sort of vibe and allowed everyone to have fun and not be tied down to a predetermined party schedule.
Your dress is gorgeous, where did you get it and how did you know it was “the one”?
Thank you! My mom and I had looked only one other place before we ended up at RK Bridal. My cousin had gotten her dress there and I had heard great things about it so we decided to give them a shot. Initially I had an idea in my head about what type of dress I wanted and what they say is true, try something out of your comfort zone and it will probably end up being the dress you pick! After trying a few styles, I decided that a trumpet-style dress best complemented my body type. It was between the one I picked and another similar style. We brought my grandmother with us to help decide and we all sort of knew when I put on this dress, that it would be the one I ended up purchasing. I can’t really pinpoint how I knew, since I didn’t have an emotional reaction, and since my mom liked everything I tried on, as any mother probably would. I think it was when I saw my grandmother’s face and the genuine feeling she had when seeing me in the dress for the first time.
We love the shoes….tell us more about those?
Thank you again!! I knew I wanted to wear blue shoes and I absolutely loved the shoes that Carrie Bradshaw had bought in the first Sex and The City movie. It seemed appropriate to wear those because Mr. Big proposes to Carrie and slips the shoe on her foot. Plus the name of the shoe is “Something Blue.” I was considering buying knock-offs because they were so expensive. But, Derek is actually something of a shoe, or rather sneaker, connoisseur himself. One night, he approached me (after a few drinks) and told me that as a self-respecting sneaker junkie, there’s no way he would allow me to wear imitation Manolo Blahnik’s to my wedding, and basically just announced that he was going to buy me the real thing as my wedding gift. I couldn’t have asked for a more fabulous present, and poured him another drink ASAP in to see if I could induce any additional, similar offers.
How did you choose your wedding color palette?
Derek and I are huge Mets fans so choosing orange and blue was an easy decision
We also love the unique touches throughout the centerpieces….tell us more!
I’m not too into flowers and I didn’t want overpowering floral centerpieces that no one would pay attention to and that we’d end up throwing away anyway. When I met with Charles at United Floral, he came up with the idea of the wheat grass in small cylinders and placing a few orange Gerbers in with a baseball item. It was up to Derek and I to choose the item and we though baseball pennants went perfectly. It wasn’t over-the-top, it was understated. Charles had worked other events at Studio Square so he knew how to dress up the space without going overboard, it was perfect.
What song did you dance to for your first dance as husband and wife?
Stay With You by John Legend
What was your “something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue”?
Well the blue was obviously the shoes! I would say that my dress was the new – don’t all brides say that? I was wearing a diamond and sapphire bracelet of my grandmother’s that was borrowed and my something old was the engagement ring. That is also my grandmother’s and she gave to Derek and I. Derek didn’t change anything about the ring and that makes it more special. That and knowing my grandmother cherished it during her 60 years of marriage to my grandfather.
Do you have any advice for brides that are in the planning process?
I think one of the biggest things is to keep in mind that this wedding is for you and your fiancé and no one else. If you try to make everyone happy, you’ll drive yourself crazy. Planning any big event will create some level of stress; that’s unavoidable. But, if the exercise feels like a job, you’re doing it wrong.
What was your favorite part of your big day?
This is a tough one. There were so many moments that I enjoyed and everything goes so fast that day. I think my favorite part was seeing how much fun everyone was having, that those who you wouldn’t expect to see dancing, were. Derek and I felt that we had accomplished what our dream was, to have a big party, and that’s evidenced by the great photos our photographer George took at the reception.
Thank you to GLK Creative for sending us this fun baseball themed wedding from Long Island, New York. Be sure to stop by their blog to see more fantastic photography.
And Nicole & Derek, we wish you a lifetime of love, laughter, and happiness! May every day be better than the last!
If you have an engagement, wedding, day after, or anniversary session that you would like featured- Please send it to us at submissions@groomsoldseparately.com. We HEART submissions!
I was a ball of tears and smiles! Keith really did an awesome job and completely fooled me, which is very hard to do! It was an over the top evening!
Something new: my dress & jewelry. Something borrowed: my best friend/matron of honor’s veil from her wedding. Something blue: it was going to be a blue garter, but I ended up finding a super cute purple one last minute and couldn’t pass up using it! 
image courtesy of 
