Gem of a Wedding

Let’s cut right to the chase.

Helena, the former spokesperson for the Jewelers of America, first met her future husband, a couture fine jewelry designer and owner of David Alan Jewelry, in New York when she was teaching a seminar to jewelry designers in 2010. David made quite the entrance that day: he was two hours late to class. Tardiness aside, David quickly wooed Helena. By April 2011, they were engaged.

Now, back to that ring.

When David dropped to his knee to ask his love for her hand in marriage, how could Helena say no to the diamond engagement ring that took him five months to create with his own hands?

The fruit of his labor: a 7.82-carat diamond eternity band made from 14 old mine cut diamonds (all between 70 and 100 years old). The underbelly of her ring was also accented with rows of pavé diamonds interspersed between the larger old mine cuts. And, in keeping with David’s signature designer style (where all his rings include one pink diamond), Helena’s features an entire row of pink pavé.

Recalls Helena, “I made him repeat the entire declaration before dropping to the floor in a heap of tears while screaming ‘YES!’”

On April 14, 2012, in front of 90 guests at the Montauk Club in Park Slope, Brooklyn, New York, the couple orchestrated a wedding that, well, suited a gorgeous ring of such caliber. Helena donned a chic, structured trumpet-style Pronovias gown as she walked down the aisle following a whimsical “Here Comes The Bride!” sign held by the four-year-old ring bearer, dressed in dark jeans, a white shirt, blue blazer and a black-and-white bow tie.

As a couple very in tune with their creative side, both Helena and David acted as their own florists—that is, when gems wouldn’t suffice. Yes, centerpieces were simply elegant white orchids in three-feet-tall round vases. But for the bride’s bouquet, antique rhinestone jewelry the couple collected over the summer antiquing in New York and Connecticut replaced the usual flowers.

“Baubles and Brides put it all together,” says David. “She included some of Helena’s grandmother’s pins as well as a rhinestone W pin on the handle—the initial of her new last name!” The something blue on the bride was also pinned to this one-of-a-kind bouquet: a vintage, glamorous blue sapphire and diamond brooch. In lieu of a blossom, the bride’s dad’s boutonniere was also made from an antique piece of jewelry and ribbon.

A chic yet simple reception followed the moving ceremony that brought many of the guests to tears. First, “We had an extra-long cocktail hour! We love to mingle, snack and drink!” says Helena. Rosé Champagne and fine tequila were the signature drinks of the night. David had even worked with the Montauk Club’s bar manager to procure the rarest and finest tequilas to serve.

For dinner, ten tables dressed in ivory linens and adorned with the couple’s DIY orchid centerpieces, floating candles and countless votives welcomed the couple and their family and friends. A buffet followed, again as a motivation for guests to get up and interact as well as a way to present an array of foods that could satisfy them all.

In another departure from the traditional expectations of a classic wedding, like the bouquet of gems, Helena and David chose cupcakes over a wedding cake. Peanut butter, salted caramel, "chocolate cubed" and red velvet were the flavors of choice. A fairy dust of sparkly sugar topped all of the cupcakes’ icing. “It looked exactly like the finish on our invitations and the table numbers,” explains the bride. But even without this added touch, there was plenty of sparkle in this magical evening.

Vendors

• Photographer: Sofia Negron Photography
• Engagement Ring Designer: David Alan Jewelry
• Wedding Dress Designer: Pronovias
• Bride's Bouquet: Baubles and Brides
• Bride's Hair: Jenika Ventura
• Ceremony and Reception Location: The Montauk Club

--Erinn Bucklan