Bridal Bliss: Joslyn and Shannon’s New York Wedding

“In 2013, Shannon went to London to study film,” says Joslyn of the moment she knew he was ‘The One.’ “I could barely function without him in my daily life. Him being so far away was unbearable and I realized he was a part of me and not only did I want him, I needed him.”

“I have a lot of curly thick natural hair,” Joslyn explains. “The idea of straightening it stuck me with such fear. My hair does not play well with any sort of moisture and the last thing I wanted was to try to wear it straight and it end up looking limp or frizzy. So I decided to not fight my texture and wear a voluminous side pony with braided details to keep my sides in place.”

“I decided to wear flats,” admits Joslyn. “My feet get tired in heels quickly and being tall with a dress that was so long, I didn’t need them. I found a lovely rose gold pair from Kate Spade that matched my wedding ring. I also had Meg Jewelry earrings that I got at Kleinfeld’s and a rose gold hand chain from Rebecca Minkoff, both of which played off the triangle shapes of my dress’ straps. I went for a tea length satin trim veil from Hailey Paige as well.”

We love all of the custom elements the bride incorporated into her big day.

“My dress is by Hailey Paige,” says Joslyn. “I got it at Kleinfeld’s in NYC and that place has thousands of dressed to choose from. It took me three months to find it. I actually purchased a different one initially, and went home crying that day because I didn’t really want it but felt pressured because it was taking me so long to pick one. Luckily I had a 24 hour window to cancel my order. Later that night I was flipping through a magazine, saw THE Dress, and immediately made an appointment to try it on.”

Lima Barnes perfected the bride's wedding day beauty look while she got her hair done at the We Love Hair Salon in Harlem

“I felt like there are so many days in life that don’t matter,” Shannon tells us of the day he married this lovely woman. “And then all of a sudden you’re doing something that is really special, meaningful and important. It was such a blur and at at the same time I had never felt more clarity.”

Joslyn's bridal glow was contagious!

Bridal party photo perfection at its finest!

“Since it was October I really wanted a soft, elegant fall feel to the wedding,” Joslyn explains. “I kept in mind my secret garden theme when choosing the colors and textures. (Flower types: ornamental cabbage, cabbage roses, pink and green hydrangea, eucalyptus, dahlias, seeded eucalyptus, and succulents).”

Flower types: ornamental cabbage, cabbage roses, pink and green hydrangea, eucalyptus, dahlias, seeded eucalyptus, and succulents.

“He has this quality I call ‘delusional confidence,’” Joslyn shares. “He goes after what he wants no matter how lofty or impossible with all the assurance in the world he can do it. He’s bold and almost fearless. It’s something I wish I had. He is also a great caretaker, I always feel so safe when I’m with him and that I can be my true self.”

Joslyn couldn't wait for Shannon to see her in her dress on the big day. This "first look" photo is so sweet.

Joslyn says she and Shannon share common goals in life, which only makes their bond stronger.

“I wanted Shannon to also have a moment and really be inspired by the venue by incorporating green,” says Joslyn of her groom’s bold tuxedo choice. “I showed him a few different styles and he liked the idea of a brighter jacket. He picked the jacket from Versace and everything else was Kenneth Cole. The groomsman suits were from Mens’ Wearhouse. I went for a sleek all black look, I thought it looked nice and clean with the bridesmaids’ grey dresses.”

“I was stalking her on Facebook and I fell in love with this one picture of her in a dark hallway of our college dorm, (our college lights were so depressing),” Shannon recalls. “She had on a blue top and was looking over her shoulder at the camera smiling. And she was just this light at the end of the hallway. I had a tough life and I remember saying to myself, ‘She could be my light!’”

“My parents paid for about 75 percent of the wedding and we paid for the rest with some help from Shannon’s parents,” says the bride. “We went over budget with the number of guests. It was a small wedding but very hard to decide who would get an invite, so we ended up adding more people than we wanted to.”

"My grandmother will be 90 years old this year," Joslyn says. "She's the only grandparent I've ever known and it was the greatest gift to have her witness my special day!"

Joslyn, Shannon and their bridal party were certainly dressed to impress on the big day.

“The bridesmaids dresses are from David’s bridal,” Joslyn shares. “I thought the gray went well with the venue, didn’t fight my dress and was a color the ladies could wear to other events. I let them all chose their own style as long as they were short. That way, everyone was comfortable and had something that fit their body types. My maid of honor and matron of honor had long dresses. They wore forest green suede pumps from Nine West which went well with their bouquets.”

"He's my best friend," says Joslyn. It was their rare and beautiful friendship that helped seal the deal when she decided to give him her heart.

“I said yes to his proposal because he’s my best friend,” Joslyn tells us. “He loves his family and friends and we have similar goals in life.”

Joslyn's dress fit her beautifully.

“I moved to London for grad school and she stayed behind in New York,” says the groom. “When I came back on a spontaneous trip to surprise her, I realized how much we needed each other. You should’ve seen the state she was in. She and her apartment were such a wreck, and I wasn’t in much better shape.”

The smart couple posted this sign on their wedding day. Too many guests get lost in their phones and miss all of the magic happening on a couple's big day.

The DIY savvy bride and her matron of honor Adrienne, who used to work at a flower shop, really put in work. “We even built the arch out of birch branches, flanked with hydrangea and glass tubes filled with succulents and wax flower hanging,” she recalls.

“We used to chairs the venue provided and opted for cream cushions to brighten up the space,” Josyln explains. “Every chair on the aisle had a small bird's nest that I also crafted with my MOH out of tiny branches from the craft store and accented with wax flowers and succulents.”

“The flower girls carried moss baskets filled with silk rose petals and wax leaf crowns I ordered from Etsy,” the bride shares.

“Shannon was all waterworks from the moment the procession started until I got to him at the altar,” Joslyn recalls. She was beyond moved.

Joslyn walked down the aisle to Ed Sheeren’s “The One.” Her father had the honor of escorting her. “I was so blessed to have him there,” she recalls.

“I have always imagined myself as a wife but I wasn’t someone who thought about their wedding as a young girl,” Joslyn explains. “But in the moment I felt like such a woman, if that makes sense. I felt elegant, wise, and very sure in myself and my choice in a husband. I think that was why I floated through the day and smiled a lot. My head was in the clouds!”

Joslyn's beautiful bridesmaids looked lovely from head-to-toe.

This is one of the bride's favorite photos. And, we can see why!

“At the altar I felt very calm,” says Joslyn. “I literally felt like I was floating in a cloudy daze.”

During their intimate Christian ceremony the couple exchanged heartfelt vows.

“Our Christian ceremony was inside and had a lot of traditional elements,” Joslyn shares. “But my favorite non traditional part was that we chose a husband and wife, our pastors, to marry us. It was nice having a man and woman’s voice at the altar.”

The bride and groom pucker up at the altar.

Hooray for the bride and the groom!

“Joslyn is inspiring, divine and a breath of fresh air,” says Shannon.

The proud groom poses with his parents.

We just love this photo.

“I definitely did not think I’d find love this way,” says Joslyn. “I certainly didn’t think I’d end up with someone from my college. The way it all happened was very interesting. The first two years we got to know each other on a friend level so we saw all of each others flaws. And even after all that we still wanted each other. It’s been great though because after getting married, there are no real surprises that make us question our relationship.”

This aerial view of the couple's unique wedding venue is everything.

Say hello to Mr. and Mrs. Ko!

For their first dance, the couple chose “La Vie En Rose” by Nat King Cole (in french, because they got engaged in Paris.

“The Alger House offered us the best price for the uniqueness factor,” says Joslyn of their cozy New York City venue.

Vintage family wedding photos added a special touch to the reception.

“My mother hired our family friend Robin to coordinate my wedding on the day of,” says Joslyn. “I created a diagram and lists of how I wanted things to be. She made sure everything from the cake to the place cards was where it was supposed to be.”

Could these tables be any cuter?

The newlyweds were surrounded by love on their big day.

Guestbook perfection!

This cake needs no caption. It's unique, elegant and looks delicious. Just wow!

“I’m not big on icing so we opted for a naked buttercream cake with passionfruit filling,” Joslyn explains. “I wanted something light and moist. It was served with a pear glaze ice cream that the guests loved. I topped it with succulents made out of sugar that I found on Etsy and brought to the baker.”

A Dj kept the party going all night long.

The fun-loving groom steals a kiss.

Join us as we congratulate the bride and groom. Leave them comment love below! Want to see your wedding featured in Bridal Bliss? Email us now!