Janee, 33, and Jeffrey, 40, attorneys who first met in D.C. at a political event, were instant soul mates who were forced to split up due to long distance. Six years later, Jeffrey tracked down the love of his life and they reunited. Happily ever after wasn’t far behind. The happy couple was married on September 17, 2011 at The Brooklyn Children’s Museum in an intimate ceremony before those who mean the most to them.
Fashionista Janee couldn’t resist going all out for her wedding day look. “My wedding dress was Matthew Williamson, and my shoes and jewelry were Ralph Lauren,” she says. “The minute I tried on my dress I knew it was the one.”
“I wanted Jeffrey to stand out from the groomsman,” says Janee. “He wore a cream dinner jacket with a polka dot pocket square.”
Janee’s Matthew Williamson wedding dress is fierce from all sides. The stunning cut-out back is flirty, yet elegant.
Each of Janee’s five lovely bridesmaids carried a different color bouquet. It was the perfect way to incorporate pops of color without going overboard.
For six years, Janee and Jeffrey lived apart — at times even in different countries — but he never could get over thoughts of his ex; his soul mate. Thankfully, in 2009 he decided to try and look for her, and when he found her, he found true love.
Tissue alert: As the bride and groom shared a “first look” at each other inside their Brooklyn home before the ceremony, Jeffrey’s wife-to-be Janee lovingly wiped away his tears of joy.
“My bouquet was made of red roses, and each bridesmaid’s bouquet was a different color and flower,” says Janee. “My florist was inspired by the jewel tone bridesmaids dresses in the Sex and the City movie.”
“It was really important to me that my bridesmaids looked good,” says Janee. “Instead of your typical bridesmaid dresses, I wanted them to wear real dresses that they would look and feel fabulous in.” Janee purchased the gowns as personal gifts from her to each of the girls.
Jeffrey shares a hearty laugh with his dapper groomsman, and the father of the bride, as they pose for a spirited portrait session before the ceremony.
When Janee looks at Jeffrey, she sees nothing but love. It’s beautiful to hear about lovers, like them, who get a second chance at happily ever after.
After they spent a year dating in 2003, the couple called it quits for almost six years. It was during this time that Janee tells us, she knew Jeffrey was “The One.”
Together, Janee and Jeffrey make the perfect team. One of the bride’s fondest memories of their time together was in 2009, when they stood outside in the cold, freezing together as watched history be made while President Barack Obama was sworn into office.
The tiered skirt on Janee’s wedding gown makes a statement all its own. This look is perfect for no-fuss brides with an eye for style.
“Our ceremony took place on the rooftop of The Brooklyn Children’s Museum,” says Janee. “We used the cafe inside the museum for the cocktail hour.”
The bride and groom hold hands while reciting their vows. They chose to keep the guest list short and sweet to ensure their moment was intimate and memorable for all involved.
The new Mr. and Mrs. Markowicz share a movie-kiss moment at the altar to seal the deal.
All those in attendance at the couple’s wedding were asked to pose for this awesome keepsake photo. What a great way to get all your guests in on the post-ceremony photo-taking fun.
One of the reasons the couple chose to marry at the Brooklyn Children’s Museum is because it was literally across the street from their home — allowing them to take sweet shots like this one here, all in the comfort of their own living room.
Mr. and Mrs. Markowicz made quite an entrance to their reception, held in an open space the museum uses for traveling exhibits.
“The DJ didn’t have the right song for our first dance,” says Janee. “We had never heard the song before, so after dancing for a minute or two, we motioned for everyone else to get up and start dancing too.”
Moments later, Janee slipped into her Dsquared cocktail gown and Christian Louboutin heels, and she and her father cut a rug. (How precious?)
Jeffrey was adopted, and his mother invited his biological mom to join them during their mother-son dance.
“A lot of people warned us that after our wedding we would feel like we wasted a lot of money on one day,” says Janee. “However, we felt the opposite. Being able to have all of our favorite people in one room, on such a special day, was priceless. We wish we could do it all over again.”
“We planned all of the major stuff together,” says proud new wife Janee. “Jeffrey was in charge of watching our budget and negotiation with people, and I was in charge of the décor and the wedding details.”
“In lieu of favors, we made a donation to the Montreal Children’s Hospital Oncology department,” Janee tells us. “There were cards explaining what we did at each place setting.”
It was great to see Janee swap out her fancy gown in favor of a more freeing cocktail dress. If you’re a bride who plans to boogy on your big day, consider switching gowns at your reception.
It was nice to see that every single one of the couple’s cherished guests were up and on their feet as the DJ spun dance tunes all evening.
“I shopped around for an affordable cake and ended up finding someone great on Craigslist,” says budget-conscious bride Janee.
When it came to feeding her new husband cake, Janee clearly meant business.
“We had a party at our house after the wedding and a brunch for the out-of-town guests the day after the wedding,” Janee tells us. See more beautiful photos from the couple’s modern Brooklyn wedding over at The Bride’s Cafe now. Congrats Janee and Jeffrey!