Been wondering why go the extra mile for a bridal portrait shoot? While the tradition began in Southern Europe, at a time when affluent families would hire an artist to paint the picture, we’ve come...
“People thought we were crazy,” says Andrea Zucker, recounting the speed at which she and Nicolas Muzin were engaged. A month after meeting through mutual friends in Washington, D.C. (where they both live), Andrea brought Toronto-native Nick to her hometown of Charleston. While here, they discussed marriage, and that weekend Nick asked Andrea’s father’s permission. Soon after, Nick surprised Andrea with a trip to Israel. The pair—both are Orthodox Jews—flew into Tel Aviv and drove to Jerusalem for the Jewish Sabbath. The following night, Nick took Andrea for a walk through the Old City, and as they strolled beneath an ancient arch, a photographer and violinist appeared. Andrea turned to see an amazing view of the Wailing Wall (the most holy of Jewish sites) and a table set with champagne, strawberries, and flowers. Nick proposed to his delighted bride-to-be and then serenaded her. Designer Tara Guérard set out to plan a wedding just as awe-inspiring and steeped in tradition as the proposal. The bride dreamed of an outdoor ceremony at her family’s home, but the large guest list—550—ruled that out. So Tara brought the outdoors in, with white tents and draping, trees, and lantern light. The bride-to-be wished for a white, black, and red color scheme, thus reams of sheer white fabric made the ballroom space intimate, and hundreds of red roses punctuated the candlelit evening with bright color. “She really created a romantic, holy, and serious mood just right for the occasion,” says a still-thrilled Andrea.
