Brooke & Pete Densing wanted to create a wedding that was fun, nature inspired and one that supported their community. Living in Buffalo, New York gave them such a sense of unity among their neighbors they felt it was necessary to feature the city they loved so much. Despite living a good distance from friends and family, planning their big day was a joint effort and the fact they have similar tastes and style made it much easier to accomplish.

Together for a number of years, these two lovebirds went through a lot in their relationship. Relocating to Buffalo and purchasing their first home was the last goal they checked off the list before the wedding. And having accomplished all they have is something to be proud of. Sadly, both have lost a parent who could not share this exciting time with them. With Brooke losing her father at the age of 13 and Pete losing his mother at 19, it was hard to imagine celebrating such an important occasion without them. However, with the support from everyone around them, they continued on their emotional journey.

The events leading up to the wedding were really special for both Brooke and Pete. The bridal shower was hosted by Brooke’s lovely bridal party, her mother and Aunt Ruth and  held at her aunt’s house where the bride spent many years of her life growing up. This made is more personal and meaningful. Brooke was also lucky to not have one but two bachelorette parties in both Long Island and Buffalo. Having a great night out on the town with the girls for each was certainly a good time.

Pete and his groomsmen, along with a few other good friends, spent a weekend in Buffalo hanging out and having guy time. Since he doesn’t get to see them that often it was really cool to spend time with them all at once. Their rehearsal dinner was at Cozumel Grill which served a buffet style meal so everyone could enjoy each other’s company.

The process of their wedding wasn’t complicated or hectic. From finding her gown at the  bridal shop her sister-in-law went to and picking the bridesmaids dresses to figuring out who to hire for the catering and photography, they made their final choices with ease. Once the dresses were chosen, the wedding colors were picked and everything pretty much slid into place nicely after that. Knowing they wanted to find everything local definitely helped as well.

August 21, 2010, the big day was finally here! Since their ceremony started at 6pm, everyone had plenty of time to get ready. The event was held at the Buffalo & Erie County Botanical Gardens. Falling in love with the gardens made their choice much easier. With both of them big nature lovers and Pete a vegetarian, having their wedding in a place that was connected to the Earth was important. Having had the honor to attend their wedding, I can personally say, the venue was gorgeous.

Before the ceremony, the bride and groom decided to have a first look shoot. Brooke met Pete in the gardens with a smile which he happily returned.

Everyone was seated and the officiant, the father of Brooke’s close friend, was ready to start the ceremony. As the bridal party walked down the aisle to Coldplay’s Til Kingdom Come, Pete stood patiently with his best man and brother as he awaited his bride to be. The bridesmaids all wore champagne cocktail dresses by Priscilla of Boston and held Gerber daisy bouquets while the groomsmen, as well as the groom, wore suits from Mens Warehouse along with a classic on their feet, Converse.

Finally it was time for Brooke to make her entrance. With her older brother Colin by her side, she walked toward her husband to be with glee. Her face was priceless. As My Favorite Smile played into the air, a song written by the groom, the birds chirped and the butterflies joined in the garden. As soon as the ceremony began, it seemed as if their lost loved ones were watching over them as they become husband and wife.

With a bouquet full of Calla Lillies, which had a photo of her father attached, and in a strapless lace gown, the bride looked stunning as her Grandmother’s pearls gleamed and handmade headpiece sparkled. Included in the ceremony was unity sand that was a combination of sand from the beaches of Long Island and Buffalo, which Brooke’s mother and Pete’s aunt joined to unify their new home town. And as soon as we knew it, they were married!

After some time to congratulate the newlyweds, the event was taken indoors in the main space for cocktail hour. Choosing to have this extended, they featured lots of yummy vegan/vegetarian eats and their signature cocktail was Peach Champagne. Chef Avi from Obviously Avi Catering created all the delicious food for the night. Besides his fun personality and full support through all the planning, the couple really loved how he donated leftover food to a local youth shelter.

Dinner was buffet style in the dining room where the bride and groom decided to not have a seating plan in hopes everyone would mingle and get to know each other. The tables were adorned with birdcages wrapped in little wreaths that Brooke and her bridesmaids put together. They also made 1000 origami cranes with her Mom, cousin and best friend to scatter along the tables which represented health and happiness.

Once the dinner hour was done it was time to party. The music was provided by Beamin Sounds and was a mix of songs the couple grew up with as well as ones that influenced their relationship while they were together. Since Pete is a musician this was the one area he was most involved in. He and Brooke made sure the DJ didn’t include group dances and that the music was nonstop without him being on the microphone the whole night.

The toasts were lovely and the cake, made by Zilly Cakes, brought color and whimsy to the room. It’s ombre blue design, cascading stars and hand painted trees represented how much they love nature and tied into their garden theme nicely. It also featured hand painted butterflies on each tier and was made in an almond flavor with homemade raspberry jam and cream cheese frosting. Because fondant isn’t vegan the couple chose not to use it. To top it off, a small tandem bike with their names in the wheel stole the show. Bought from Etsy and made with one continuous wire, it represented the couple’s love for bike riding as well as their endless love for each other.

The first dance was one to remember. The couple’s song was an easy one to choose. It has been their song for the whole 9 years they were together and truly felt it was special. So they graciously danced, hand in hand, to Passenger Seat by Death Cab for Cutie. It was surely a precious moment to be in. To realize that all those years simply led up to this magical moment where the two of them would be surrounded by people who love them as they enjoy being husband and wife.

In honor of his mother, Pete’s aunt Patty joined him on the floor to Landslide by Fleedwood Mac, a favorite of his mother’s as well as his aunt’s. Brooke was led to the floor by her brother Colin and danced away to Guster’s Come Downstairs and Say Hello, his favorite song. The lyrics in the song also references the Wizard of Oz which is the bride’s favorite movie of all time.

The evening was filled with love, laughter and great people. The newlyweds couldn’t ask for anything more. As their guests left the event, they were gifted with a bottle of hot sauce the couple created themselves with Chef Avi. It is known that Pete’s family loves hot sauce and both him and Brooke love it as well. Pete has about 30 bottles in his collection! Chef Avi bottled them all up and adorned each with a custom label Brooke and Pete designed along with another flavor he made just for them.

All the beautiful photographs were taken by Vasili who also filmed their wedding video. Brooke’s brother has used him and his crew for his wedding and since they did such a great job on their video Brooke and Pete hired them as well. It just so happened that Vasili was breaking into photography as well so they had decided to give him the whole event. You can view their wedding video on Vimeo. I highly suggest you take some time to watch it because it’s seriously awesome, just like a movie. I have to say it brought happy tears to my face all over again.

And the two lived happily ever after in their home in Buffalo which they share with their dog Odie and cat Boomer.

Wedding Details:
Venue: Buffalo & Erie County Botanical Gardens
Catering: Obviously Avi Catering – Chef Avi
Wedding Cake: Zilly Cakes
Wedding Cake Topper: Heather Boyd
Music: Beamin Sounds
Videographer & Photography: Vasili
Invitations & Thank You’s: The Wedding Agent
Bridal Gown: NY Bride
Bridal Party Dresses: Susan Deborah Bridal
Brides Jewelry: Wild Things
Bridal Party Jewelry: Wild Things – Karol Kirberger
Flowers: Maureens Buffalo Wholesale