Music Inspired Glam Gold & Amethyst Wedding: Cassandra & Ernie

Cassandra & Ernie were inspired by 70s glam rock, their hometowns of New York and Cleveland, succulents, candlelight, glitter, neon signs, gold and amethyst. They also love the juxtaposition of organic and geometric shapes, speakers, amplifiers and vinyl. Phew. That’s some awesome wedding inspiration right there and made for one hell of a wedding!

Overall, they really wanted a rock ‘n’ roll party, and that’s exactly what they had – we are just crazy-in-love with their music inspired wedding.

Words by Cassandra. Images by Suzuran Photography.

Ernie and I first connected over the mutual love of an obscure band. Our relationship was built on the foundation of an appreciation for music so when we went to The Music Box Supper Club, a concert hall in Cleveland, we knew it would be the perfect setting for our wedding.

While the ceremony was non-religious, we did incorporate elements from Filipino wedding tradition, including the placement of the veil over the bride and groom (symbolising the marital home), wrapping a cord around the couple (symbolising their bond) and the exchange of coins (symbolising a commitment to support each other).

The wedding heirlooms were actually a gift from Ernie’s parents and were used in their wedding three decades prior.

The question I asked when trying on every dress was, “Can I dance in this?” This one was sexy, comfortable and the open back with beading looked amazing.

I didn’t want a veil that covered too much of the back of the dress since the back is the showstopper, so I opted for a blusher veil from IDOVeils on Etsy.

Funny story… I made my sister (my matron of honour), switch shoes with me the day before the wedding. She was definitely a good sport about it.

Since all of the bridesmaids had completely different body types, I told them to go out and find their own dress. It could be $50 or $500 as long as they found a long, gold dress that they were comfortable in. I was a little nervous because I didn’t get to see most of the dresses in person until the day of the wedding, but I loved the end result of the different golds and textures creating a beautiful palette.

“Something” by the Beatles was the song my father walked me down the aisle to, and we proceeded out of the ceremony to “Where Is My Mind?” by the Pixies

When we were introduced as husband and wife for the first time, we came out to “Blitzkrieg Bop.” There’s no feeling quite like seeing your friends and family greet you by chanting “Hey ho, let’s go!”

We had the most amazing photographers I’ve worked with. They even came out to NYC, where Ernie and I currently live, to shoot our engagement photos. Would love to work with them again someday.

We styled everything around the concept of music. Old LPs were spray painted gold and served as chargers, nameplates and menus for guests. The backdrop for the ceremony was created out of speakers and amps stacked on top of each other, table numbers were designated by famous album covers, a guitar case served as our card/gift box, and a book about C.B.G.B.’s became our guest book.

I heard one of my relatives hated the music at another family member’s wedding, so we bought black earplugs, and we placed them around the tables in cellophane bags with stickers that read “The Sounds of Silence”.

We supplied gold and black cake boxes with stickers that pulled from song lyrics such as, “In the midnight hour, she cried more, more, more!” for taking home desserts and cake. And we didn’t intend this as a favour, but a lot of people took home the chargers off the tables, which were customised for each wedding guest. Each charger looked like a gold LP.

I wanted the cake to be more minimalist since there was a lot to look at visually around the wedding. As simple as it looked outside, inside were three different combinations of cake and frosting.

If we could impart any words of wisdom to other brides and grooms we would say…

Choose your priorities for your wedding and be willing to be flexible where you can. Try to play to your strengths during the planning process and realise what you need to outsource.

As a wedding present to ourselves, Ernie and I decided to hire a wedding planner to help coordinate all of our vendors. Not only was it a lifesaver when trying to plan a wedding out of state, but it was also during those last crucial weeks before the wedding when all of your vendors are trying to contact you at once.

It also makes the day a lot less stressful when someone is coordinating everything behind the scenes for you. Best wedding investment ever.

Absolutely in love with this wedding colour scheme. Loving the amethyst and gold – and Cassandra’s dress… just wow!!

wedding credits / photographer: suzuran photography / wedding venue: the music box supper club / wedding planner: kirkbrides / brides dress: love marley via lovely bride / brides veil: i do veils / grooms suit: asos / bridesmaid dresses: unknown / bridesmaid shoes: their own / florist: molly taylor & co / wedding cake and desserts: kb confections / entertainment: the nuclears / earrings: crystal avenue / videography: avalanche