Kim and Tom's Vintage Tiki-Style Brooklyn Wedding

The Couple

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Chellise Michael Photography

Most couples save a dreamy Hawaiian island vacation for their honeymoon, but New York City dwellers Kim Loconto and Tom Harmon brought the beach to Brooklyn for their wedding. "Vintage tiki stuff is my obsession," says Kim, a graduate student. "Tropical drinks, flowers, and sounds of the vibraphone and ukulele—they just create a fantasy getaway." And at their wedding, attended by nearly 120 loved ones, the 50 tiki mugs, four types of pizza (including a pineapple version, natch), and one exotica band imported from the Big Island also contributed.

"Serving pizza slices as hors d'oeuvres may sound like a reception planned by an 8-year-old boy, but I certainly didn't hear anybody complaining," jokes Tom, who works for the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative. In fact, the couple is highly adept at throwing this type of cool, curated party. Kim, once upon a time in 2010, hosted a '90s-theme birthday party with glow sticks, Brit-pop, and the movie Kids in the Hall: Brain Candy. At that point, she and Tom were just friends, getting together every week to play bar trivia and attend a movie-night club meeting. But when he showed up to the party in a T-shirt featuring Sloan, a Canadian '90s band Kim loves, and with flowers in hand, their relationship took a turn for the romantic.

Two and a half years later, Tom proposed in their apartment with a glow-stick ring he had saved from that '90s birthday party. (They went shopping soon after for a replacement.) The tropical tango didn't end at the one-of-a-kind wedding, which included a reception at Roberta's; a few months later, they jetted off for two weeks in—where else?—Hawaii.

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The Save-the-Dates

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Chellise Michael Photography

For their save-­the-­dates, Tess Emily Rodriguez, Kim's friend, drew the couple based on a photo, adding a hibiscus hair ornament and pineapple tie.

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The Ceremony

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Chellise Michael Photography

The first stop of their big day was Queen of All Saints Church, where the two exchanged Catholic vows.

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A Tropical Touch

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Chellise Michael Photography

The bride carried her orchid bouquet in a silver tuzzy-muzzy; her nails, painted at Ria Nailz in Brooklyn, incorporated the day's tropical theme, too.

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The Fashions

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Chellise Michael Photography

Kim, in a vintage-­inspired lace dress by Jamie Von Stratton and an orchid headpiece, shared a happy moment with her groom, Tom, in an Epaulet suit. After the ceremony, the newlyweds posed for pictures in the neighborhood surrounding the Fort Greene church where they exchanged vows. "Happily, the Brooklyn Flea was taking place just across the street," Tom says. "It was fun to take pictures surrounded by vintage junk—our favorite stuff!"

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Antique Road Show

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Chellise Michael Photography

A vintage taxi, decked out in sunflowers, took the couple to the reception.

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The Reception Dress

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Chellise Michael Photography

After the ceremony, Kim changed into a second outfit, a 1960s cocktail dress she found in a Jersey City vintage shop. "I originally bought it for our 'Florida' reception in November," she says, "but I ended up wearing it in Brooklyn because my wedding dress was too heavy for dancing!"

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The Reception

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Chellise Michael Photography

"I love the balance between a traditional church ceremony and a lighthearted reception," Tom says. So after the service, the rest of the crew hopped a bus to a pizza place for slices and two signature cocktails: the Loconto Punch (rum, rye, lemon, and bitters) and the Tom Tom Goose (gin, lemon, and Fernet Branca).

Tables were decorated with papayas and tiki mugs filled with rattlesnake ginger, a gloriosa lily, ferns, and a pink pineapple.

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Curated Centerpieces

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Chellise Michael Photography

Kim collected nearly 50 tiki mugs for their centerpieces from Etsy, eBay, and thrift shops. "I'll take credit," Tom jokes. "I feel like I carried almost all of them home from the post office."

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Retro Sentiments

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Chellise Michael Photography

Guests dropped cards into a suitcase adorned with retro postcards.

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The Food and Fun

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Chellise Michael Photography

During cocktail hour, guests snacked on four different types of pizzas, all courtesy of their venue, Roberta's.

Following a family-style feast—"I could've eaten the Swiss chard gratin for hours," Tom says—everyone got their groove on. (Kim's advice to brides: "If you can't talk to everyone, at least dance with them!") As for the music? "DJing your own wedding is hard," Tom recalls. "I love hearing 'Monster Mash' at parties, and in a major oversight, I forgot to include it on our playlist."

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The Cake

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Chellise Michael Photography

Tiers of coconut-­passion-­fruit and ginger­-lime cake (made by Nine Cakes) made up the dessert.

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The Favors

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Chellise Michael Photography

Kim's mom filled Hawaii­-inspired favor boxes with saltwater taffy.

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Sources

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Chellise Michael Photography

Ceremony Location: Queen of All Saints Church

Reception Location and Catering: Roberta's

Flowers: Brrch

Photography: Chellise Michael Photography

Save-the-Dates: Tess Emily Rodriguez Art

Cake: Nine Cakes

Music: Kitty Chow & Fisherman

Bride's Dresses: Jamie Von Stratton; Another Man's Treasure

Bride's Accessories: Amber Ray headdress; Marmelange shoes; Doyle & Doyle rings

Hair: Michelle Casino of Fringe Salon NYC

Manicure: Nail Art by Ria Lopez

Groom's Suit: Epaulet

Groom's Accessories: Nicole Miller shirt; Florsheim by Duckie Brown shoes; General Knot & Co. tie

Groom's Hair: Fellow Barber

Transportation: FilmCars

Donuts: Dough

Pie: Steve's Authentic Key Lime Pies

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