A Vintage-Inspired, Farm-to-Table Wedding in New York

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avril quy wedding new york couple trees green — Jessica Antola

By the time they said their I do's on August 5, 2017, three years after they met, Avril Nolan and Quy Nguyen had already traveled all over the world together. There are many interesting things to know about their relationship, but this—that they love to hop on a plane and land somewhere new—may be the most telling.

While others travel for work or relaxation, Avril, a brand consultant, and Quy, director of styling for Ralph Lauren Home, seek out beauty and history. They might scour flea markets for rare Yves Saint Laurent dresses from the '70s, or stop in Kyoto for one-of-a-kind kimono fabric. On their trips, there are no typical arguments about whether to spend the day poolside or on a tour bus. They always agree on what to do: hit antiques stores, markets, and off-the-path neighborhoods to find wares that make their artsy hearts sing.

At the start, though, one might not have thought to pair these two simpatico souls. There is the age difference: He is 43; she is 29. ("But I've been a 70-year-old since I was about 10, and he's more like a child. So we balance each other out," Avril says.) And there's their very different backgrounds: Avril moved from Ireland about eight years ago, and Quy's family escaped Vietnam in 1975, eventually settling in Texas. Yet when Avril saw Quy at a party in Brooklyn, she felt an immediate connection. "I remember him just taking my hands and looking at them. I felt that I'd met him before. Or that I knew him from another time," she says.

They had a very successful first date (at a museum retrospective of sculptor Robert Gober's works) and second date (Avril biked to Quy's apartment with ingredients to make him his first apple crumble), and were soon in love. About a year later, they decided to turn their shared passion for stylish treasures into a shared business. FORM Vintage, an antiques and vintage retailer and consultation brand, is the superchic result. "We're different creatively. I'm into objects and antiques; she's into fashion. I'm more reckless and impulsive, and she's more pragmatic," he says.

Both personalities were brought to bear in planning the romantic yet unfussy, sophisticated yet simple wedding the couple threw at the Stone Ridge, New York, property of Quy's best friend's father. Last summer, the two paused their travels long enough to spend a week with family and friends in the countryside preparing for their nuptials. Then, for one beautiful moment, the perpetually in-motion couple stood still and declared their eternal love for each other. And there was no place in the world they'd rather have been.

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A Simple Invitation

avril quy wedding new york invitations — Jessica Antola

"We wanted to keep our invitations really simple and minimal," says Avril, who addressed the envelopes herself; an illustration of a field of daisies by friend Niamh Langton was printed on the reverse with a blind letterpress impression by Coeur Noir.

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Portrait of a Lady

avril quy wedding new york bride hat outdoors — Jessica Antola

Avril's attire was inspired by Victorian-era paintings, and she radiated old-world elegance on the big day thanks to a vintage lace dress she'd found in London and a wide-brimmed Jacquemus straw hat from France. "I had envisioned multiple Pinterest boards and shopping with my girlfriends," she says. "But I ended up getting the first dress I put on!" The couple's friend (and MSW's style director) Naomi deMañana created her wildflower bouquet. The groom wore a suit by Saint Laurent and wore cowboy boots as a nod to his Texan upbringing.

"There was a lot of coordinating to make sure we didn't see each other," says Avril of the night and day leading up to the ceremony. "It made it more special. Quy and I do so much together and we're rarely apart. I think it was important for us to have a night and morning completely apart."

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With These Rings…

avril quy wedding new york rings heart black white bow — Jessica Antola

True to form, the couple got their gold posy rings, which date to the early 18th century, from an antique-jewelry dealer in London. Instead of buying new wedding rings and having them engraved, the couple scored a pair of early 18th-century posy rings from a London jewelry dealer. The term is derived from the French word for poem, poésie. They can date back as far as the late Middle Ages and are characterized by the secret messages of love inscribed on them. In medieval times, the engravings were done on the outside of the ring; later, they would appear on the inside. "They're extremely rare, so it was very serendipitous that we found two with such beautiful sayings that could fit us," says Avril. Hers reads, "I Will Ever Love the Giver." His reads, "In Thee My Choice I Do Rejoice."

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The Little Ones

avril quy wedding new york kids — Jessica Antola

The ring bearer and flower girls wore gingham, the pattern of the day.

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Keeping Cool

avril quy wedding new york fans — Jessica Antola

Paper fans, printed with a message, were given to guests before the ceremony.

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The Ceremony

avril quy wedding new york ceremony outdoors — Jessica Antola

One of the projects the couple tackled the week before the wedding was the simple white-linen ceremony backdrop. Five panels, sewn together, made up the 30-foot-by-10-foot curtain. Avril's dad officiated the Celtic knot ceremony to honor her Irish roots.

"Clair de Lune," by Debussy, as performed by Shelley Kyle was the soundtrack for the processional. The newlyweds recessed to guests toasting them with the sounds of tuning forks.

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Sweet Emotion

avril quy wedding new york groom family — Jessica Antola

The groom was overjoyed that his parents, in New York for the first time ever, made the trip from Texas for their wedding.

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Shake It Up

avril quy wedding new york milkshakes guests women — Jessica Antola

Guests enjoyed milkshakes from Hudson Valley BBQ Co.—in classic glass milk bottles, naturally—at the reception.

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Cute Cocktail Napkins

avril quy wedding new york cocktail napkins woman guest — Jessica Antola

Along with drinks, guests were given "loves me, loves me not" daisy cocktail napkins foil-stamped by ForYourParty.com.

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Specialty Sips

avril quy wedding new york sake — Jessica Antola

Beautifully packaged bottles of Sōtō Sake made perfect favors. The spirit was also the basis for the sake mint lemonade that was the signature drink at cocktail hour.

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Snap Happy

avril quy wedding new york llama selfie — Jessica Antola

A guest took a selfie with some locals.

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Sign of the Times

avril quy wedding new york guest book — Jessica Antola

An ostrich-feather pen and custom rub-on transfer elevated a simple white notebook-turned-guest book.

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Farm to Table

avril quy wedding new york centerpiece flowers — Jessica Antola

The centerpieces were created with blooms from FiftyFlowers and supplemented with fresh pickings from the property the morning of the wedding. Gingham linens rented from Heather Taylor Home added a homey touch. "People kept telling us to assign seats, but I refused," says Avril. "It's rare to get all these people together, and I wanted them to get to know each other and get out of their comfort zones."

Avril and Quy's wedding caterer, Hudson Valley BBQ Co., served up locally sourced casual fare (think burgers, corn, pie, and milkshakes) and 15 pies for dessert. A wood-fired pizza truck served late night fare.

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