Letter From The Editor

I had a realization the other day, and it brought a smile to my face: there has never been a better time to get married. This very moment in time is what I like to think of as our renaissance.

Whether you’ve been engaged for years or days, we all share a certain commonality of resilience. We have faced crisis and uncertainty in a way we never imagined. We have been made to pivot our plans, re-evaluate our lives, and continue to drum on with the trust that life as we once knew it, would somehow resume normalcy. In this endurance, love has prevailed, stronger than ever- more certain than ever. Couples have survived the dark ages, and emerged with adoration for each other.

Four issues ago, I asked brides and grooms to not lose hope. Now two years later, I’m seeing and feeling the serendipity. Weddings are in full swing. Venues and vendors are busier than ever. The world has opened its doors, and couples are having their cake and eating it too. At this very moment, we are basking in the exquisite revival of weddings, and we have so much to celebrate.

For this issue of Sophisticated Weddings, we’re here to embrace this time of inspiration, celebration, and renewal. Through thick and thin, we have always been here to guide and uplift, and we always will be. In the spirit of happy endings, our cover features a setting fit for a majestic fairy tale: The Legacy Castle. As we dance into the new age of weddings, it was only fitting that we photograph newlyweds Brylee Ivers and “Dancing With The Stars” pro Brandon Armstrong just a couple of weeks before their actual wedding day.

As we twirl into this most zestful era of weddings, we’ll also honor progression. The Pierre Hotel has stood tall as an iconic New York City

landmark of Old New York. It has seen the Great Depression, World War II, and all major events for the greater part of a century. Where we saw a pandemic, The Pierre saw opportunity, and just this past year, the hotel had reopened its magnificent ballroom after a complete renovation. You can read all about this legendary Fifth Avenue fixture in this issue’s feature, “90 Years”.

The Pierre Hotel wasn’t the only one that has taken this time to make some enhancements. Crystal Plaza in New Jersey has also debuted some gorgeous room renovations. It’s for this reason we decided to catch up with a fun-loving couple that we’d previously photographed for a feature earlier in the pandemic. In “Year One”, we’ve reunited with “Impractical Jokers” star James “Murr” Murray and his newlywed wife, Melyssa, as they mark their first wedding anniversary.

So here we are; this is our renaissance. Since our first issue of Sophisticated Weddings nearly ten years ago, I have never felt more inspired and invigorated as I do today. It is our greatest honor to be on this journey with you as your dreams are made a reality.

Yours to honor yesterday, seize the present, and commence tomorrow,

Samantha