Celebrity wedding planners set the bar high when it comes to planning your big day. From gorgeous decor to delicious catering, stars always seem to have the most gorgeous weddings. With a bar set so high, what does it look like when a celebrity wedding planner gets married? In the case of Michael Russo’s wedding to Richard Piana, the answer is nothing short of breathtaking!
Michael Russo, of Michael Russo Event Planning & Design, has styled weddings for celebrities such as “Shark Tank” investor Robert Herjavec and his wife Kym Johnson of “Dancing with the Stars,” Kevin Jonas, and Joey Fatone, some of whom were in attendance on Russo’s big day.
One of the perks that comes with being a wedding planner planning your own wedding? Experience.
“We spent the morning together,” Russo told “Equally Wed.” “We had breakfast, then enjoyed the quiet time with our wedding party and family. Being a wedding planner, I know how crazy the day would get and we wanted to have some special time with everyone!”
Piana and Russo’s wedding ceremony took place outside on a beautiful July day in New York. The marriers walked down a black and white striped aisle lined with planters.
“Mikie and I walked separately down the aisle accompanied by each of our mothers,” Piana shared. “We both came to this decision because our families play an important part of our lives. We both wanted to give our mothers the respect and honor to give their sons away to each other.”
The inspiration behind the wedding decor and attire? A pair of striped Christian Louboutin sneakers that created the black and white theme of the day.
Wedding attendants wore black strapless gowns and carried all-white floral bouquets, or black tuxedos with white shirts and long black ties. The black and white theme continued all the way down to their feet with black and white striped heels and freshly shined dress shoes.
The reception was filled with black and white details, from the table cloth and linens and to cocktail napkins and escort cards. Hues of yellow added a vibrant pop of color in the form of florals during cocktail hour. Silver sequins covered the dinner tables to create a disco ball effect to reflect the purple lighting in the room and stand out against the black and white tables and chairs. Elevated centerpieces were placed on each table to add greenery and enhance the black and white theme.
Potato gnocchi and salad were served as an appetizer to the main course, which included a choice of chicken, veal, steak or grilled branzino. After dinner, everyone enjoyed a five tier cake, decorated with a blue heart and alternating between white and silver layers.
Russo and Piana’s wedding was fun for all. Guests tore up the dance floor and posed for hilarious pictures in the photo booth. Everyone went home with a bottle of limoncello.
“Building a life with this man is a gift for which I’ll be forever grateful,” Piana shared. “Everyday with Mikie is a party. It’s moments like this you remember for a lifetime.”
EQUALITY-MINDED WEDDING VENDORS
Photographer: Anthony Vazquez
Venue: Harbor Club at Prime
Videographer: Joseph Edwards Films
Flowers: Pedestal Floral Decorators
Custom aisle boxes: The Showplace
