Neither Josie nor Nick wore a dress on the big day, but they did both wear custom suits from the tailors at Watson Ellis. “Melissa and Kat are dream makers,” gushes Nick, who had the team create a look inspired by Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca. “We wanted to bring that style into 2023,” she says. “They sent me a sample of this crushed silk fabric that they sourced. I was apprehensive at first, but ultimately decided to trust the experts. I love that I did. The jacket is unique and modern, softens up the look, and overall makes the outfit special.” To complete her look—and introduce a nod to her roots—Nick had her friend, jeweler Elizabeth Kranz, create a bolo tie featuring the Fergie motto and crest on a bloodstone.
Josie embraced classic bridal white in a custom suit design that matched her own creative spirit. “Melissa and Kat were so open to working with me and my wild ideas,” she says. One unique detail the trio came up with was to create piping with tulle. Seen on the seams of the suit coat, the tailors worked to find a fabric that would perfectly coordinate with Josie’s skin tone. “I am not one to ever go with any sort of lace or tulle, but what made this piping so interesting was the dimension it was bringing to a classic white suit,” she says. The designers also decided to add a touch of Western detailing with a curve on the back of the coat and silver buckle straps on the side of the pants. A vest was the final piece of the puzzle proposed by the Watson Ellis team. Josie adds, “If we were doing a vest, I wanted an absurd amount of buttons.”
The wedding party was also encouraged to get creative with their suiting. “We just thought it would be so fun to see everyone in suits that made them feel their best,” shares Nick. “Josie chose a specific color palette that people stuck to, but we weren’t super choosy about what people wore exactly. It was a fun way to see everyone express themselves.”
The ceremony, led by their fathers, brought on an intense wave of emotions for both newlyweds. “I couldn’t get all of my vows out without crying. It meant so much to me,” shares Nick. “I was doing my absolute best to stay in the moment.” Josie adds, “I thought I was going to pass out—literally. I am not a fan of public speaking and I tend to nervous laugh, but Nick just gripped my hands immediately and I went full tunnel vision! I can confidently say I blacked out and don’t remember seeing anyone during the ceremony. Sorry friends!” At the end of the “blur” of a ceremony, Nick says they were so excited that “I didn’t give my dad a chance to pronounce us married before we walked down the aisle!”
After taking a moment for themselves (and enjoying “a very necessary drink”), the Fergie-Bunces headed to cocktail hour to have a personal moment with every guest. The party then migrated to the reception terrace. Defined by a “custom formation” that Josie designed with bold draping of a chartreuse mesh fabric, the space featured woven pendant lights and unique, green floral displays by Puni Petals.
“We wanted it to feel more like a party, so right after the father-daughter dance, we opened up the dancing and buffet,” shares Nick. “Everyone could choose when they ate, drank, or danced. The DJ was incredible and for the last couple hours we had amazing live musicians join.” The now-married couple can now confidently say it was the best day of their lives. “We love looking at the pictures and remembering all of the little moments,” they share. “The greatest thing is looking back at all of the little steps we took to get to this point—all the missed connections to now living happily together in New York City.”