The idea for their minimalist nuptials came from a conversation with their friend Cécile Winckler. “She told me that I should slick my hair and wear black like a prince, and she told Teresa that she should definitely wear a bustier top to highlight one of her best features,” shares Yesim. “Later, we were having a glass of wine with our friend and neighbor, Bella Guinness, who has the most gorgeous dresses. I mentioned to her that I wanted something that would cover my chest, and she pulled out a dress from her closet and said, ‘Something like this?’ to which my jaw dropped.” The dress was a custom design Rifat Ozbek made for her parents’—artists Elliotte Puckette and Hugo Guinness—wedding in the ‘90s. Yesim says, “I felt an immediate connection to the dress as Rifat Ozbek and I both share the same Turkish heritage, and it was perfect for our ’90s theme. After trying it on and seeing that it was the perfect fit, we all decided it was the one.”
While Teresa and one of her best friends Eileen Feighny spent a day wedding dress shopping, she didn’t feel connected to anything they tried. Teresa then remembered their friend Paul Burgo designs custom bustiers for his own label, Factory New York, and scheduled a fitting appointment to create a custom two-piece ensemble. “Paul created a beautiful set that felt sumptuous and executed Teresa’s vision even better than she had imagined,” shares Yesim.
The couple decided to shop for their wedding rings together. “One afternoon, we dressed up and headed to Madison Avenue,” Yesim says. Their first stop was Buccellati, where the brides remember a dark and luxurious atmosphere with “impeccable service.” Yesim shares, “The ring I thought I had fallen in love with online, the Fedi Eternelle, actually fit Teresa perfectly, and she knew she had to have it.” Next, the pair went to Graff. “Teresa purchased two rings for me—one in white gold and one in white gold with diamonds—because I loved the design of the Laurence Graff Signature pieces so much.”
When the wedding day arrived, the brides called upon their model friends to get them ready. “They joked that it felt like backstage at Paris Fashion Week because we only gave them an hour or so before they had to head with the drivers to the ceremony,” says Yesim. “Mélodie Monrose and Grace Mahary did our hair, Eileen Feighny helped dress us, and Lily Donaldson did our makeup.” While getting ready, the group got in a celebratory mood and popped some Ruinart champagne. Yesim adds, “When our bouquets were delivered, we placed them in the champagne bucket!”