Curren Bell and Kip Robbins first met at Rollins College, when she was just a freshman, and he, a dreadlocked junior, caught her eye. “I remember the moment I decided I was in love,” Curren recalls. “He was wearing a pink Ralph Lauren button down with his dreads pulled back into a bun. He was confident, easy going, and gentle. I had my sights set.” And yet, it would be years, six to be exact, before the two actually started dating. “We connected in Kip’s hometown of Palm Beach, where my parents have a home, and we’ve been together ever since.”
Five months after dating, the two moved into Curren’s apartment in New York, where Curren is founder of Cosa magnetic charm bracelets, and Kip is an analyst at Nomura Securities. A little over two years in to the relationship, the couple was on a trip in Chianti, when Kip popped the question. “He was really nervous and had this backpack that he wouldn’t let go of,” she remembers. “I hate to say I knew, but I knew! I don’t know if he even said anything, but the ring was there and he was down on one knee.”
The bride always wanted to get married at her parents’ home in Connecticut. “The setting of my parents’ house in Southport is spectacular, overlooking the Long Island Sound with a sprawling backyard,” she explains. She also wanted a spot where she felt comfortable and grounded as she’s never been at ease when the spotlight is focused on her—and what better place to provide that than the home she grew up in?
When looking for a dress, Curren, like many brides, had a better idea of what she didn’t want than of what she did—nothing strapless, with bows, and zero sparkle. “I knew if I kept trying dress after dress I would get confused,” she adds. “Bergdorf’s was our second stop, and I ended up choosing the first dress that I tried on there by Naeem Khan.” The crewneck design instantly appealed to the self-proclaimed tomboy, as did the embellished beaded details on the delicate lace flowers. For some contrast, Curren added a pale blush layer to the dress and had a blue monogrammed appliqué sewn on the inside of the bodice. “Initially I wasn’t planning on changing into a second outfit, but a few weeks before the wedding, my mom and I were at Bergdorf’s for a fitting and we found a Michael Kors Collection white lace jumpsuit,” she says. “It was almost like a second skin and so perfect for dancing.”
As for her accessories, she ended up going with a pair of Rene Caovilla blush sparklers and a few personal jewelry items: her mother’s diamond earrings, her signet and engagement ring, and a Cartier Love bracelet. Beauty details were kept to a minimum except when it came to her manicure. “My nails were done by Sarah at Vanity Projects in the Lower East Side; she managed to paint the hand sketched motif from our invitation directly onto my nails.”
When the big day finally came, the couple was adamant that the ceremony set the tone: They wanted it to feel like a party! “Moments before walking down the aisle, I told my dad that I was afraid I was going to faint,” Curren remembers. “To ease my anxiety, he told me I should twirl him halfway down the aisle to take the attention off of me for a second. We did it and my anxiety melted away.” The ten-minute ceremony was officiated by Curren and Kip’s close friend Nicholas de Kwiatkowski, and instead of vows, two friends read out a list of non-negotiables written by the bride and groom, which included everything from travel to trust, to past relationships, and TV in the bedroom. Contemporary violinists Chargaux provided the music throughout, playing Jamie Foxx’s “Blame It” as Curren and Kip exited the ceremony as newly pronounced husband and wife.
At the reception, there wasn’t a traditional sit down dinner. Instead, the tent was set up with lounge style seating, which allowed guests to easily mingle to and from cocktail hour and dinner before the dancing got started. “We wanted to make sure that even though there was no seated dinner that there would be a ton of food that just kept coming,” says Curren. They ended up serving a variety of small plates, including chicken and waffles, sushi, hot dogs, and a burrata bar. “Instead of a cake, we had a late night pizza truck, shot glasses of milk with cookies, miniature pies, and a gourmet Dippin Dots bar,” she adds. “Needless to say, we were eating leftovers for days.” To help her every step of the way during the planning process, Curren enlisted celebrity wedding planner, Marcy Blum, and she and her team made sure everything was seamless.
When it came time for the revelry, the band, Gen8, kicked off the festivities with the Hora. The couple then danced to Ed Sheeran’s “Thinking Out Loud” for their first dance. When it was time for speeches, Curren’s sister and maid of honor stole the show. “She sang ‘Part of Your World’ from The Little Mermaid, which was a favorite movie from our childhood,” she explains. “Before the band wrapped up, the fireworks began and Marcy’s team passed out 3D glasses so everyone could really enjoy the show. It was magical!”
After the pyrotechnics had wrapped up, the dance party continued. “Southport has a noise restriction after 11:00 P.M., so we took the party inside. Marcy’s team had cleared out the room to turn it into a dance floor and we had a mini photo booth.” Julian Cavin DJed while bacon, egg, and cheeses and personal bottles of Champagne were passed out to the late-night crowd, and Marcy and her team recycled the flowers into “bouquets to go” party favors for departing guests. The whole evening finally ended around 5:00 A.M. with the bridal party in the pool!
