Kori Dyer likes to call herself “the least directionally-coordinated person alive.” But thankfully, her terrible sense of place is the reason she first met her husband, David Mastroieni. During their freshman year of college at Pennsylvania State University, Dave spotted Kori making her way towards a mutual class they shared. He decided to follow her, thinking she knew where she was going, but as fate would have it, they both mistakenly ended up on the other side of campus. “He introduced himself and explained the predicament, and we ended up grabbing a cup of coffee together and ditching the class,” she remembers. “A few Thai lunch dates and episodes of The Office later, and the rest is history.”
Kori, co-Founder of @dearestcreative, and Dave, writer, dated for almost ten years before getting engaged during a short vacation in the Caribbean. “Dave insisted that we carry our luggage as opposed to checking it,” she recalls. Later that night under the stars (and a total lunar eclipse with Aries rising over Libra), Dave got down on one knee and proposed. “He’s an Aries and I’m a Libra—this extremely unique astrological event literally represents the blending of opposites,” she remembers. “I’ll never forget how prominent and saturated the sky was that night.”
When looking for their wedding venue, the couple, who live in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, knew they wanted a place that evoked the vibe of their neighborhood. “Industrial and historical, so a bit of challenge,” Kori explains. “Glasserie was right up our alley—not too mention six blocks from our apartment.” The restaurant had actually never hosted an event of such a large size, but Kori and Dave were determined to make it work. To help with the planning, they hired Nicole Sheppard of All Who Wander Events.
As for the dress, Kori had a clear idea of exactly what she wanted. “A classic silhouette with no bells and whistles,” she says. She visited several alternative bridal boutiques in Manhattan, but didn’t find anything she liked until she arrived at the Wedding Atelier and tried on a few options. The very last dress she tried on, by Antonio Gal for Tulle, was perfect. “A gentleman came over to my pedestal, checked the measurements and proclaimed, ‘this my dear was made for you.’ Turns out, it was Antonio himself and that just about sealed the deal.”
Unlike most brides, Kori wasn’t afraid to go big with her accessories. “I knew I wanted a bold statement necklace and a very natural beauty look,” she adds. “My goal was Art Deco meets Old Hollywood Glam.”
The couple tied the knot at St. Anthony St. Alphonsus Church in Brooklyn. The two grew up in the Catholic Church, so it was important to their families for them to get married in a traditional ceremony. Even so, the by-all-other-means untraditional couple managed to fit in a few surprises. “We had a few prayers read in Polish and even subbed in an equality poem instead of an Old Testament reading,” Kori says. “It was important to us for everyone to feel included and respected.”
After they were declared Mr. and Mrs. Mastroieni, guests headed over to Glasserie where a feast of Mediterranean and Middle Easter cuisine awaited them. Strung lights and tea candles covered the space, and wild flowers and sprigs of greenery created a warm, dreamy effect. For the couple’s first dance, Kori and Dave chose an equally romantic song: “God Only Knows,” by the Beach Boys. “Right after that, the checkered dance floor was suddenly full of dancing guests,” remembers Kori. “We could not have asked for a more wonderful evening!”
Kori + David from LVL 13 Cinematography on Vimeo.
Kori and Dave may have kept their wedding local, but for their honeymoon, they always knew they wanted to embark on a real trip. The two started out on the beaches of Bali, and then it was onto the countryside of New Zealand. See photos of their adventure and inspire your own fun, far-flung honeymoon itinerary.
