To say that the wedding of fashion stylist Helen Berkun and property manager Dennis Vishnevskiy was intimate is an understatement. There were only six close friends present, with almost all playing roles such as officiant, caterer and musician. “We wanted to be raw and authentic,” says Berkun. “And that’s hard to do when you’re in front of many people.” The duo wed at Millard Park, an English-style garden in suburban Highland Park, in a ceremony inspired by Berkun’s loves of fashion and Tim Burton.
‘Til Death from Fig Media on Vimeo.
To execute their vision, the couple called on friends such as Annie DiTomasso from Sugar Chic design for haunting yet playful décor, Adriana Amarei of Life Made Floral for flowers and photographer Billy Rood to document the day.“We came up with a fairy-tale story about lovers in a forest,” says Berkun. “We came up with a fairytale story about lovers in a forest,” says Berkun. It was filmed by Emily Hard and Tim Musho from Fig Media, and started off with footage of their children, aged five and 10 months, dressed as a magician and an angel. The theme translated to Berkun’s attire, too; she donned an ethereal off-the-rack Tadashi Shoji gown, Manolo Blahnik shoes, a 12-foot veil and a floral wreath on her head.
After saying their vows, Berkun and Vishnevskiy released a dozen monarch butterflies from a red lacquer box, then met 25 friends and family members at Tramonto in Highland Park for dinner and vodka. “We’re both Russian, but that was the only tradition we followed,” says Berkun. But in a ceremony full of memorable moments, one stands out above all: When Berkun walked down the aisle, she was treated to a unique song. “Our friend played guitar, and I forgot to tell him what song I wanted so he played ‘Inside of You’ from the movie ‘Forgetting Sarah Marshall,’ ” she says. “We were laughing so hard!”
— Molly Each
