The Bride Wore a Custom Dress by Hermione de Paula to Walk Down the Delphinium-Lined Aisle at Her Bedford Wedding
Alexandria van Starrenburg and James ‘“Bud” Vallely’s parents knew each other for many years, but it wasn’t until early 2019 when their “kids” officially met, as the latter had been living in China for seven years. “Shortly after he relocated to New York City, and we found ourselves sitting next to each other at a New York Rangers game,” Alexandria remembers. “It didn’t take long for us to connect the dots.”
For Alexandria, it was almost love at first sight—or so she thought. But the couple’s love story didn’t truly begin until years later. “We ran into each other occasionally, but our first date wasn’t until April 2021,” she remembers. “Bud was on a golf trip in Florida and cut it short to make it back in time for dinner, and we discovered we lived only a block away from each other in the West Village.” Bud was on West 11th, and Alexandria was on Perry Street. After their first date, the relationship moved forward quickly, and they were essentially living together within a few weeks.
In 2022, the couple spent the holidays with Bud’s family in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. It was Christmas Day, and after celebrating through the afternoon, they went snowshoeing on the Shooting Star Golf Course. “About 10 minutes in, we noticed a moose resting in our path,” Alexandria remembers. “Bud rerouted us to an open area and before I knew it, he was on one knee…sinking under more snow by the second! It was the perfect Christmas.”
Their wedding was held at the end of the summer in Bedford, New York. “Having grown up in Bedford, I knew I wanted to get married there and have a backyard-style wedding,” Alexandria says. “My father’s property turned out to be the perfect setting. Since Bud grew up in Greenwich, it was also an easy trip for many of our guests.” The bride’s father, Daniel van Starrenburg, is an arborist and the executive chairman of SavATree, a tree, shrub, and lawn care company. “The trees on the property are absolutely spectacular which made for the perfect venue and several trees were planted just for the wedding,” the bride explains.
The couple planned the whole wedding in just eight months. “Once I was connected with event planner Chris Hessney and his team it was relatively easy,” Alexandria says. “Since my mother was going to do the flowers, it was important to me to work with a planner who shared a passion for unique florals and had exquisite taste.”
Her vision was simple, elegant, whimsical—and purple! The bride’s mother, Banchet Jaigla, designed all of the florals for the wedding, from the wild delphinium aisle to the climbing vanda orchid tablescape and potted lady slipper orchids. “She has a flower studio in New York City and Greenwich called Banchet Flowers, but this was her Super Bowl,” Alexandria says. “Chris knew of my mother’s work from New York City, and they made the perfect creative duo. I think they had a lot of fun working together.”
Additionally, the bride’s aunt, artist Pisamai Jaigla, hand-painted all of the wedding invitations, meaning the wedding was very much a family affair. “It made it so much more meaningful to have one-of-a-kind artwork done by my aunt,” Alexandria says. (Many of the florals she painted were included in the wedding as well.)
The search for the perfect wedding dress proved a little more elusive. “After trying on just about every dress in New York, I reached out to Hermione de Paula’s studio in London,” Alexandria recalls. “I had seen some of her couture work and was always enamored by the customization of her embroidery work and use of color.” Having worked in fashion for her entire career—Alexandria currently works on the client engagement team at Chanel—her standards were high, and she wanted something different but needed a designer to help bring her vision to life. “Hermione was an absolute pleasure to work with, and I enjoyed every moment of the process,” she says.
The two ended up creating a completely custom wedding gown. The bride wanted a traditional silhouette with intricate embroidery, and together, they made the dress of her dreams. “I collaborated with Hermione on every aspect of the gown on several trips to London and video calls,” Alexandria says. The flowers on the dress were inspired by the florals that Alexandria’s mother used in the wedding, and Hermione created a custom embroidery for the bodice that incorporated soft colors and light beading. “I don’t think I could have done this with any other designer,” Alexandria says. “Being so far away I had to trust the process but it was all worth it in the end.”
Because Bud is an avid fly fisherman, Alexandria had two fish embroidered on the bodice of her dress along with his name and our wedding date on the skirt. “It was a surprise for him on our wedding day,” Alexandria says. “He loved the surprise and the personal touches. The dress was truly a work of art.” The bride never pictured herself in a veil, so she wore a cape instead. “I absolutely love how it complimented the dress and how perfectly it meshed with the outdoor setting,” she says.
