Danielle Snyder, cofounder and designer of the fashion and
accessories brand Dannijo, and Brandon Shorenstein, who
works in real estate, have several friends who like to lay
claim to having set them up. But it was a Yom Kippur dinner
that actually brought them together. The hostess casually
asked Danielle if she was dating anyone and suggested a
friend’s nephew. “I realized a mutual friend had also tried to
set us up years before,” says Danielle. The two connected and
scheduled a first date. “The emails from the beginning were
pretty funny,” Danielle admits. “Of course, I gave him a Mon-
day!” They hit it off, and in June 2018, Brandon proposed in
Greece. In no time at all, they settled on a date: May 11, 2019.
They chose Harbour Island in the Bahamas, which is
known for its pink-sand beaches, and the Other Side for
the ceremony. “The island is the perfect combination of
bohemian and soulful,” Danielle says. The couple collabo-
rated with event planner Michelle Rago with the goal of
juxtaposing the aesthetics of two favorite movies. “I wanted
the barefoot, wild elements of The Blue Lagoon mixed with
Victorian lace and pearls reminiscent of Legends of the Fall.”
For a wedding dress that evoked this dreamy, romantic
milieu, Danielle went to Reem Acra
for a custom look. “She created me in
a dress! It’s feminine, whimsical, and
unexpected,” says the bride. “My
favorite part was the ‘LOVE YOU’
written in sequins underneath the
tulle skirt.”
The ceremony began at 5:30 p.m.,
as the bridal party made their way
down the aisle to an instrumental
version of “Time of Your Life.” Then
the bride’s niece and nephew—flower girl Margaux and ring
bearer Liev—almost stole the show as Danielle walked in
with her parents to “Bitter Sweet Symphony.” Says the bride:
“Liev yelled ‘yay’ as I got to the chuppah!”
After the exchange of vows and rings, the newlyweds
greeted guests under the tent for dinner. “It was magical
and enchanting,” says Danielle. Brandon and Danielle kicked
off the dancing with Ed Sheeran’s “Thinking Out Loud,” and
Gary Snyder, the father of the bride, gave a speech that
had everyone laughing and crying. For the after-dinner fes-
tivities, Danielle made a quick change into a mini iridescent
Ashish dress worn with Dannijo crystal earrings and Miu
Miu sandals. “It reminds me of Ariel at the end of The Little
Mermaid!” she says. Post-outfit switch, a junkanoo
performance (a street parade with music, dance, and cos-
tumes of Akan origin) got the party started; the band the
Right Mix kept everyone on the dance floor all night long.
At one point, the father of the bride grabbed a saxophone
for an impromptu performance that no one there will soon
forget.—Alexandra Macon
D
HAND
in Hand“We wanted to focus
on enhancing the
beach’s natural
beauty,” Danielle
says, about the
lovely simplicity of
the Other Side.august + september 2019 brides.com