The pair first met in Ukraine when they were kids.
Updated Aug 21, 2024Exclusive: Inside Jewelry Heiress Kate Lagos Sutera's Wedding
The bride donned custom LAGOS jewels on the big day, saying, "The brand is in my DNA."
Kate Lagos Sutera was raised in a jewelry dynasty. Her father, Steven Lagos, founded the fine jewelry brand LAGOS in 1977, which is now synonymous with their signature caviar-style aesthetic: a unique design technique that displays luminous beading on every piece of jewelry in their catalog. There was no question that Kate, who currently serves as LAGOS' Brand Stylist, would include her father's expertise in her bespoke engagement ring design experience, and, later, on her wedding day.
That time came in 2021, when Kate's longtime love Adam Sutera, an independent carpenter, asked for his future father-in-law's blessing—and his help in creating the perfect ring. "I had already shared what I wanted with them both, just in case!" Kate tells us. "My dad has always been a gem hunter. He loves searching for and finding the perfect stone. He picked out the center diamond and designed the setting of the ring itself."
On Kate's 30th birthday trip to Scottsdale, Arizona, Adam dropped to his knee on a group hike, presenting the bride-to-be with an enviable sparkler dripping with sentimentality. "My beautiful ring has three diamonds," Kate explains of the non-traditional design, which is set in an East-West orientation. "The two flanking trillion cut diamonds are from my mother's original engagement ring, and the center stone is a radiant cut set in platinum. I wanted something that felt unique, special and timeless."
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That trio of descriptors—unique, special and timeless—would go on to inspire the couple's wedding vision. Picking a venue for the occasion was an easy choice for the duo. Considering they both hail from the Philadelphia area and live there to this day, there was no other place to consider swapping vows. Their sights landed on Cescaphe's Water Works, a luxe contemporary waterfront venue boasting columned walkways, a vintage gazebo and an art museum along the famed Boathouse Row.
Although Kate always envisioned a fall wedding, the couple's year-and-a-half engagement landed them a spring date: May 27, 2023, to be exact—but the bride didn't let that stop her from bringing her dream aesthetic to life with the help of her planning team, Thoughtful Aesthetic. "I wanted to re-create my vision in the spring season with warm color tones of deep rust, burgundy, gold, dusty rose and champagne," she muses. "Since the venue is breathtaking on its own, I wanted to play off the surrounding elements to bring the entire place to life. With the sun setting off the water, it truly looked like the definition of golden hour."
Perhaps one of the most important elements of her wedding day were the accessories. After all, what would you expect of a jewelry heiress? "It was important to me to include LAGOS jewelry on my wedding day—the brand is in my DNA," she shares. After selecting a strapless ball gown with a pointed sweetheart neckline from Mari Mi Bridal, a boutique in Philadelphia, she worked with her father to create the perfect accompaniments. "My dad and I designed a beautiful pair of 18-karat gold and diamond statement earrings, as well as our wedding bands," she recalls. "Our Caviar collections are so unique, I wanted that reflected in my look for this important day."
Dazzling gems aside, florals were another crucial element for the couple. Kate enlisted the help of Beautiful Booms to source fall-inspired botanicals in the spring. "Flowers are one of my favorite parts of a wedding," Kate explains. "Given my color palette, I was trying to find something that felt as romantic as my vision for our venue. I fell in love with toffee roses during our search. They were the perfect way to tie in the warmth of all my colors, mixed with white hydrangea, champagne carnations, white stock flower and mixed greenery."
Those hues were ever-present in the couple's wedding party attire as well. The bridesmaids dressed in various shades of deep rust, burgundy, gold, dusty rose and champagne tones. And, of course, their looks weren't complete without the Lagos family touch: they accessorized with gifts from Kate's mother's jewelry brand, REALM. The groomsmen wore classic black suits, and Adam donned a black Men's Wearhouse suit with a white vest to match the bride's gown.
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Before the ceremony began, the bride and groom had a private first look at The Barnes Foundation, an art gallery that LAGOS has partnered with extensively over the years. Noting that the gallery looks exceptionally beautiful in the spring, the bride says the architecture provided "a perfect backdrop" for the moment.
As the ceremony began, Kate broke tradition by walking down the aisle on the arms of both her mother and her father. "I'm an only child and very close with both of my parents, so it was important to me for both of them to be by my side walking down the aisle," she remembers.
In another non-traditional move, the couple opted to remove the exchange of vows from the ceremony. Instead, they recited private words together during their first look.
Following the formal proceedings, the newlyweds and their 250 guests transitioned to cocktail hour. "Our signature drinks were a Whiskey Sour in a rocks glass with a large cube and garnish, as well as a Negroni in a rocks glass with a large cube and garnish," she says, "I was very specific about the glassware. We wanted it to be easy to hold and sip during the cocktail hour. Plus, I love a drink in a good lowballer."
While guests found their seats, the newly-minted Mr. and Mrs. Sutera had a delightful surprise in store. "We wanted to practice ballroom dancing to get our feet in sync with one another, so we took lessons at Fred Astaire Dance Studios," she tells us, adding that their first dance rehearsals ultimately deepened their connection as partners. "Even though we were both so nervous on the day of, the crowd loved it which made it even more fun for us to surprise them."
From that moment on, the dance floor was never empty. "We had a band—and a spectacular one at that," the bride says of their entertainment, provided by BVT Live. "They engaged our guests and kept the dance floor busy all night. We created a song list of some oldies and newer popular songs. They were able to cater to any genre."
The only time the newlyweds left the party was to cut their cake, also by Cescaphe, which was inspired by the shape of the bride's dress bustle. As for the other desserts? "I heard they were amazing, but neither of us made it over to the table since you couldn't get us off the dance floor," she quips.
Now three months into married life, there's only one thing Kate would change about the big day. "If I could go back and redo the way I went into my day, I would," she recalls. "I was so stressed out with everyone getting ready around me, asking me what I needed and tending to me."
She urges other to-be-weds to be intentionally mindful on their wedding morning: "Take care of yourself and be selfish. Don't worry about anyone else besides yourself and the person you're spending the rest of your life with."
For her, that selfish moment occurred when she and Adam finally shared a quiet moment together at their sweetheart table at the start of the reception. "I got to take a look around at all the beautiful people and the room I designed. The sun was beaming in, giving everyone and everything a shimmer," she reflects. "I will never forget how proud, happy and loved I felt in that moment sitting beside my husband."
Kate Lagos Sutera's Wedding Vendors
Venue: Water Works; Photographer: Justin James Muir, We Laugh We Love; Videographer: Sarmiento Media, Planner: Thoughtful Aesthetic; Florist: Beautiful Booms; Officiant: Jay Conroy; Wedding Dress and Accessories: Mari Mi Bridal; Bridal Shoes: Jimmy Choo; Groom's Suit: Men's Wearhouse; Engagement and Wedding Rings: Custom Kate & Steven Lagos; Hair: Bridal by Natalie; Makeup: Victoria Roggio; Wedding Party Attire: Revelry; Flower Girl Attire: Etsy; Invitations: The Papery of Philadelphia; Escort/Place Cards: Chick Invitations & Design; Rentals: Cescaphe; Catering: Cescaphe; Cake & Desserts: Cescaphe; Music; BVT Live, Elevation; Photo Booth: Philly Snap Booth; Guest Book: After the Tone; Dance Lessons: Fred Astaire Dance Studios; Transportation: Cescaphe Trolley, First Class Rolls Royce
