The Lovely on Main

Hi, I’m Valerie, owner of The Lovely on Main, and weddings have been my world for the past 16 years.

I started as a wedding videographer, moved into photography, and eventually added wedding planning and day-of coordination. I’ve had the opportunity to see and work weddings from just about every angle, and through all of it, the getting-ready portion of the day has always been my favorite.

There’s something about those morning hours that I absolutely love. Before the timeline really takes over, there’s this little window where you can just be present. You’re surrounded by the people you love most, the music is playing, hair and makeup are happening, everyone is laughing, and there’s this incredible anticipation knowing what the rest of the day is about to bring.

But over the years, I also started noticing that the spaces brides were getting ready in weren’t matching the importance of those moments. Hotel rooms were crowded. Bags were everywhere. Hair and makeup teams were fighting for space, outlets and good lighting. Everyone was on top of each other, and photographers were constantly searching for clean backgrounds and natural light.

I kept thinking, we can do this so much better.

That became a huge part of the inspiration behind The Lovely on Main.

I wanted to create a space completely centered around the bride and designed around how a wedding morning actually works. The Lovely feels like an extension of your home: warm, comfortable and welcoming, but with everything already thought about and taken care of for you.

There’s beautiful natural light for your hair and makeup team, dedicated areas to get ready, and enough room for everyone to spread out and actually enjoy the morning. And because of my photography background, every angle was considered. Beautiful light, clean backgrounds and thoughtful details mean the real moments happening around you already have a picture-perfect setting.

More than anything, I wanted it to feel calm.

Your wedding day is going to move quickly. These first few hours are your chance to slow down, look around, take it all in and realize, this is my wedding day.

You bring your favorite people. We’ll take care of the morning.

Because your wedding day deserves a beautiful beginning.

I think what I love most about weddings is that no matter how many I’ve been a part of, they never feel exactly the same.

I genuinely love getting to know a couple and hearing all the little pieces that make their story theirs. I love the excitement leading up to the day, watching all of the details come together, and then seeing the people they love most all in one room celebrating them.

I’m also someone who notices everything. The look between a bride and her mom. The bridesmaid who is trying not to cry. The groom’s reaction. The tiny detail someone spent months choosing that most people may never even notice. Those are the things I love about weddings.

And I think that’s why, after all these years, I still get excited about them. There is always a new story, a new family, a new group of people and a completely different energy.

I get to be creative, I get to connect with people, and I get to be part of some of the happiest moments of their lives.

How could you not love that?

I don’t think I could ever choose just one favorite wedding memory.

I’m someone who really takes everything in. Even after all these years, I still find myself watching the people in the room and appreciating what I’m lucky enough to witness.

Every wedding shows love in a different way. Sometimes it’s the big moments everyone sees, but more often, it’s the little things that stay with me. The way a parent looks at their child. A grandparent watching from across the room. A couple reaching for each other’s hand without even thinking about it. A best friend trying to make it through a speech. The way family and friends show up for one another.

Being surrounded by those moments over the years has made me appreciate what I have in my own life, too. Weddings have a way of reminding you how special it is to have the people you love together in one room and how quickly these moments pass.

So I don’t think there is one couple, one speech or one wedding that I could call my favorite.

It’s all the different ways I’ve been lucky enough to witness love over the years.

And I still take it all in every single time.

We specialize in luxury wedding morning experiences.

To us, luxury isn’t just about having a beautiful space. It’s about walking in on your wedding morning and knowing everything has already been thought about for you.

We understand how a wedding morning flows and what everyone needs. Hair and makeup artists need beautiful natural light and room to work. Photographers and videographers need clean, picture-perfect spaces to create in. Your bridal party needs room to spread out, relax, eat, get dressed and enjoy the morning. And you need the freedom to simply be the bride.

That’s the luxury we want you to experience.

From breakfast and coffee to dedicated getting-ready areas, natural light, beautiful photo opportunities and plenty of space for your wedding team, everything has been intentionally designed around your morning.

Luxury to us is feeling taken care of. It’s not worrying about the setup, the clutter, where everyone is going to sit or whether there’s enough room for your vendors to work.

It’s being able to slow down, enjoy your favorite people and take in the fact that you’re getting married today.

You enjoy the morning. We take care of the rest.

Before there was The Lovely on Main, there was Lovely Lemons. We built adult lemonade stands and served our spiked lemonades at weddings and events. What started as a fun, creative idea grew into something much bigger, and at one point, we even had the opportunity to serve our lemonade to the audience of the Rachael Ray Show!

As Lovely Lemons grew, so did I. I added wedding planning and design, eventually moved into photography, and continued finding new ways to be part of an industry I absolutely loved.

But in the back of my mind, I always had one dream: I wanted a space of my own.

The Lovely on Main became the sister company to Lovely Lemons and brought so many pieces of my life together under one roof. I love hosting. I love designing beautiful spaces. I love weddings. And after years of photographing and working wedding mornings, creating a bridal suite felt like the perfect marriage of all of those things.

Today, The Lovely has become a place where I get to take everything I’ve learned over the years and create experiences that feel personal, thoughtful and different.

And I still feel like we’re just getting started.

I see The Lovely continuing to grow as a destination for brides who want more from their wedding morning: more comfort, more intention, more beauty and a truly luxury experience where they can simply walk in and be taken care of.

It’s funny to think that it all started with a lemonade stand.

But then again, I’ve always loved creating something special for people and inviting them in to enjoy it.

How early can we start?
As early as you need! We know wedding mornings can start very early, and we’re happy to accommodate your timeline. We want your morning to feel relaxed, not rushed.

How long do we have the bridal suite?
Our bridal suite packages include up to five hours. If you find that you need additional time as your wedding timeline comes together, extra hours can be added.

Can I bring my own hair and makeup team?
Absolutely! We welcome your licensed hair and makeup professionals, and there is no additional fee for bringing in your own hair and makeup team. The space was designed with your beauty team in mind, with beautiful natural light, dedicated getting-ready areas and plenty of room for everyone to work comfortably.

Is breakfast included?
Breakfast is included with select bridal suite packages, along with Nespresso coffee and tea to help get the morning started.

How many people can I bring?
Whether you're getting ready with a small group or a larger bridal party, we can help you choose the package that makes the most sense for your morning. The guest counts listed with our breakfast packages refer to how many people the included breakfast is designed to feed.

Can my photographer and videographer come?
Please do! The Lovely was designed by someone who spent years behind the camera. Natural light, clean backgrounds and beautiful details throughout the space give your photo and video team so many opportunities to capture your morning.

Can we bring champagne?
Yes. We love a wedding morning toast!

Can we come see the space before booking?
Of course. We love having brides come in for a private walkthrough. It gives you the chance to see the space, envision your own wedding morning here and ask any questions you may have.

What makes getting ready at The Lovely different from getting ready at a hotel?
The Lovely was created to give brides a luxury getting-ready experience from the moment they walk through our doors. Instead of trying to turn a hotel room into a bridal suite or working around other hotel guests, you have a beautiful, private space intentionally designed around your wedding morning.

Your hair and makeup team has room to work, your photographer and videographer have beautiful natural light and picture-perfect spaces to create in, and your favorite people have room to spread out, relax and enjoy the morning with you.

For us, luxury is more than how a space looks. It’s having everything thoughtfully prepared, feeling completely taken care of, and being able to slow down and actually enjoy the beginning of your wedding day.

You get to simply be the bride. We take care of the rest.

When I’m not working, I’m happiest spending time with my family and my fur babies.

I absolutely love to cook. For me, cooking is another way of bringing people together, and there’s nothing better than having the people I love around the table enjoying something I made.

I’m also an Out East girl at heart. Every summer, my family spends time in Montauk, and it’s one of my favorite traditions. Give me a beautiful day out east, a vineyard, good food and my favorite people, and I’m pretty happy.

And then there’s Disney! I love anything that brings me back to that happiness and magic you feel as a kid, so I’ll always find a reason to make another trip to Disney World. Tigger and the Muppets are my absolute favorites, and yes, I’m still just as excited to see them as I was when I was younger.

I think I’m naturally drawn to the things that make life feel good: traditions, good food, beautiful places, a little nostalgia and making memories with the people I love most.

So if you want to talk weddings, recipes, fur babies, Montauk, vineyards or Disney during your walkthrough, we’ll have plenty to talk about.

If there’s one thing I’d want a bride to know, it’s that your wedding morning matters.

It’s so easy to put all of your focus into the ceremony and reception, but your wedding day starts hours before you walk down the aisle. Those first few hours deserve to feel just as special.

At The Lovely, we want you to walk in, feel completely comfortable and know that this part of your day is taken care of. Bring your girls, your glam team, your favorite playlist and all the excitement that comes with realizing you’re getting married today. We’ll take care of the rest.

And if you’re wondering whether The Lovely feels right for you, come see us. I love meeting our brides, showing them around and letting them experience the space in person.

You’ll know when you walk through the doors.

I can’t wait to be a small part of your big day.