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Samantha and Ben ‘s love story began with an app, continued through a love of books sent from miles away, and will be sealed with vows spoken this coming October. We met in Washington Square Park for their engagement session.

The session continued in Central Park.

Samantha shares, “Ben and I are a dating app miracle – we matched on Tinder when he was visiting NYC from Kansas City in June 2014. Since he was an out-of-towner, and rumor has it Tinder users don’t always have the best intentions, I decided not to meet up.”

This story is best, continued through the point of view of their dog, Oliver (written by Ben)…

“According to Tinder’s internal data, 9 billion matches have been created between users since its inception. That means each day, 26 million pairs are matched out of an approximate 1.4 billion swipes, left to right. Despite that stark statistical disadvantage, Ben and Samantha, at some God forsaken hour of the early morning, matched and at once began the correspondence that would lead to their 100% genuine, Grade A, true love.

Before even laying eyes on one another, Ben and Sam became acquainted through the words of writers much more esteemed than this one. What started as a brief sharing of Haruki Murakami’s short story, “On Seeing the 100% Perfect Girl One Beautiful April Morning,” became a full-fledged, cross-country, tastefully flirtatious book club.

Words and pages were read, weighty discussions shared. In an effort to distinguish Ben from the catfish and serial killers lurking in the online depths, FaceTimes were scheduled. Plane tickets purchased. NYC explored. Central Park strolls. Holding hands. Pumpkin patch visits. New Year’s Eve kiss. Museums observed and I love yous shared.
It was all falling into place, and Ben and Sam knew it was the real thing.

Upon receiving consent from myself (the true man of the house), Ben packed all he owned into a rented Chrysler Town & Country and started the journey from Kansas City to our apartment on the Upper West Side. He’s been here awhile now, and we are all enjoying life together so much that Ben and Sam are getting married. A Susan Sontag line I read once on my favorite blog, brainpickings, says, “Being in love means being willing to ruin yourself for the other person.” I remembered that line because that’s how I know Sam and Ben love each other. The bond they have together is more important than any of their individual wants and conditions.

And they don’t give bad belly rubs either.

Yours truly,
0LiveR w0Lf”

Samantha shares, “I had a feeling he was going to be my person from the minute we started talking. I know it sounds crazy, but as soon as we met, I knew I was right. September kicked off a cross-country romance, in December we picked out a place together on the Upper West Side, and I left my Greenwich Village address of nearly six years. In March, he locked in a job and Memorial Day weekend of 2015, he moved from Kansas to New York.

Every day I feel lucky that by some stroke of fate we sort of met on his visit to New York City. ”

They are getting married on October 22, 2016 in Union Square. Happy engagement Samantha and Ben!

I’m so excited to share our modern pink art deco wedding styled shoot at 501 Union in Brooklyn. It was featured on MODWedding! Get ready to feel transported to a modern version of the 1920s with pink and gold accents, geometric patterns, sparkly details and unique style.

The very talented Simone Reddicks of Coordinated To Perfection and I collaborated to create an inspiring shoot to capture the imagination of brides looking for modern art deco ideas for their wedding.

Bastille Flowers & Events made the most gorgeous table design with a solid black satin cloth accented with a white and black geometric runner by BBJ Linen, gold chiliwich placemats, silk black napkins and gold flatware, gold rimmed chinaware and glassware and lucite chairs.  Running the length of the rectangular table was a series of high and low flower compositions including beautiful white quince, billowing white french tulips, fuchsia sweet pea, ruffly soft pink ranunculi,  white anemones with black centers and accents of chartreuse green vibernum. Unique black vessels, textured gold vases and crystal vases held the blooms. The tabletop was completed with bowls filled with decadent gold dusted strawberries and our DIY gold votive candle holders. Mirrored table numbers completed the look by LBV Designs.

The bridesmaids high bun by Lawanda Pierre Hair and bright lips by Face The Day NY fit the style perfectly.

Royale Amethyst Invitations and Designs created hexagonal gold menus with a typeface that blended sharp geometric lines with a modern simplicity.

The bride wore a blush Jean Ralph Thurin wedding gown styled by Vainglorious Brides with jewelry by Madison Gems.

Modern Pink Art Deco Wedding Styled Shoot at 501 Union

Special thanks to the whole team:
Venue: 501 Union
Wedding Coordinator : Coordinated To Perfection
Photography: Jessica Schmitt Photography
Flower And Event Design: Bastille Flowers & Events
Videography: NST Pictures
Table Numbers And Decals: LBV Designs
Linens: BBJ Linen
Metallic Tattoos: Jewel Tats
Pillow Decor: Starling On Bond
Jewelry: Madison Gems
Cake Pops: Cakes Jagla
Stationery: Royale Amethyst Invitations and Designs
Fashion Stylist: Vainglorious Brides
Hair Stylist: Lawanda Pierre Hair
Makeup: Face The Day NY
Black Feather Hairpiece: Olivia Headpieces
Bride’s Shoes: Brian Atwood
Dresses: Jean-Ralph Thurin
Models: Carley Beck and Jillian Tayeh

Allison and Ron were married on a beautiful spring day in New York City. They got ready for the day at the Parker Meridian.

Allison shares, “On Saturday morning May 23, 2015, I woke up super excited at the Parker Meridien, gathered my bridal party and started getting ready for the big day. As the hour got closer I was more anxious then nervous. Finally when I arrived at Central Park to meet my groom he was standing at the top of the Cop Cott, a beautiful wooden enclosure, waiting for me. I quickly walked over to see him for the first time that day and my heart was beating so fast. When he turned around it brought tears to my eyes seeing him so excited just to see me in my dress. I will never forget that moment.”

Congratulations Allison and Ron!

Check out more photos in the slideshow.

Shayla and Cason came all the way from Texas to get married in New York City. With the help of A Central Park Wedding, they said their vows in the beautiful Dene Summerhouse.

Shayla shares, “I come from a very small West Texas town named Haskell, about 45 minutes north of Abilene. Abilene is where Cason grew up. These two towns are not very “city like” AT ALL! However, Cason and I have always loved every aspect of the big city. When it came time to plan our wedding, we started looking at venues in Austin (a mini Manhattan). We found the perfect place, but it definitely wasn’t the perfect price. While driving away, a little discouraged, I joked about how we are like Mr. Big and Carrie Bradshaw (Warning: I’m an SATC addict) wanting the big ceremony but something just does not feel right to have it and we should just go to New York and get married there. Since neither of us had ever traveled to NYC, I was shocked to hear Cason say “LET’S DO IT!”

I was so excited to even dream that I could possibly be getting married in The Big Apple!!! After getting back from our trip to Austin, I immediately started researching “NYC Weddings”…I stumbled across A Central Park Wedding, inquired, and our planner, Christa, got back with me super fast and it’s all history from there!

My wedding day was everything I dreamed of and SOOO much more! We stayed in NYC for nine days and absolutely fell in love with it, so much that we are planning on moving there within the next five years!”

After the ceremony, the bride and groom, along with their parents and officiant, shared a champagne toast.

After the toast, we strolled around the park to some favorite spots, including Bethesda Terrace, and ended at Grand Central Station.

Congratulations Shayla and Cason!

Special thanks to A Central Park Wedding.

Caitlin and David were married on a beautiful day in May at the Holy Trinity Church in Georgetown. The day began with Caitlin and her bridesmaids getting ready at her apartment.

Before the ceremony, we took an Uber to the Lincoln Memorial for some fun photos with just the girls. Caitlin explains, “What many people don’t realize about a wedding day is that a big portion of the day is actually spent without the groom. Because of this, I am blessed and thankful that I had THE BEST bridesmaids. They kept the entire time leading up to the ceremony fun and relaxing, while making sure I kept my eye on the prize.”

Caitlin, you look STUNNING!

Caitlin shares the story of how she and David met, “Just before David returned to Notre Dame for a one-year MBA program in May 2009, a co-worker of his insisted he would meet and start dating an undergrad. Of course, David scoffed at this idea and adamantly told his co-worker he was ‘Too mature to date an undergrad.’ However, after only being back at school for a couple of days, David of course met that undergrad heading into her senior year at Saint Mary’s College! After many group hangouts at tailgates and trivia nights, he finally worked up the courage to officially ask me to be his date to a wedding in December 2009…and we all know how that story circled back around!”

David got ready for the wedding day at a nearby hotel and then the guys headed to the church.

David shares, “When I saw Sully (David calls Caitlin Sully) walking down the aisle, I took a deep breathe and thought to myself, ‘Wow, I am one lucky man.'”

Throughout the ceremony David remembers, “Not feeling nervousness, but rather comfort at the altar, being there with Sully, just acting like ourselves, whispering jokes, made everything feel just right.”

One of Caitlin’s favorite moments was their first kiss, she says “Because of our height difference (David is almost a foot taller than I am) he loves picking me up at all times and places. So right before our first kiss, when David leaned in and whispered ‘Can I pick you up?,’ everything felt right, genuine, and us.”

Donuts almost got in the way of the proposal! Caitlin shares, “On a Saturday morning in May 2014, David and I planned to wake up early and take a walk. After David convinced me to drop my quest to walk to Dunkin’ Donuts, we headed towards the Netherlands Carillon. This is one of our favorite spots to visit since you can see all of DC’s monuments from this location, and it is surrounded by hundreds of tulips in the spring.

As we were enjoying the view, David started talking about how special this spot was to us. At that point, he got down on one knee and popped the question! As I stood there shocked and speechless, he pulled out a typed itinerary entitled ‘David and Sully’s Engagement Weekend’ that laid out the weekend’s celebratory activities that included a couple’s massage, dinner and drinks at the Capella Hotel, and a night at the Ritz in Georgetown. Needless to say, I’m glad I begrudgingly agreed not to walk to Dunkin’ that morning, as it turned out to be one of the most memorable and romantic weekends ever!”

One year later they said “I Do!”

The reception was held on the rooftop of 101 Constitution.

David shares, “Ending our first dance and jumping into the Notre Dame Fight Song was the perfect way to honor our Notre Dame/Saint Mary’s crew that surrounded us at the wedding, and epitomizes us and our love for the Irish!” His favorite part of the day was, “Seeing Sully beaming throughout the day and evening was the highlight of the day for me!”

Congratulations Caitlin and David!

Check out more photos in the slideshow:

Special thanks to the whole team:
Church: Holy Trinity Catholic Church
Reception Venue: 101 Constitution
Officiant: Father Bill Ryan, SJ
Flowers: Growing Wild Floral Company
Dress Designer: Stella York, Purchased at Ellie’s Bridal Boutique
Bridesmaid Dresses: Alfred Sung, The Dessy Group, purchased at Nordstrom, color: quarry
Makeup/Hair: Hair And Makeup Unveiled
Suit Designer: Vera Wang, Men’s Wearhouse
Tie: Vera Wang, Men’s Wearhouse
Rings: Lenkersdorfer Fine Jewelers
Jewelry Designer/Store: S/A (Custom Made)
DJ/Band: DJ Steve Hershberger, The Davis Event Group
Caterer: Avalon Caterers
Invitations: Paper Source, Georgetown