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Christina and Kenny were married at the Vista Sky Lounge in Long Island City. We also spent part of the day at Gantry Plaza State Park with beautiful views of the Manhattan skyline.

Christina shares, “Ever since we were dating, Kenny and I would always go to New York City to celebrate any kind of special occasion. Over the years our love for the city has grown and, since we got engaged in Times Square and took our engagement pictures in Times Square and on the Brooklyn Bridge, we knew we wanted to incorporate New York City into our wedding. So it was a no brainer to choose Vista Sky Lounge for our venue and Gantry Plaza State Park for our reveal because both have amazing views of New York City.”

“My favorite part of the day was when I saw Kenny for the first time at Gantry Park; it was the moment I have waited for my entire life and having the New York City skyline behind him was just the icing on the cake.”

The ceremony took place on the rooftop of the Vista Sky Lounge.

I love the way Kenny is looking at Christina as she walks down the aisle.

The ballroom was filled with red roses and some very special New York City touches. Apple cookies sat at each place setting with the name of each guest, and the guestbook was made of postcards guests could fill out and drop in a suitcase for the couple.

A new wedding trend is having an artist paint live during your ceremony and reception. Katherine Gressel captured a beautiful moment during the ceremony and guests loved watching the painting come to life throughout the evening as she brought paintbrush to canvas.

In true New York City fashion, bagels were included as favors! The guests were invited to take two bagels from the traditional bagel cart and fasten their bags with adorable bride and groom kissing clothespins.

Congratulations Christina and Kenny!

You can also see their engagement photos here.

Special thanks to the team:
Venue: Vista Sky Lounge
Officiant: Keith Gugliuzza from NY Marriages Huntington
Cake: Astoria Bakery
Band: Silver Arrows Band
Flowers: Flowers by Burton
Wedding Painting: Event Painting by Katherine
Invitation: Serendipity Beyond Design
Makeup: Carmen Noel
Bride’s Dress: Allure Couture
Groom’s suit: Men’s Wearhouse
Photographer: Jessica Schmitt Photography with Eric Swartz

Leslie and Raj were married at the Manhattan Penthouse on a lovely summer day. Preparations began at the W Hotel in Union Square.

Raj waited anxious and excited to see Leslie for their first look.

We made our way to Gramercy Park for some portraits.

The ceremony took place at the Manhattan Penthouse with beautiful panoramic views of the city. Leslie shares, “Our vision for the look of our wedding was colorful flowers paired with black, gray, and gold for everything else. We wanted it to feel festive, yet sophisticated.”

Gorgeous rose garlands were exchanged during the wedding ceremony as a reference to Hindu wedding traditions.

Walking down the aisle and dancing the night away were some favorite moments from the day.

Leslie shares,  “My favorite moment was when Raj walked down the aisle to enter our ceremony. The crowd cheered and applauded like he was a rock star! I was around the corner waiting for my turn to enter so I couldn’t see any of this, but I could feel the love and enthusiasm in the room. I think that is the moment that we both let go of any nerves and got really excited for the rest of the evening.”

Raj shares, “My favorite memories of the night are the moments I took to look around and enjoy being on the dance floor with my wife, surrounded by everyone we love.”

This dulce de leche Momofuku Milkbar cake was incredible! It look stunning sitting in front of the backdrop of the city as the lights of the Freedom Tower and lower manhattan began to turn on.

Congratulations Leslie and Raj!

Check out their Long Island City engagement session here.

Special thanks to the team:
Venue: Manhattan Penthouse
Coordinator: Dominique Bell Events
Officiant: Peter Boruchowitz
Caterer: Green Mansions Catering through the Manhattan Penthouse
Cake: Milk Bar
Florist: Stylish Events
Invitations: Minted
Hair & Makeup: Truly Happy Beauty
Bride’s Dress Designer /Shop: Madison James/Kleinfeld
Jewelry: headband from Kleinfeld, jewelry from Macys
Bridesmaid Dresses Designer/Shop: David’s Bridal
Groom’s/Groomsmen Suit Designer/Shop: Robbie & Co Men’s Shop
Photographer: Jessica Schmitt Photography

Hannah and Nat were married at the beautiful Meadowlark Botanical Gardens in Northern Virginia. Hannah got ready for the day at her parent’s historic home in Vienna.

Nat got ready with his groomsmen at a nearby hotel.

Meadowlark’s Atrium opens to a lovely terrace surrounded by flowers–the perfect place for the ceremony!

Hannah shares, “While it was very hard to choose my absolute favorite moment from the wedding day, I would say that the little things that went wrong ended up being the things I loved the most. During the ceremony, one of our rings fell while the pastor was talking about the rings being everlasting and indestructible. We also ended up having to push a golf cart up a small hill while taking pictures (poor Jessica had to help). Nat and I laughed through it all and I think it was a good representation of what our life is going to be like together. Things will go wrong but there will always be time for laughter.

My other favorite moment was after we were married, when we finally turned around to face everyone. When I was walking down the aisle I was really only looking at Nat and obviously while we were getting married my back was to everyone. It was incredible to see all of our friends and family smiling back at us. The love and support was overwhelming.”

The couple shared their first dance to Meghan Trainor and John Legend’s song Like I’m Gonna Lose You.

Hannah continues, “In our new married life, I think I’m most excited for a lifetime of discussions. Nat truly is my best friend and it’s always been incredibly easy to talk to him. I’m greatly looking forward to talking about everything from books, movies, and life changes to heated debates about who cleans more dishes.”

Congratulations Hannah and Nat!

Also, check out their Central Park engagement session here.

Special thanks to the team:
Venue: Meadowlark Gardens Atrium
Caterer: Great Blue Heron Catering
Hannah’s makeup: Melissa Vasquez
Mothers’ makeup: Ana Fleming
Cake: Becky Fairchild
Invitations: Hannah Margaret Smith illustrator
Wedding Dress: Saja Wedding
DJ: Chris Laich Music Services, Aaron Platt
Ceremony and cocktail hour music by: Celtic Music for your Wedding
Florist: Violet Gardens Floral Designs
Engagement Rings: Frassanito Jewelers, Huntington, NY

Jessica and Michael were married on a beautiful spring day at the St. Columba Church in New York City with a reception at the New York Botanical Garden. The day began with preparations in the suite at the Eventi Hotel.

Jessica and Michael shared a first look outside the church just before the ceremony. Jessica shares, “My favorite moment was our first look. All the planning. All the effort. All of it was worth it to see the look on Mike’s face. To see the man I will spend the rest of my life with so happy brought tears to my eyes.”

After the ceremony, we all headed to the gardens for portraits and the cocktail hour. A special exhibit of glass artworks by world-renowned artist Dale Chihuly were on view throughout the gardens. We were able to take some photos with one of the dazzling pieces outside of the conservatory.

Mike shares, “My favorite moment was a few moments in the late afternoon in between photos when the two of us were able to sit on a bench alone and just take it all in. That is when it finally started to hit me: that we did it! We were finally married!”

Jessica shares, “For our venues, we chose St. Columba Church so we could be the fourth generation in Mike’s family to be married in that church. For the reception, we wanted something classic and romantic, yet a venue with its own flare. This is why we chose the New York Botanical Garden. We were able to have the natural beauty of the garden combined with the unique murals in the venue space to make this a very special once-in-a-lifetime event.

Once we had our venue, we knew our style was going to be classically floral themed – perfect for a spring wedding. Everything from the floral appliqués on my gown to the lush floral arrangements for the reception fit in with this romantic spring garden vibe.”

Congratulations Jessica and Michael!

Special thanks to the team:
Church: St. Columba Church
Officiant: Rev. Fred Pelligrini, SJ
Reception: New York Botanical Garden, Garden Terrace Room
Caterer: Starr Catering Group
Cake Baker: Lulu Cake Boutique
Hair and Make-up: Once Upon a Bride
Bride’s Gown Designer: Bonnie Bridal
Bridal Salon: Glamorous Bride
Groom’s Tux: Black by Vera Wang
Florist: Bride & Blossom
Transportation: Luxor limo
Photo Booth: Iris Photobooth
Hotel: Hotel Eventi, a Kimpton hotel
Photography: Jessica Schmitt Photography with Eric Swartz

Emily and Josh were married at a very special and unique location in New York City: The Strand Book Store! The preparations began at the Nomad Hotel.

Such a clever idea! In keeping with the literature theme, their save the date was a bookmark and the wedding invitation was a library card.

Emily and Josh shared a first look in the hotel room.

The couple both agreed one of the best moments of the day was the first look.  Josh shares,”It was a moment that we could just share between the two of us–to be together, laugh, and take a few pictures.” Emily adds, “I wasn’t completely sold on doing the first look, but Josh really wanted to. In the end, I’m so glad we did. I don’t think I’ll ever forget the moment when he turned around and saw me in my dress for the first time. It was just a wonderful moment.”

When you get married in New York City sometimes you walk past a little graffiti on the way to your wedding!

We made our way to Madison Square Park for some pre-ceremony portraits.

Emily shares the story of how they met, “We met at a summer party at the home of mutual friends. We started as friends, but quickly realized that we had a lot in common. It became this ongoing joke every time we found one more random thing we both happen to love. After a couple months, Josh was looking for a new apartment and I just happened to know of a studio opening up in my building. A few weeks later he moved in and we’ve pretty much been together ever since.

Josh asked Emily to marry him while they were in Los Angeles for the wedding of their dear friends, Erik and Mike. Josh shares, “Emily loves data and research, so I spent weeks putting together a PowerPoint presentation filled with charts and graphs of our relationship and data points for why we are perfect for each other. I had grand plans of proposing to her on the beach, but by the time we got there the sun had set and the moment wasn’t right. We ended up grabbing a bottle of wine and going back to our room.”

Emily continues, “He gave me the presentation and I wasn’t completely sure what I was looking at. I got a few slides in before I realized what was happening and burst into tears. When I looked up he was on his knee. It was perfect.”

Emily explains why the Strand was the perfect place for their wedding, “About a week after we got engaged, we heard about the Strand, went to tour the space, and fell in love with it immediately. We didn’t even look at other options. Once that was decided, everything else just fell into place around the book theme. Within a week we had the save the dates, invitations, decorations, and guest book all figured out. It was meant to be.”

Surrounded by beautiful rare books, twinkling lights and their loved ones, Emily and Josh said, “I do.”

The Strand doesn’t need much added decoration, but the couple found ways to add extra touches to make the day feel personal and elegant. They used books, votives encircled with pages, small bouquets of flowers and wonderful framed quotes throughout tables in the space. This one includes a quote from F. Scott Fitzgerald, “I love her and that’s the beginning and end of everything.”

Emily and Josh shared their first dance to Bright Eyes’ First Day of My Life.

This cake was amazing! Emily shares, “Josh was a pastry chef for many years, so choosing the right cake was very important to him. We got the cake from Momofuku Milk Bar because it’s one of Josh’s favorite bakeries in the city.  The three layers were strawberry lemon, German chocolate, and birthday cake.”

Congratulations Emily and Josh!

Special thanks to the team:
Venue: The Strand Book Store, rare book room
Caterer: Pies ‘n’ Thighs
DJ: The Remixologists, Ben Coleman
Cake: Momofuku Milk Bar
Dress: Augusta Jones
Hotel: The Nomad
Hair/Makeup: Red Door
Officiant: Kevin Jennings
Photographer: Jessica Schmitt Photography