Lynn and Steve were married on a beautiful Sunday afternoon in Battery Park, on the very southern tip of Manhattan.
The day began with preparations in a nearby hotel and then everyone walked down to Battery Gardens.
One of my favorite things about shooting a wedding in New York City is that no matter where you turn you can find a wonderful place to take a photograph. Lynn, Steve and I walked throughout Battery Park, over to Broadway, and around Bowling Green.
We stopped at the beautiful fountain surrounded by red blossoms in Bowling Green. I was surprised to find out this gorgeous little tear-drop shaped space was built in 1733, making it the oldest public park in New York City. It is even surrounded by its original 18th-century fence. The historic charm created a perfect romantic spot for a kiss!
The ceremony and reception were held at Battery Gardens, a fantastic venue that has wall-to-wall windows and a view of the Statue of Liberty.
I asked Lynn about planning her wedding and she shared with me, “We wanted to keep the wedding small and simple, and I think we succeeded. It was a true Do It Together wedding! My mom, aunt, cousin, Steve’s mom, grandma and sister helped me make all the paper flowers (over 1300 total), and we designed the invitations and programs ourselves. My mom sewed the “Yay!” signs; my aunt, Steve’s mom and I made all the cookies for the favors; and we had a DIY photo booth.”
Lynn, these paper flowers were AMAZING!
The ceremony carried over the DIY style, Lynn continues, “My aunt and uncle provided the instrumental music, and five of my favorite people sang. Our ceremony was incredibly personal and meaningful because our friend, Mike, officiated and did an amazing job. So many guests came up to me afterwards to exclaim about how great the ceremony was.
We included a ring warming as part of the ceremony, during which our rings were passed among all of our guests and they were asked to hold them and bless them or think happy thoughts for us and our marriage. I think that was my favorite part! Weddings go by so quickly (our ceremony and reception combined were only 3 hours and there wasn’t enough time to talk with our friends and family as much as I wanted, but I know they each had a few seconds with our rings, and every time I look at mine, I’m happy remembering the wonderful love that surrounded us! The insides of our rings are engraved with our fingerprints (his on my ring, mine on his ring), and I love the dual nature of having something so personal inside the ring, and having had the outside of the ring warmed by so many amazing friends and family.”
The cake incorporated Lynn and Steve’s love of calculus and science and further expressed the personal touches that were so evident throughout the day.
I had the pleasure of photographing Lynn and Steve’s
engagement portraits at the Natural History Museum and Columbia University in April.
Congratulations Lynn and Steve!
Special thanks to all the vendors:
Flowers: Handmade by the bride with her family and friends, arranged by Laura Acito, Silks That Look Fresh, Staten Island
Suit Designer: Joseph Abboud
Steve’s Cufflinks: Kathy Lo Rocks (Etsy site
here)
Rings: Fabuluster by Brent and Jess (Etsy site
here)
