Elyssa and Mike were married on a beautiful fall day at New York’s Hilton Pearl River.

wedding-invitation-photography

Hilton Pearl River wedding

Hilton Pearl River wedding

Hilton Pearl River wedding

Hilton Pearl River wedding

After Elyssa and Mike were done getting ready for the day they shared a very sweet first look.

hilton pearl river

The back of Elyssa’s dress is sooooo pretty!

wedding-photography

Hilton Pearl River wedding

wedding photography

wedding photography

pearl river hilton

Elyssa shares, “I am not a big fan of flowers, so we wanted to do something a bit different with our bouquets. After searching pretty much the entire Internet, we found an Etsy shop that made beautiful bouquets out of paper. I contacted the shop and they said we could choose what book/document the flowers were made out of. Our bouquets and boutonnieres are made of the Supreme Court decision Obergefell v. Hodges which legalized gay marriage in the US. Not only are we both lawyers, and love the idea that all are equal to share in the joys of marriage in the eyes of the law, but Mike actually worked on one of the previous gay marriage Supreme Court cases and we are both very proud of what he and the equal rights movement have accomplished.

We also included an excerpt from the Obergefell decision on our wedding program:
No union is more profound than marriage, for it embodies the highest ideals of love, fidelity, devotion, sacrifice, and family. In forming a marital union, two people become something greater than once they were.

equal right paper bouqet

pearl river hilton

groomsmen

pearl river hilton

Elyssa shares, “In the days leading up to the wedding we were worried that the weather wouldn’t cooperate for our ceremony to be held outside, but when we woke up on our wedding day and saw the bright blue skies we knew we were in for a treat! Simply put, our wedding day exceeded all of our expectations and was by far the best day of our lives. After a year of planning, we knew that we had included our own little touches to make the day special for us, such as our paper flowers and the grandfather(s) and bride dance, but we had no idea that all of our planning would come together in such an amazing way. Knowing that our friends and family had come from all across the country to celebrate the beginning of our lives together was awesome, in the literal sense of the word.”

The couple signed the ketubah just before the ceremony.

pearl river hilton

pearl river hilton

pearl river hilton

pearl river hilton

pearl river hilton

At the end of the ceremony two cannons burst a blizzard of beautiful confetti into the air!

pearl river hilton

pearl river hilton

pearl river hilton

pearl river hilton

pearl river hilton

pearl river hilton

pearl river hilton

wedding dancing

wedding dancing

Elyssa shared a special dance with her dad and each of her grand fathers.

wedding dancing

wedding dancing

Congratulations Elyssa and Mike!

Also, check out their Central Park engagement photos here.

Special thanks to the team:
Venue: Pearl River Hilton
Cake: A Little Cake
DJ/Band: East Side Stories
Florist: Dramatic Innovation
Paper Bouquets: With Love and Petals
Invitations: Designed by Elyssa Feins, Printed by Thomas Printers
Makeup/Hair: Makeup and Hair by Dallas
Bride’s Dress: Martina Liana
Bridesmaid Dresses: J.Crew
Photographer: Jessica Schmitt Photography with David Troncoso

Judy and Mike were married on a beautiful day at MyMoon in Brooklyn. The day was filled with friends, family, and lots of love, along with an appearance by their French bulldog puppy, Zoe, a combining of their cultures with a chuppah and Chinese tea ceremony, and lots and lots of dancing!
brooklyn wedding photography
nyc-wedding-photography
brooklyn wedding photography nyc
brooklyn wedding photography nyc
judy-wedding-getting-ready
groom floral bowtie
french bulldog wedding
Judy and Mike shared a first look outside of MyMoon.
brooklyn wedding photography nyc
brooklyn wedding photography nyc
brooklyn wedding photography nyc
brooklyn wedding photography nyc
MyMoon wedding brooklyn
french bulldog wedding
brooklyn wedding photography nyc
brooklyn wedding photography nyc
brooklyn wedding photography nyc
brooklyn wedding photography nyc
brooklyn wedding photography nyc
brooklyn wedding photography nyc
Judy shares, “Mike and I were able to incorporate our Jewish and Chinese cultures into our wedding, which made it really special for both our families. We got married under a beautiful chuppah and followed that with a Chinese tea ceremony where we served tea to our parents and aunts and uncles to show respect and appreciation. We also surprised Mike’s parents by getting a small replica of their wedding cake made. Mike’s mom was thrilled when she saw it; her reaction was priceless! Thirty seconds later, after realizing what he was staring at, Mike’s dad was ecstatic as well.

We wanted the wedding to be fun and for everyone to have a good time, and I think we set the tone with Bruno Mars’ “Marry You” as our processional song. I loved that we had funny moments during our ceremony, including Mike getting dizzy from circling me seven times during the seven blessings. Although we didn’t get to spend much time with her, I was so happy that Zoe, our French bulldog puppy, made an appearance and was able to walk down the aisle and be a part of our wedding day.”

Mike shares his favorite moments, “While there are many moments to choose from there were a few that stood out for me. Dancing with Judy surrounded by our friends and family was a moment when we were able to acknowledge the love and support in our lives. Staring into her eyes smiling, giggling, and dancing was pure joy. The party bus to the after-party was unforgettable as well. Everyone was radiating positive vibes and energy, and we were so happy that everyone was having a great time.

Also, instead of getting a wedding cake, we decided to mix things up with our favorite doughnuts from Dough. They were a huge hit…who doesn’t love a good doughnut?!”
My Moon wedding brooklyn
My Moon wedding
MyMoon wedding brooklyn
MyMoon wedding brooklyn
After the ceremony, cocktail hour began and the Chinese tea ceremony took place under the chuppah.
MyMoon wedding brooklyn
The Chinese tea ceremony includes an exchange of tea and blessings between the bride and groom and close family. Judy’s parents also gave gold jewelry to each of them.
chinese tea ceremony
chinese tea ceremony
MyMoon wedding brooklyn chinese tea ceremony
MyMoon wedding brooklyn
Judy shares why they chose MyMoon, “We both wanted a rustic urban vibe, and MyMoon was perfect. With dark wooden tables, high ceilings, amber lighting, and exposed brick all around, we kept our own decorations to a minimum because it was already so beautiful inside. The outdoor patio provided a great contrast for the ceremony with its lush greenery.”
MyMoon wedding brooklyn
MyMoon wedding brooklyn
MyMoon wedding brooklyn
Judy and Mike shared their first dance to the Drake cover of ASTR’s “Hold On We’re Going Home.”
first dance
MyMoon wedding brooklyn
MyMoon wedding brooklyn
MyMoon wedding brooklyn
dancing-fun
MyMoon wedding brooklyn
MyMoon wedding brooklyn
Congratulations Judy and Mike!
Also, check out their engagement photos on the Lower East Side.

Special thanks to the team:
Venue: MyMoon, Coordinator: Lee Chappell
Doughnuts: Dough
Cake: Sugar Couture
DJs: Dash Speaks and NSR
Florist: Stems Brooklyn
Invitations: Wedding Paper Divas
Makeup and Hair: Love Your Face Beauty
Mike’s Ring: David Yurman
Judy’s Ring: Anna Sheffield
Bride’s Dress Designer: Jenny Packham at Gabriella
Bride’s Shoes: Pink Paradox London
Groom’s Shoes: Cole Haan
Jewelry: Engagement necklace from Mike’s mom, earrings purchased in Hong Kong by Judy’s mom
Bridesmaid Dresses: ASOS
Groom and Groomsmen’s Suits: My.Suit
Groom’s bow tie: Suited Man; Groomsmen’s bow ties: The Tie Bar
Photography: Jessica Schmitt Photography

Erin and Nayden were married at the beautiful Cana Vineyards in Middleburg, Virginia. Erin shares, “It was absolutely the best day ever. We were hoping for a “garden party” feel to our wedding day, and the weather cooperated to make it absolutely lovely!”

Cana Vineyard Virginia wedding photography

Cana Vineyard Virginia wedding photography

Cana Vineyard Virginia wedding photography

Cana Vineyard Virginia wedding photography

Cana Vineyard Virginia wedding photography

Cana Vineyard Virginia wedding photography

Cana Vineyard Virginia wedding photography

Cana Vineyard Virginia wedding photography

Cana Vineyard Virginia wedding photography

Cana Vineyard Virginia wedding photography

Cana Vineyard Virginia wedding photography

Nayden shares, “It sounds a bit cliché, but I can honestly say our wedding day was the happiest of my life so far. From the anticipation beforehand, to getting to see all of our friends and family gathering at Cana, to the moment I saw Erin walking down the aisle. Even the things that happened a bit outside of our plan ended up feeling entirely special and “ours,” so I wouldn’t change a thing.

Aside from the ceremony itself (which was the favorite part for both of us!), I was really touched by Erin’s wedding present – an antique pocket watch that had belonged to her grandfather, and which her dad and all her uncles had agreed I was worthy to receive. It was an incredible way to say “welcome to the family” and it was moving to line up right afterward with all of the men of the family for our photo.

Other highlights of the night were our first dance, which was magical despite my lack of dancing ability, the delicious food, and our send off, at the end of which we were surprised to find my car thoroughly decorated for the occasion! After planning for 18 months, it feels a bit surreal now that the wedding has come and passed. We had an amazing time and we’re looking forward to continuing our journey as Mr. and Mrs. Hitchev!”

Cana Vineyard Virginia wedding photography

cana vineyards

cana vineyards

Cana Vineyard Virginia wedding photography

Cana Vineyard Virginia wedding photography

wedding cana vineyards

After the ceremony we took a sunset walk through the vineyards for some photos.

Cana Vineyard Virginia wedding photography

Cana Vineyard Virginia wedding photography

Cana Vineyard Virginia wedding photography

Cana Vineyard Virginia wedding photography

Cana Vineyard Virginia wedding photography

Cana Vineyard Virginia wedding photography

Erin continues, “We had lawn games and outdoor seating, so were fully able to enjoy the beauty of the vineyard. I felt throughout the day that I was living in a Jane Austen novel!

I loved being surrounded by family and closest friends – I wish the day had been longer so we could have spent more time with each of them. I was grateful to have each of my four siblings and their families at our wedding. Each aspect of our wedding was fabulous and I wouldn’t change a thing! I can’t wait to relive all of the memories through photographs.”

Cana Vineyard Virginia wedding photography

Cana Vineyard Virginia wedding photography

The couple shared their first dance to Anchor by Mindy Gledhill.

Cana Vineyard Virginia wedding photography

Cana Vineyard Virginia wedding photography

Cana Vineyard Virginia wedding photography

Cana Vineyard Virginia wedding photography

Cana Vineyard Virginia wedding photography

Congratulations Erin and Nayden!

Check out their Georgetown engagement photos here.

Special thanks to the team:
Venue: Cana Vineyards
Officiant: Scott Maurer – West City Fellowship
Flowers: L’Artisan Lily
Dress designer: White Swan Bridal
Hair: Nefertiti Powell, Bridal Beauty Associates
Suit designer: Men’s Wearhouse
Bridesmaid’s Dresses: Atom Attire
Rings & Jewelry Designer: Quest Jewelers
Recessional Music: Taylor Hughey
Caterer & Cake: John Feist, Culinary Delights by Feist
Cake Topper: Deliziare
Invitations & Programs: Watercolor Delight – Minted
Guest “Book” Quilt: Westbound Quilts
Wedding Consultant: Cynthia Donson
Photography: Jessica Schmitt Photography with Eric Swartz

Natalie and Dan were married at the incredibly designed, vintage-style Metropolitan Building in New York City. The day was filled with joyful moments, special details and a little bit of theatrics…

nyc wedding photography

the metropolitan building nyc wedding

the metropolitan building nyc
For Natalie and Dan there was only one perfect place to celebrate their wedding, and that was the Metropolitan Building. Natalie shares, “Dan and I had decided early on that we wanted a small, intimate, vintage wedding in New York. The Metropolitan Building was the first (and only) venue we visited. The minute we stepped foot on the second floor, we were in awe and knew right away that this was the place that we wanted to celebrate our union in marriage with family and friends. It is a beautiful space with French decor, gorgeous floor-to-ceiling library shelves, chandeliers, hand-painted hardwood floors, and old world charm that you couldn’t replicate if you tried. The entire third floor of the building is essentially a giant prop room full of vintage antiques and furniture that we were able to use to decorate our floor on the day of our wedding. The rest of our decor–including the flowers, signage, and space design–were DIY and truly a group effort. My mother and New York-based bridesmaids/bridesman designed and executed every element perfectly and did so on a strict budget. It truly felt like we were King and Queen for a day in this magical, vintage castle.”

I have to agree. I’ve been wanting to photograph a wedding at the Metropolitan Building for years. It was a dream come true to photograph this incredible space–a photographer’s playground–and to shoot for such an awesome couple made it even more wonderful!

unique pink bridesmaid dresses

the metropolitan building nyc wedding

Each member of the bridal party received monogrammed champagne glasses.

the metropolitan building nyc wedding

metropolitan building nyc wedding

bride getting ready

vintage style bridesmaid wedding dresses

the metropolitan building nyc wedding

metropolitan building nyc wedding

Dan’s style incorporated a nod to his British heritage with flag cufflinks along with his new home in the states, American flag socks.

the metropolitan building nyc wedding

groomsmen gift idea flasks

Dan shares, “My favorite moment of the day was our first look. I hadn’t seen Natalie very much in the few days prior to our wedding (except for the rehearsal dinner) as she was staying with her sister at a hotel, and my best men were staying with me at our apartment in Astoria. I missed her so much and couldn’t wait to have a special moment, just the two of us. Once she tapped me on the shoulder and I turned around we both burst into tears. She looked absolutely stunning. We were both speechless and just stood there gazing into each other’s eyes. It was romantic, and wonderful to steal away these few precious moments in the wake of our big celebration.”

the metropolitan building nyc wedding

nyc wedding photography

the metropolitan building nyc wedding

One of the most iconic rooms in the Metropolitan Building is the Hall of Mirrors.

the metropolitan building nyc wedding

Metroploitan building nyc wedding hall of mirrors

“In November 2013,” Natalie shares, “Dan was feeling pretty restless in his day-to-day routine, and decided he wanted to change up his life for a little while and go on an adventure. Next thing he knew, he had booked a plane ticket to New York City to study improvisational comedy for three months. He had been performing for years in the UK, but wanted to experience the thriving comedy scene in the Big Apple. Around the same time, I had just started taking improv classes. I come from a musical theater background, so when I saw that there was a musical improv class, I jumped on it. As fate would have it, Dan was also enrolled in that class and the rest is history. It was truly a whirlwind romance. We had our first date a week after we met, and were inseparable from that moment on. Of course, after three months Dan had to move back to the UK, but our relationship never faltered. I was lucky enough to have a job that allowed me to travel somewhat, so I visited Dan in the UK for a few weeks at a time every 2 to 3 months. In the times that we weren’t together, we Skyped almost every day. It sounds so cheesy, but Dan and I knew we had something special, so we weren’t about to let something as silly as the ocean get in the way of our love.”

Improv has been an important part of their history, and was also included in the wedding day with their official wedding hashtag #yesandtolove. “Yes, and…” is the most basic “rule” in improvisational comedy. It suggests that a performer should accept what another performer has stated (“yes”) and then expand on that line of thinking (“and”) to build a scene. The “yes, and…” theme continued as a part of funny stories and sweet toasts given throughout the evening.

the metropolitan building nyc wedding

the metropolitan building nyc wedding

Natalie tells the story of their engagement, “Dan was living in London at the time, and had just flown over to New York for a two-week visit for Christmas. His birthday happened to fall within those weeks, so I planned a big day full of surprises for him. Little did I know he had a surprise of his own. One of the places I took him to was the American Museum of Natural History, a favorite date spot of ours from when we first met. As we descended the stairs in the whale room (The Milstean Hall of Ocean Life), Dan told me he loved me and that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with me. Once we were perfectly positioned underneath the blue whale, he dropped to his knee and opened up a little black box to reveal the most beautiful ring I had ever seen – a vintage sapphire ring with cluster diamonds purchased from a vintage Jewelers in East London. I was so shocked and happy, I almost forgot to say “yes!” It was one of the best days of my life. Once we left the museum we celebrated with a glass of prosecco, and then continued on with the plans I had already made for his birthday, which then became a joint celebration of our engagement.”

metropolitan building nyc wedding

metropolitan building nyc wedding

Metropolitan Building Wedding

vintage style bridesmaids wedding dresses

metropolitan building nyc wedding

Metropolitan Building wedding

Metropolitan building NYC wedding

ceremony

wedding ceremony photography

Metropolitan Building wedding

Natalie continues, “It’s hard to choose my favorite moment, because the whole day was perfect, but one of my favorite moments was surprising Dan by singing during our recessional. Just after our priest had officially presented us as Mr. and Mrs. Titmuss, music started playing, and I remember Dan turned to me and asked if we should start walking back down the aisle. As I shook my head “no,” my sister slyly handed me the microphone and I broke out into a parody version of “Marry You” by Bruno Mars. It was so wonderful to see his face light up when I started singing. It was a fun and joyful way to transition from our beautiful and emotional ceremony into the “party” portion of the evening!”

wedding singing down the aisle

“Hey baby, I’m glad I just married you!”

wedding singing aisle

Metropolitan building NYC wedding

Metropolitan building NYC

vintage-wedding-escort-cards

Metropolitan Building Wedding

unique vintage wedding ideas

The band played La Vie en Rose for their first dance.

“Give your heart and soul to me
And life will always be la vie en rose.”

Metropolitan Building Wedding

Metropolitan Building Wedding

dancing

unique wedding idea

Natalie shares, “After Dan and I got engaged, we officially applied for him to move to the United States on a K-1 Visa (fiancé visa). After about 6 months of paperwork, immigration interviews, and living across the pond, he was finally approved and moved to New York on July 4, 2015. With a K-1 Visa, the government requires you to get married within three months of  being in the country or your conditional status expires. Since we didn’t want to plan and organize a full wedding in three months, we decided to get legally married at city hall for bureaucratic purposes and then plan the wedding of our dreams to happen exactly one year later. On our “legal wedding day,” we went out for a nice celebratory dinner. Once we finished, our waiter told us if we wanted a really good dessert, we should go across the street to an artisanal donut shop called Dough, and I’m so glad he did because the donuts are seriously little slices of heaven. Since these donuts had served as our “cake” on our legal wedding day, we thought having them at our real wedding would be fitting.”

Flavors included hibiscus, passion fruit with cocoa nibs, café au lait, mocha almond crunch and glazed. YUM!

wedding donuts

Metropolitan Building Wedding

Congratulations Natalie and Dan!

Special thanks to the team:
Venue: The Metropolitan Building
Venue Coordinator: Carlos Ortiz, The Metropolitan Building
Catering: Maia Pearl Catering
Officiant: Father Robert Feeney
Flowers: Jonathan Gilland
Makeup/Hair: Steven Harris
Bridesmaid Dresses: Adrianna Papell
Wedding Dress: Suburban Bridal
Wedding Shoes: Seychelles
Groom’s Suit: Ted Baker London
Groom’s Shoes: Gordon Rush
Ties: The Tie Bar
DJ: Peter Lori Entertainment, feat. Ryan Farnsworth
Band: Dan Reitz
Invitation: Wedding Paper Divas
Save the Date: Minted
Donuts: Dough
Wedding Candle Favors: Etsy Bitter Willoughby
Photographer: Jessica Schmitt Photography

SHARE TO:

Comments Off on Metropolitan Building Wedding: Congratulations Natalie and Dan!

From views of the park through a towering hotel room window to an evening overlooking the Planetarium–this wedding is full of gorgeous moments. Jena and Rahul were married on a lovely summer day in New York City. The day began with bridal preparations at the Mandarin Oriental in Columbus Circle.

Mandarin Oriental hotel nyc wedding

Mandarin Oriental wedding nyc

Mandarin Oriental wedding nyc

Mandarin Oriental wedding nyc

wedding photography nyc

wedding photography nyc

wedding photography nyc

wedding photography nyc

wedding photography nyc

The ceremony took place in the beautiful church, St. Paul the Apostle.

Rahul shares, “We had a lot of fun planning this wedding. Jena was the coolest bride! I kept waiting for us to crack under the pressure of wedding planning, but it turned out to just be lots of laughter! We wanted it to be a fun party! I cant speak for the rest of our guests, but we certainly had fun.

We loved that St. Paul’s and the Mandarin hotel are on the same block as our apartment, a daily reminder of the most beautiful day in our lives (also helpful when we forgot things the day of).

Seeing Jena for the first time walking down the aisle was amazing and very emotional and is definitely a memory I will treasure forever.”

wedding photography nyc

St Paul the Apostle church NYC

St Paul the Apostle church NYC

St Paul the Apostle church NYC

St Paul the Apostle nyc wedding

st paul church columbus circle

After the ceremony the wedding party set off for portraits in Central Park before heading into the Museum of Natural History.

purple bridesmaid dresses

central park wedding photography

central park wedding photography

central park wedding photography

Central Park wedding

central park wedding photography

Natural History Museum wedding nyc

Natural History Museum wedding NY

Natural History Museum wedding AMNH

Natural History Museum wedding

Jena’s favorite moments include a wonderful surprise toast Rahul gave in Chinese during the reception and she also says, “I loved taking pictures in the dinosaur exhibit. A fact about me that probably only Rahul knows is that I was obsessed with dinosaurs as a child.”

Natural History Museum dinosaur wedding nyc

Natural History Museum wedding

Rahul shares, “We loved how beautiful the venue was, with the outdoor cocktail space and view of the Planetarium. But it was pointed out to us (thank you, Krit!) that the Powerhouse was the perfect venue for us to celebrate our wedding since we met working together financing power plants – so we sealed our union on the site of the power plant that used to power the Museum.”

Specialty cocktails with Mexcal, grapefruit juice and jalapeño were served during the lovely outdoor cocktail hour.

Natural History Museum Powerhouse wedding nyc

escort card wedding

reception

The reception was filled with gorgeous bunches of white and purple roses, peonies and unique geometric vases.

Natural History Museum Powerhouse wedding nyc

ever swoon wedding nyc, L'Atelier Rouge

ever swoon wedding nyc, L'Atelier Rouge

Slyvia Weinstock cake

Powerhouse wedding nyc

Jena shares, “It sounds cliche but it was definitely the best day of our lives. A perfect day – much love and laughter. We are so grateful to all our family and friends, many of whom traveled great distances, for joining us to celebrate our special day.”

wedding photography

wedding photography

wedding photography

cake cutting

Natural History Museum wedding NYC

Congratulations Jena and Rahul!

Check out their engagement session here.

Special thanks to the whole team:
Hotel Venue: Mandarin Oriental 
Church: St. Paul the Apostle
Reception Venue: Powerhouse at American Museum of Natural History (AMNH)
Catering: CxRA – Catering by Restaurant Associates
Planner: ever swoon
Hair: Pinned & Proper
Makeup: Jennifer Margaret
Florist: L’Atelier Rouge
Cake: Slyvia Weinstock
Cocktail Music: Justin Vance, Flutist
DJ: Beat Train Productions
Photo Booth: We Love Photo Booths
Rentals: Taylor Creative
Lighting: Levy Lighting
Transportation: Luxor Limo Inc. and M&V Limo
Videographer: Love in Progress 
Photography: Jessica Schmitt Photography with Eric Swartz

FOLLOW ALONG ON INSTAGRAM

@PHOTOSBYJS

WINTER

FALL

SUMMER

SPRING

PERSONAL

ENGAGEMENT

WEDDING

Browse by category: