This wedding was not only super chic with amazing views, but took the traditional idea of a seated reception and flipped it on its head by turning it into a fabulous cocktail party!
From the bride:
We knew we wanted a simple wedding, so we decided to strip it down to its essence and just throw a fun cocktail party with our closest family and friends. Our venue was a really unique photography studio in midtown Manhattan called Gary’s Loft, which is furnished with all kinds of vintage furniture and props used for shoots (including a fake bathroom set that we ended up using as our bar!). That meant we didn’t need to add flower arrangements, elaborate decorations, or even extra tables or chairs. With just a few candles, the loft was beautiful on its own, and our guests could explore and mingle in the space in a way that fit the relaxed vibe we were going for.
Our ceremony took place on the roof deck of the loft, with the nearby Empire State Building acting as the most stunning backdrop we could have imagined. We decided to make our entrance together and walk down the “aisle” as a couple. We also chose to speak our vows to each other without using a microphone. Although most of our guests couldn’t hear us, many people told us afterwards that watching our faces during that moment felt more intensely personal than hearing our words.
For the cocktail portion of the evening, we hired Landhaus, a caterer that runs the kitchen at the popular Brooklyn bar The Woods. They put together an awesome, informal “floating supper” of passed bites, which included Landhaus’ famous maple bacon sticks, miniature pastrami sandwiches and lobster rolls, clam chowder, fluke ceviche, and crab (the seafood was all fresh from the caterer’s family business in Maine). We asked a couple of talented friends to DJ and let the rest of the night take its course. Luckily, the venue staff was very understanding and didn’t make us stop dancing on the roof until 2am. It really was the best party we’d ever been to!
VENDORS
Bride’s dress: J. Mendel
Bride’s shoes: Jimmy Choo
Groom’s suit: J. Crew
Hair stylist: Laura Mitchell
Makeup artist (friend of the couple): Anne Kohlhagen
Venue: Gary’s Loft
Planner: Big Juicy Events
Photographers (friends of the couple): Jennifer Czyborra & Brian Park
Invitations: Minted
Paper décor: Devra Party
Rentals: Broadway Party Rentals
Food + dessert: Landhaus
[images from Jennifer Czyborra & Brian Park]