It’s a well known fact that any wedding held at The New York Botanical Garden is going to be drop-dead gorgeous. That’s just a given. But, when it’s a wedding featuring one of the sweetest duos you will ever lay your eyes upon, it gives it a little something extra special that can’t really be put into words. That’s because these two cuties warmed our hearts the very moment we saw the sweet, sweet images captured by Tim Ryan Smith – and with sooo much love bursting from every photo, we’ve been basking in the gallery ever since. Join us there for more.
Click here for the FULL wedding!
From the Bride… Jose and I met in college at Dartmouth in New Hampshire, and although we live in the Chicago area, the rustic feel of New England continually remains in our hearts and speaks loudly to us. When it came time to plan our wedding, we wanted something unique. We also wanted to combine that New England quaintness mixed with a bit of history, elegance and romanticism. The Stone Mill at The New York Botanical Garden in my hometown of the Bronx really brought our vision to life. What once was a tobacco manufacturing building built in the 1840’s has been renovated to become a beautiful and charming piece of local history.
With our own special touches, we were able to create a day that exemplified who we are both as individuals and as a couple. Our wedding ceremony took place at my childhood church, which has a great deal of meaning to my family. We chose flowers to represent our favorite colors, pink and green, and used classic roses as well as delicate pink peonies. I made a number of the decorations for use throughout the day, including the ring bearer’s pillow, the streamers waved upon our exit of the church, the table numbers, drink stirrers, menu cards and the escort card display. Having this hand-on approach helped me connect with and shape our day with our own personal touches.
Our wedding day was beautiful and also bittersweet as my only brother passed away unexpectedly and tragically only four months prior. We miss him dearly every day and even more so for our wedding. The favors were seed balls which when planted would grow flowers and I had “Love Grows Here” printed on the canvas bags. “Love Grows Here” is a song our youth choir at church sang many times and my brother and I sang together in the choir growing up. The phrase has many meanings to me and one of those is tied to my brother and his influence on my life. Our final song for our reception was Frank Sinatra’s “Theme from New York, New York,” as it is the song played after every Yankees game, and my brother was a die-hard fan. I do believe he was with us every step of the way that day, as we had absolutely perfect summer weather and a seamless day.
Wedding Photography: Tim Ryan Smith / Ceremony: Riverdale Presbyterian Church in Bronx, New York / Reception: Lillian & Amy Goldman Stone Mill at The New York Botanical Garden in Bronx, New York / Floral Design: Forever In Bloom / Wedding Invitations: Minted / Programs: Hello Ten Fold / Ceremony Music: Ten Strings Music Studio / Music: Gary “DJ Gaza” Hoffmann of 74 Events / Transportation: Silver Star Limousine / Accommodations: The London NYC / Wedding Dress: Maggie Sottero “Florencia” / Bride’s Shoes: Caparros / Hair: Brittany DiGiacomo / Makeup: Meredith Hayman