With the New York City skyline as the backdrop, Water’s Edge could not have been a more perfect venue for a couple who centered so much of their relationship around The Big Apple. Styled by Rock Paper Scissors Events, a sleek ceremony of crisp whites contrasted the rich palette of merlot at the reception. For more of the day’s design and details, head over to the gallery by Ayenia Nour Photography.
From The Bride…So much of our relationship had centered around New York City that we knew we wanted to incorporate it into our special day. We began looking at venues in the city, but none felt quite right. When we saw Water’s Edge, we knew that the view of the skyline was exactly what we wanted. Rather than being in the city, we would have it as the perfect backdrop. With the venue in place, it was time to hunt high and low for inspiration. Never being the girl that had the perfect wedding imagined from a young age, Ara Farnam from Rock Paper Scissors Events was crucial for sorting through piles of Pinterest images and Style Me Pretty weddings to help focus the style and look of the event. Wanting to stay away from traditional fall colors but keep a rich palette, we settled on a classic black and white, accented with rich merlot. We went for contrast with the ceremony, using clean whites for the chuppah so the rich centerpieces in the reception would pop. Our florist was instrumental in pulling together the look for the venue. They ran with the merlot color, creating a beautiful tonal look that accented the high ceiling of the venue without overshadowing the skyline.
Not being able to find exactly what I imagined for our invitations, we ended up creating a custom invite that perfectly captured the clean, classic look I wanted. We then DIY’d the rest of the paper goods, printing menus, programs, and the Mad Lib’s for our guest book. Ranging from touching to hilarious, we loved reading the Mad Lib submissions the next day!
Photography was so important to me, and from the first time I met Ayenia, I knew she was the perfect choice to capture our big day. We planned on shooting at Gantry State Park, as the skyline and urban feel made my heart skip a beat. Unfortunately, the weather had other plans that day. Extreme winds didn’t allow us to shoot at the Park for fear of being blown away, but thankfully the balcony of the venue was protected. Not wanting to disappoint, our wonderful photographer scheduled a reshoot for another day. That day, I was extremely disappointed, but how many brides get to put on their dress twice, with two bouquets? What seemed like a disastrous situation ended up working out for the best.
We knew we wanted to incorporate family throughout our special day. My bouquet was wrapped in lace from my mother’s veil, and my hair was finished with a vintage hair comb borrowed from my mother-in-law. Andrew wore his late maternal grandfathers’ watch, as well as using his briefcase emblazoned with his initials to hold our cards at the reception. Our escort card table displayed both our parents wedding photos. At the ceremony, my grandfather gave a reading, and we drank from Andrew’s aunts kiddish cup. Andrew’s paternal grandfather blessed the challah to kick off the reception. We wanted to start off the party with a bang, and a shower of confetti from our bridal party for the first dance was just the way to do it. The Jay LaMonte band rocked the night away, even playing “Smells Like Teen Spirit” to the utter joy of this Nirvana-loving bride. The evening ended with a yacht ride down the east river for the guests, providing an even more majestic view of the city so pivotal in Andrew and I’s relationship.
Photography: Ayenia Nour | Event Design: Rock Paper Scissors Events | Florist: Flowers By Brian | Wedding Dress: Suzanne Neville | Invitations: Confetti Grey | Shoes: Jimmy Choo | Wedding Bands: David Yurman | Bridesmaids' Dresses: JLM Couture, Inc | Band: Hank Lane Music | Groom's Attire: Burberry | Hair And Make Up: Curls And Lashes | Water's Edge: Water's Edge Restaurant | Z Hotel LIC: Z Hotel Lic