City Hall weddings are a special breed of celebrations that are reminiscent of timeless cinema and a carefree love that lasts a lifetime. And this one from VinnyD Photography at New York City Hall is all that and more with that glorious red bouquet from Blooming Today and the love of these two sweethearts that shimmers like gold off of your screens. And, in the midst of it all, New York reminds us here that it is one of the most romantic cities and will forever be the setting of the greatest loves. Find the entire wedding in the gallery right here.
NYC Wedding from VinnyD Photography
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From the Bride… I am a dreamer. Omar is more of a realist. I dreamed of the big wedding, beautiful dress, first dance, flowers ... I had it all planned! The thought of his actual wedding didn't occupy much space in Omar's thoughts. Like in any good relationship, your partner makes you want to be a better person. As our relationship grew, I saw myself become more or a realist, as well as more practical. We are also pretty traditional, however our sequence of life events happened a little backwards. We had a baby first and then finally decided to make our family official after our son was born. We didn't want a baby to rush the process, but we knew our family unit would only be complete as a married couple!
As a new mom, I no longer wanted the spotlight. With the little time I had for myself, I no longer wanted the anxieties of planning a wedding. With the increasing expenses of a baby and our decision for me to be a stay at home mom, I no longer wanted to put hard-earned money into a one night, but rather a down payment for a future home. We decided to forego a wedding and "elope." I used the word "elope" loosely because we planned it this way. We kept everything all a secret! Loving the city we live in, we decided to tie the knot in New York City! We saw the romance in a classic city hall wedding. We selected our hotel and dinner venue by process of elimination — we knew wanted the experience to be spectacular and contemporary, something we wouldn't do any normal day. We had a corner suite on the 41st floor of the Trump Soho Hotel with amazing city views that couldn't be beat; our wedding toast was with immediate family and close friends at the bar of City Hall Restaurant, a classic, charming NYC restaurant with a casual vibe; and a fantastic dinner tasting for two at the exceptional Eleven Madison Park, where we were waited on hand and foot, had wine pairings, visited the kitchen for a demonstration, and even signed the restaurants cookbook as special guests. It was truly a wonderful experience! I picked out the first dress I tried on by myself — a beaded and feather sweetheart, strapless, short dress from Bebe. I was going to wear another pair of shoes I had worn as a bridesmaid to a friend's wedding but then saw the Badgley Mischka "Salsa" shoes, tried them on and instantly changed my mind. I decided on a red and pink bouquet for a pop of color, while also adding a little spunk! As we got closer to our wedding date, we decided to tell only our closest family and friends. At the end, there was some damage control we were challenged with due to our secrecy, but aside from that it was all pretty perfect!
Something I was completely surprised by was how emotional I would become during our wedding vows, considering we didn't recite our own vows or have music playing in the background to entice those emotions. I had seen a couple of Youtube videos of weddings at City Hall. They seemed short and to the point. We were fine with this! However, it was much more meaningful than that. And although it was indeed short, it truly was very romantic, sweet and unforgettable! It was the wedding I never knew I wanted.
Wedding Photography: VinnyD Photography / Ceremony: New York City Hall in New York, New York / Cocktail Hour: City Hall Restaurant in New York, New York / Dinner: Eleven Madison Park in New York, New York / Bride's Bouquet: Eileen Daniels of Blooming Today / Accommodations: Trump Soho / Ring Pouch: Custom by OliveandFern / Wedding Dress: Bebe / Bride's Shoes: Badgley Mischka / Bride's Hair Piece + Clutch: Bellafiore2009 / Makeup: Makeup by Maddie / Groom's Suit + Tie: Hugo Boss / Groom's Shoes: Bruno Magli / Groom's Cufflinks: Custom by WhiteTruffle