It should go without saying at this point, that any wedding we see at The Metropolitan Building in Queens, quickly climbs the charts of our all time favorite weddings. It’s pretty much the coolest venue ever and we’re so in love with how each couple makes it unique and all their own. Our fav element of this wedding just might be that incredible chuppah…but we love all those gorgeous candlesticks too! Jenny Ebert Photography snapped up all the pretty and there’s even more right here.
Be sure to watch this gorgeous wedding come to life in this film by First Day Films:
Click here for the FULL wedding!
From the Bride… It was a given that we would marry in New York, the place where Matt and I are from, where we met and where our families live. Matt proposed along the West Side Highway just blocks from our West Village apartment, four years after our first (blind) date in Nolita. Of course, like everything else we love about our great city, the venue options were limitless and overwhelming, each with their own reviews, critiques and blog posts. The biggest problem we faced was scale. As the daughter of three rabbis, my vision of 50 guests on a private farm on the North Fork of Long Island was out of the question. As the numbers crept toward 300, and many of the spaces we looked at could no longer accommodate us, we thought seriously about cutting down the list. But we quickly realized that having all of our loved ones (and many of their loved ones) with us to celebrate our marriage was the most important thing about the wedding.
Someone wise told me once you find “The Venue,” everything else would fall into place. As I stood on the corner of 44th Street in Long Island City, staring up at the brick warehouse that is the Metropolitan Building, I knew, before even going inside, I would marry Matt in that space. As a specialist in the post-war and contemporary art department at Christie’s, I love warehouses. Inside, I met Ellanor, an elderly German woman seated in an upholstered rocking chair drinking a cup of tea. We talked about art, the transformation of the neighborhood, artists who had studios nearby and her personal history of collecting. She showed me floors of her furniture collection — stacks of antique end tables, couches, lampshades and various bric-a-brac. “Whatever you like, you can use, for your wedding,” she said. I called my mom. I was done. The rest was easy. We just wanted to work with great people who knew what they were doing, because we did not. Photography was paramount because we’re both in the arts. I had seen Jenny Ebert’s work and fallen in love. Twenty minutes of meeting with her and looking through her amazing images, and the check was in the mail. Flowers worked pretty much the same way. What did I know about flowers? Fortunately, the brilliant Sarah Ryhanen of Saipua knows loads. After hearing March was a perfect month for flowers, it was decided we would use whatever looked best at the market that week.
The community of assistance and support surrounding the day grew organically. Jenny recommended Lauren Sozmen of Loli Events to help bring everything together. Lauren brought me Face Time Beauty, who effortlessly made me look effortless. Matt’s music connections as the co-founder of Indaba Media led us to The Karen Lloyd Band through Hank Lane who rocked down the house. My sister and maid of honor sourced the Kosher taco truck so that guests would have something to eat before the ceremony. Each of our mothers crocheted over 200 yarmulkes for the guests. Matt and I spent the two weeks up to the wedding writing and re-writing the programs. I didn’t care so much about the cake, but I made sure to have a wooden cake topper created in our likeness, along with our beloved dog, Maggie, by elves at the Lollipop Workshop. In the end, it came together beautifully, and I can say with total delight and satisfaction the night was perfectly imperfect. Our brilliant rabbi forgot a glass for Matt to smash at the close of the ceremony (a traditional Jewish custom at weddings). I was dropped by Matt’s friends as they lifted me up in a chair during the hora (the horror!). Red wine splashed all over Matt’s father during the cocktail reception. But it didn’t matter. We were together with everyone we loved, dancing the night away in Ellanor’s warehouse in Long Island City. We were married.
Wedding Photography: 1. Art Beauty Life : Jenny Ebert Photography / Wedding Venue: The Metropolitan Building in Long Island City, New York / Wedding Planning: Lauren Sozmen of loli events / Floral Design: Saipua / Officiant: Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum of Congregation Beth Simchat Torah / Wedding Cinematography: John Miller of First Day Films / Catering + Wedding Cake: Dan Lencer of Manna Catering / Wedding Invitations: Swayspace / Calligraphy: Lee Friedlander (Father of the Bride) / Music: Hank Lane Music & Productions / Wedding Dress + Veil: Vera Wang / Bride’s Shoes: Jimmy Choo / Hair: Ava of Metodoro Rossano Ferretti (212-759-9300) / Makeup: Linsey Snyder Wachalter of Face Time Beauty Concierge / Bridesmaid’s Dress: Chanel / Groom’s Attire: Joseph Abboud