You know what I love more than an intimate NYC wedding? An intimate NYC wedding in the middle of winter. One that has a breathtaking ceremony amongst a gorgeous backdrop of trees and a beautiful reception held at the New Leaf Restaurant. It’s perfection, lovelies. See it all captured by Michelle Lange in the full gallery.
From the Bride… My husband and I are based in New York and wanted our wedding to feel like an amazing, relaxed party with all our favorite people. John is from Ireland and I am from Australia so our nearest and dearest are scattered all over the place. Some of our best friends and family had never met, so we wanted to keep the event casual and intimate knowing that the personalities of the mostly Irish and Australian crowd would provide plenty of gaiety once they all met.
Our ideal location was going to be somewhere in New York City that felt organic and mellow, but easy to access. We were so lucky to find the New Leaf Restaurant and Bar in Fort Tryon Park on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. It had beautiful gardens and views. The restaurant, in a stunning stone cabin, with some of the best food in New York was the perfect size to fit our 57 guests. We were married in late March and this winter was brutally long so the trees were bare and the sky gray, but our brilliant photographer Michelle Lange made it look like a wonderland with beautiful muted greens, purples and pinks.
In a fit of DIY-craziness I decided to hand embroider the initials of our guests on handkerchiefs. I love to sew, but after completing about half the guests, I was perhaps not as enthusiastic as I had been at the outset!
My favorite part of the day was John’s speech. John is typically pretty reserved, but to have him stand up in front of everyone and talk about how he fell in love with me and even quote my favorite poems and books was something I still tear up thinking about. He does have a wicked sense of humor, so it did start off with a joke about how it was not a sham marriage for a green card. Otherwise, seeing everyone we love so dearly in one place singing, dancing and chatting away was extraordinary and in fact, the only two single people at the wedding who met that night have been dating ever since, so love was undoubtedly in the air.
Photography: Michelle Lange Photography | Floral Design: Kate Woodhouse | Wedding Dress: RK Bridal | Cake: A Simple Cake | Shoes: Badgley Mischka | Makeup: Nicole Sievers Makeup Artistry | Hair: Styles On B | Wedding Venue: New Leaf Restaurant | Second Photographer: Cassidy Parker Smith