There’s no doubt about it: traditional NYC weddings are about as pretty as it gets. Especially when you take a fabulous group of vendors (think Designs By Ahn, Haiyin Lin Photography and 2Be Photography & Design), add in a gorgeous bride and groom and let them work their magic at a locale as amazing as the Ritz Carlton Battery Park. One word: stunning. See it all in the full gallery.
From the Bride… My husband and I got married in Easter weekend on March 30th, 2013 in New York City. We met during college in 2007 and about one month after we started dating, I moved back to my hometown, Hong Kong, to pursue my career in marketing, while he stayed in NYC. We were a long distance couple for about 1 1/2 years until I moved back to NYC. He popped the question while we were traveling to our favourite city, Barcelona, in April 2012.
Since we first met and fell in love in New York City, we wanted our wedding set in the city. The Ritz-Carlton, Battery Park was the perfect fit for our dream wedding. We wanted our spring wedding to feel modernly romantic and elegant. We incorporated a few of traditional Chinese customs into our big day, including a tea ceremony in the morning. I chose to wear a Chinese Qun Kua custom-made in Hong Kong during the tea ceremony. A Qun Kua is a symbol of Chinese tradition and culture. It is just so much more meaningful in wearing kua during the traditional tea ceremony.
I wore an Enzoani gown for the Western wedding ceremony. For floral design, we chose blush pink and cream. The bridal bouquet was a beautiful mix of garden roses, ruffled tulips, ranunculus, and accented with dusty miller and brunia, elegantly hand tied in ribbon. We were married under the bloomed cherry blossom branches from Designs by Ahn. We then took pictures on an open terrace overlooking the beautiful sunset views of the Hudson River. For reception centerpieces, we used cherry blossoms, as well as seasonal spring flowers such as hydrangea, garden roses and ranunculus.
Since we did not have a wedding planner for our wedding, I decided to take on some DIY wedding projects to create a unique personal touch. I created our table numbers using New York Landmarks (i.e. Central Park, Times Square etc), escort cards, Wedding Card Box, wedding signages, and other personal details. My bridesmaids were kind enough to help me assemble the wedding favors the night before my wedding. We gave a detailed time schedule to the wedding party and our vendors, and my husband stepped in on the day of the wedding to make sure our wedding run smoothly.
Since we had a Manhattan wedding, we hired a local jazz band to perform during the cocktail hour and reception dinner. We used gold balloons spelling out LOVE, plus stars and hearts for our stage backdrop. We had our first dance choreographed to “It Had to Be You” by Harry Connick Jr. Our wedding cake, a combination of green tea cake with lemon Chiffon Filling and Earl Gray Tea with Chai Spice Filling topped off with white fondant, was created by City Sweets and Confections. We enjoyed every minute. Everything was absolutely perfect and turned out beautifully. It was our dream wedding come true.
Photography: 2Be Photography & Design | Flowers: DESIGNS BY AHN | Wedding Dress: Enzoani | Wedding Cake: City Sweets & Confections | Shoes: Badgley Mischka | Hair & Makeup: VickyC5 | Wedding Favors: Financier Pastries | Officiant: Kim Worley | Venue: Ritz Carlton Battery Park, New York | Jazz Band: Audrey Silver Music | Morning Photography: Haiyin Lin Photography