Romantic + Elegant Manhattan Wedding at the W Hotel

There is nothing I love more than a good ol’ glam fest. Perfect example – this W Hotel fete that defines New York style (just look at that funfetti cake). It’s timeless meets romance, like when the couple snuck up to the rooftops with W Studios New York to shoot some seriously gorgeous portraits. It’s the type of wedding that defines modern chic and you can see it all in The Vault!

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From W Studios New YorkWhen I first met Allison & Dan I knew they would throw a phenomenal New York City wedding. The glamorous W Hotel was the perfect stage for the celebration. This couple picked one of the most unique locations in NYC for their first look, seeing each other on the roof of the hotel with the iconic “W” and the skyline as their background created some truly unforgettable moments. After we went to my favorite spot in the city, Irving Place. With its classic brownstones, but set away from the hustle and bustle of city life it is truly a well kept secret. Allison & Dan truly created an event to remember with their love of food and sense of style shinning through in all of the little details.

From The Bride…The overall vision for our wedding was to create a timeless and chic celebration that was classically New York City. It came as no surprise to anyone that we chose W New York Union Square Hotel as our wedding venue. It was always my dream to get married at The Plaza Hotel (thank you, Home Alone!) however, it didn’t exactly fit within our budget. Having worked for Starwood Hotels for the past 9 years, W Union Square was the perfect choice for us. When planning a wedding, the first thing everyone wants to know is what the theme will be. Dan and I agreed early on that choosing a ‘standard’ theme wasn’t for us. We are both extremely passionate about cooking, eating, imbibing and trying new restaurants and bars, so that became our theme. As the Corporate Director of Food and Beverage for Starwood Hotels, everyone was expecting me to plan a top notch event. Between the signature cocktails representing our favorite spirits (Gold Rush for him and Spicy Paloma for her), the raw bar overflowing with oysters, stone crab claws, lobster and jumbo shrimp, the celebratory Don Julio tequila shots during our toasts, the non-traditional Momofuku Milk Bar vanilla funfetti wedding cake and everything in between, no one left our wedding hungry or thirsty.

All of our vendors were carefully selected and such a pleasure to work with. Going along with our New York location, it was important for Dan and I to have quintessential NYC photos. Stephen and Yuliya understood our vision and were instrumental in stopping traffic and pedestrians as we took over Irving Place for what bystanders thought was a wedding magazine photo shoot. As an added element of fun, we brought in a photo booth which was a win-win for everyone. Not only were our guests able to take home their film strips, but Dan and I were able to re-live the wedding by looking through all the photos captured throughout the night. The real highlight for me was the wedding cake. As a dessert fiend, I was adamant about having a Momofuku Milk Bar cake and spent several months convincing Dan that it would be better than the traditional buttercream filled, fondant-covered, flower topped cake. It absolutely paid off because people are still raving about how delicious it was!

As expected, we ended the night by closing down the bar in the hotel lobby with all of our closest family and friends. Overall, we couldn’t have asked for a better day and would not have changed a thing.

Photography: W Studios New York | Cinematography: Prime Focus Media | Floral Design: Beethoven's Verand | Wedding Dress: Madison James | Cake: Momofuku Milk Bar | Stationery: Reed Office Supply | Bride's Shoes: Kate Spade | Bridesmaids' Dresses: J.Crew | Hair And Makeup: Lauren & Vanessa | Band: Bud Maltin Metropolitan Music | Favors: Reed Office Supply | Venue: Le Meridien | Groom And Groomsmen Attire: Men's Wearhouse | Photo Booth: Mystical Entertainment