Striking Shades of Berry for an Urban Autumn Wedding

Color palettes full of soft hues and neutrals have taken over the wedding scene in the past few years. And while beautiful in every way, this day rich with vivid jewel tones feels like such a breath of fresh air. No surprise, the vendors behind it include some of our favorite people like Bella FiguraFace Time BeautyGabriella New York and Jarrell Entertainment, just to name a few. The incredible Heather Waraksa shot this city celebration and LOVE in PROGRESS captured the film clip below!

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From the bride… Mark proposed on a beautiful spring day inside Gramercy Park, the only private park in Manhattan that actually requires a key to get in! We live down the street but had never been inside until Mark creatively secured a key for the big question.

We knew we wanted our wedding to be an intimate affair for our closest friends and family, ideally close to home. The Gramercy Park Hotel was undeniably the perfect choice. The historic hotel is classic New York while also being stylish and unique. Mark and I can see the magical glowing lights inside the GPH’s rooftop terrace from our apartment window, and we had always imagined what it would be like to have our wedding there. Getting married in our neighborhood allowed us to share the part of New York that we love so much with our friends and family.

The venue was an urban garden rooftop with views of the NYC skyline. I was inspired by the rich colors and fabrics of the hotel’s decor. We picked a date in late November and I immediately had a vision of dark burgundy, lavender and ivory flowers to complement the lush greenery of the terrace. Our floral designer, Denise Fasanello, made this come to life with organic arrangements of peonies, garden roses, and anemones. To make the setting even more romantic, she added long tapered candles to enhance the lanterns, votives and fairy lights that were already strewn throughout the venue.

I found my dress during my first and only shopping trip at a trunk show at Gabriella New York! The warm ivory color was perfect for fall and the hand-sewn 3D floral detailing was on trend and suited to the aesthetic of the ivy-wrapped terrace. My search for shoes took much longer but once I discovered this pair of velvet burgundy Gianvito Rossi heels, I knew they were mine.

We added personal touches that were meaningful to us, including our family’s adorable Boston terrier in our wedding photos, wrapping my bridal bouquet with my great-grandmother’s antique handkerchief, and topping our wedding cake with a retro cake topper from my parents’ wedding.

It was important to us that our wedding to be relaxed and fun, yet refined and tasteful. We achieved this by selecting vendors who not only reflected our style but were also warm and easy to be around. Capturing the memories was extremely important and we knew we could trust our photographer, Heather Waraksa, to provide us with beautiful, editorial style images that we will cherish for years to come. Having great chemistry with the team we hired to carry out our vision was invaluable. We couldn’t have been happier working with Kay Chittiappa, the coordinator at the GPH, who helped flawlessly execute our dream wedding.

We were so lucky that the weather was sixty degrees and sunny – a perfect fall day in the city. The autumn colors of the leaves in the park added to the vibrancy of the day. Our guests arrived to music by a live jazz trio, and the catering by Danny Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group was incredible. Our favorite moments included taking photos throughout our neighborhood, sharing our handwritten vows during the candlelit ceremony, and dancing the night away to DJ MKL’s amazing playlist.

Photography: Heather Waraksa | Cinematography: LOVE in PROGRESS video productions | Floral Design: Denise Fasanello Floral Design | Wedding Dress: Gabriella New York Bridal Salon | Cake: Empire Cake | Stationery: Bella Figura | Bride's Shoes: Gianvito Rossi | Engagement Ring: Josh Fishman | Bridesmaid Dresses: Jenny Yoo | Makeup: Lauren & Vanessa | Hair Stylist: Face Time Beauty Concierge | Calligraphy: Little Flower Calligraphy | DJ: Jarrell Entertainment | Grooms Attire: Hugo Boss | Groomsmen Suits: Jos A. Bank Rentals | Officiant: Honorable Elizabeth D. Pessala | Wedding Venue: Gramercy Park Hotel | Bride's wedding band: Doyle And Doyle | Dance Floor: Jarrell Entertainment | Groom's wedding band: Tiffany & Co. | Hair Accessory: Jenny Packham | Jazz Trio: Jarrell Entertainment | Veil: Sara Gabriel