Tell us a little about yourselves!
We met as freshmen in college and have been together ever since. Sam has been my person for what feels like forever—so much so that my younger sister recently said, "I don’t remember a time without him; he’s always been part of our family.”
Why did you decide to get married where you did?
New York City has been a huge part of our story. Since graduating college, we’ve built our life here—starting in crowded apartments living with our best friends, to getting our first place together (which was barely bigger than a shoebox, but it was ours), to getting engaged on Pier 45 on the West Side Highway. This city has been with us through many phases, and there’s nowhere else that feels more like home.
Our favorite way to spend time together is exploring new restaurants, wandering through different neighborhoods, or celebrating any occasion—big or small—with a staycation at a local hotel. It only felt right to say ‘I do’ in the place that holds so many of our memories and so much of our heart. The Wythe Hotel had so much charm and character that it was a no brainer for us - the exposed brink, black and white checkered floors. When you stepped foot inside, you knew you were in New York, which was our dream.
How many guests did you have?
140.
Tell us about your outfits.
I wore 3 outfits -
The most meaningful of them all - my mom gave me her wedding dress to wear and with the help of the incredibly talented Isa Kriegeskotte we were able to give it a new life. I wore this down the aisle, which felt like I was bringing a piece of her love story into mine
YSL gown - I have had this dress saved on my Pinterest board for years and I always knew I would wear it on my wedding day
Silk Pajamas - once the clock struck midnight I changed into silk pajamas and sandals so I could comfortably dance until 4am
Sam wore a custom tuxedo from Bhambi Tailors.
What was the most important aspect for you, in terms of planning your wedding?
We met on a dance floor at a dingy college party surrounded by all of our best friends so when we were planning our wedding we really wanted to be transported back to that day (minus the walls and floor falling apart around us) so throwing the most epic dance party surrounded by all of our favorite people in the world was the biggest priority. Our DJ, Shaun Pazel, brought our vision to life - from curating the worlds best dinner party playlist to somehow picking song after song that kept the entire wedding on their feet dancing until 4am.
Involving our friends and family in the day was extremely important. Our best friend of over 10 years, Jason Blumhardt, was our officiant and when I say getting married to your best friend by your best friend is one of the most surreal and special experiences. He made us laugh and cry and was truly able to tell our story in a way that no one else could.
Any tips for couples getting married?
Work with people who match the energy you are looking for on the day of the wedding.
Are there any vendors that you would like to tell us a little more about?
Deanna of La Maison Fete - she made the wedding planning process a dream. She brings a sense of calm to a process that can be filled with so much stress and we are forever grateful for her. She brought our vision to life and is the reason we had so much fun in the planning process.
Rachel Cho Floral Design - we chose to do all red flowers for our dinner and she went above and beyond…when we first saw the room, our jaws dropped, the flowers were such a statement and helped curate the intimate dinner party vibe we were going for
Weddings by Nato - Nato was such a dream to work with and captured our day in a way that showcased every ounce of love that we felt. It was extremely important to us to have photos that captured the true essence of the day and Nato did that absolutely perfectly
Happy Menocal Studio - our stationary (from the save the date, to the invitation, to the menus) was a work of art and truly set the stage for what to expect at our wedding. She is an artistic genius and we could not have been more grateful to work with her!
Photographer: Weddings by Nato @weddingsbynato | Planning: La Maison Fete @lamaisonfete | Flora: Rachel Cho Floral Design @rachelchofloral | Ceremony & Reception Location: Wythe Hotel @wythehotel | Celebrant: Jason Blumhardt | Makeup Artist: Danielle Gerkens @daniellegerkens_llc | Hair Stylist: Alan David Freitas @hairbyalandavid | Catering, Cake & Beverages: Wythe Hotel@wythehotel | Stationery: Happy Menocal Studio @happymenocalstudio | Entertainment:
Shaun Pazel @305bananas | After Party Location: El Nico @elNico | Ceremony Dress: Vera Wang @verawang | Reception Dress: YSL @ysl | Suit: Bhambi’s Custom Tailor @bhambisnyc_tailor | Veil:
Borrowed from Ali's best friend | Tailor: Isa Kriegeskotte @isastiches | Shoes: Jimmy Choo @jimmychoo & Belgian Shoes @belgianshoesnyc