• Real Weddings

This modern and elegant Manhattan rooftop wedding featuring spectacular Tribeca views all while managing to escape a city-wide blackout! You'll want to see all of the elegant and stylish photos by Joseph Lin Photography. Big Apple Bride planned every detail, Bride and Blossom created all of the amazing florals and Kiss The Bride Films filmed this special day at Tribeca Rooftop. You can see all the images in the full gallery and read on to hear every last detail from the stunning bride who dons a Atelier Pronovias wedding gown.

Hi - we're Laura and Drew. We met seven years ago in New York City and are excited to share our wedding story and photos with you. I (Laura) am from a very large - and loud - Italian-American family and am a native New Yorker. Food and family were very important growing up, as evidenced by the pasta course my parents insisted on us having at our wedding. Drew hails from Ithaca and was raised in a biracial family, but says he felt so much inclusivity in Ithaca and it was the best place to grow up. He played lacrosse at the University of Maryland and is now an avid golfer. 

Our planning process 

We took our time and enjoyed our engagement before we really sunk our teeth into the planning process. We have similar taste, so agreed on a good deal of decisions. We knew right away that we wanted to have our wedding in our home of New York City, and as many of our friends and family would be traveling from afar, thought the Big Apple was the most enjoyable travel destination for our guests, many of whom had never been here. 

Venue

We toured a handful of venues; however, it was apparent that Tribeca Rooftop was our first choice because it has special meaning to us. Since childhood, my family and I have attended an annual fundraiser event at Tribeca Rooftop for a charity that’s very close to my heart. In the latter years, Drew has come along with us and we both love the stunning views, lofty vibe, and top-notch food. It was the obvious pick for both of us.

Gown

From there, many of our decisions fell into place easily. While I didn’t know exactly the type of gown I wanted, I gravitated towards simple, sleek, and timeless, steering away from any obvious trends. Every single gown I discovered by Atelier Pronovias was more beautiful than the next. I made my first appointment and went by myself, where my bridal consultant pulled several gowns based on the criteria I had mentioned. I instantly fell in love with the first one I tried on, however, I wanted to make sure I was 100 percent certain before I made a commitment. In all, I probably tried on close to 100 gowns knowing I would never have this experience again. Ultimately, I confidently chose that first gown I tried on at Pronovias. I felt like myself and very comfortable on my wedding day, which was very important to me.

Many people tried to dissuade me from choosing a long sleeve dress in the summertime. When I was about to make a decision, a few people commented that it seemed like it was more of a winter dress. I was a bit worried that I would be very hot wearing long sleeves in July, and had a back-up dress waiting in the bridal suite in case I overheated. I never needed it. While my loved ones' opinions were important, I strongly felt that my dress fit my personality and style. I'm still so glad I went with my gut and chose that dress. 

Flowers

We selected a Bride and Blossom who took the time to meet with us in person and help us flesh out our ideas. Before our wedding, we were unable to differentiate ranunculus from anemones. We knew the overall look we wanted, but had trouble articulating what it was. So many of the florists we approached would blindly submit us a proposal, without ever inquiring about our preferences. We felt this lacked personalization and we appreciated an individualized plan in an area where we have very little knowledge. 

Music

In line with our desire to keep our wedding timeless, we selected a spectacular band that is known for their Motown, soul, funk, and disco music. We wanted music that would appeal to all ages and we think we succeeded. Our cocktail hour music was by a phenomenal string quartet that played covers of both contemporary and classics. I discovered them playing in the Fulton Street subway station in Manhattan. You never know where you’ll find New York’s best talent!

Coordinator

Because there were many moving parts with our wedding (our ceremony and reception were in two different locations) we felt that a wedding coordinator would be useful to delegate the day-of tasks and details so that we could be truly present on our wedding day. The smartest decision we could have made was hiring our day-of coordinators, Big Apple Bride Events. They were so much more than day-of coordinators though, because they set out weeks prior to ensure they’d be able to step in on our wedding day where we left off with planning it. I highly recommend this to couples, for weddings both large and small. Just because you’ve meticulously planned the details leading up to the big day doesn’t mean they will be executed how you envisioned. Big Apple Bride seamlessly helped us mitigate our stress and ensured our wedding was a day where we could focus on just that – our wedding. 

What was most important to us

It was crucial that everyone participating in this day for us felt comfortable and included. I felt strongly that I did not want a bridal party, partly because I understand that it can be a financial burden and generally, an inconvenience. Ultimately, the side of me that longed for inclusion won out and after great thought, I realized that I wanted our wedding to symbolize a joining of families and friends, especially as it related to Drew's relatives who were about to become my new family. I'd hoped in years to come we would collectively look back on this day with fond memories. I was delighted and honored to have his two sisters and niece stand by my side. 

To ease my worry of burdening friends and family with the request of being in my bridal party, I instructed my bridesmaids and maid of honor to choose their own dress, respectively, from any designer and in any style, in the shade of blush pink. A summery color and flattering on any skin tone, I'd seen this type of laissez faire approach to a bridal party come together beautifully in another wedding I'd attended. I was not a bride who demanded uniformity in the details, such as similar nail color, jewelry, or shoes. I wanted my bridesmaids to feel beautiful without sacrificing their comfort, and also allow their individuality to shine through. In the end, I was happy with this decision, not only photographically, but because several of my bridesmaids told me they appreciated the ease of what can sometimes be a stressful process.

When choosing my bridal party, I didn't want to exclude my close male friend. I wanted him to be a part of my wedding day in some form and asked him to be my "man of honor." I'd read about having a "man of honor" on wedding blogs, but had never seen it firsthand at a wedding. Going back to my emphasis on convenience and inclusion, I let him create the parameters of the role. To match my bridesmaids, he wore a blush pink bow-tie, and walked down the aisle singularly as the rest of my bridesmaids did. I am thrilled to have had him play a special part in our big day.

Lastly, Drew and I have been to so many weddings and knew from experience that while the details are great, the standout elements for us were around the food, drinks, music, and the couple you’re there to celebrate. Albeit there were details significant to us to ensure a memorable evening for our guests, we knew what the key takeaways would be and didn’t dwell on minor details, many of which were out of our control.

Our vision

We did not know our color palette and style vision when we first began planning our wedding. It quickly became apparent as we went down the rabbit hole of the internet and social media. We were drawn to black and white, and hints of green in florals. We didn’t want to detract from the beautiful views our venue boasts, and therefore made a conscious effort to keep décor as minimally elegant as possible. 

Choosing our invitation suite was also critical in allowing us to realize our vision. We must have looked through thousands of stationery pieces but gravitated towards a unique modern black and white suite. The font was modern with a touch of softness, which helped us set the tone for the rest of the wedding. 

What was most important / what we looked forward to most  

We most looked forward to our families and friends meeting for the very first time. Drew delivered a heartfelt speech during the reception, where he encouraged everyone to introduce themselves to someone they didn't know to learn how they know us, tell a funny story about us, or share a memory. We come from very different, diverse backgrounds and were so excited to watch our loved ones interact for the first time. 

Favorite part of the wedding

It's hard to peg a favorite part of the day because it was so wonderful, but when looking back on it, we both agree it was our church ceremony. It was important to us that we were married in a church - and we decided to see one another for the first time on the altar rather than have a "first look." We are so happy to have had that moment.

We are also so lucky to have dodged a city-wide blackout! About 30 minutes following our ceremony, New York City’s lights went out just north of 14th Street, missing our venue, but originating on the exact street of our church. My dad jokes that the blackout was due to the number of fans that were keeping the church cool during our ceremony. When guests looked out at the views later that evening, they saw half of the city completely dark!

• Band: The Cool Rulers
• Bride: Laura
• Calligraphy: Julie Ha Calligraphy
• Cocktail hour string quartet: Sterling Strings
• Event Planning & Design: Big Apple Bride
• Flowers: Bride and Blossom
• Groom & His Men: Knot Standard
• Hair, Makeup & Beauty: Misha Shahzada
• Jewelry: Lauren B Jewelry
• Photographers: Joseph Lin Photography
• Venues: Tribeca Rooftop
• Video Guest Book: SpeechBooth
• Wedding Dresses: Atelier Pronovias
• Wedding Films: Kiss The Bride Films