A Life in Pictures

The wedding venue options in New York are limitless. Gems all about the city reflect any style on can imagine. Some couples are drawn to loft spaces, which serve as blank canvasses on which they can paint their own perfect wedding setting. While many brides and grooms prefer to maintain the sleek, airy feel of a Manhattan loft, I have recently worked with two creative couples who capitalized on the blank space. 

About two weeks ago, I officiated a wedding of a literary, artistic couple at Astor Center in the Village—NoHo, to be exact. The couple had a love story befitting a romantic comedy—years of “near misses” until their eventual meeting. The bride, a combination of a classic beauty and the “girl next door” worked in the world or art, while her partner, a dashing bookish fellow, worked in the publishing field. The lower level of this venue is a vast wine and spirits store. The upper levels of the Center have been fashioned into meeting areas to host wildly varying discussions, seminars and events. It was in one of these open areas where the sweet ceremony took place. After exchanging deeply personal vows, the bride turned to introduce a “special surprise” she planned for her groom—an edited clip from the Disney Pixar film “Up.” After her cue, a screen fell and good friend managed the audio/visual equipment and the heartwarming clip started! For those who don’t know this film it quite a powerful love story of Ellie and Carl’s life together, and Carl’s resumption of a dream after Ellie’s passing. As the lights turned up after the showing, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house! This short ceremony interlude thrilled the groom, surprised the guests, and allowed this unique couple to put their very own thumbprint on the exchange of vows.

Just a couple of weeks later, I was greeted by another super couple—a willowy American bride and her handsome British groom. The couple had, literally, an epic love story. After meeting in Europe and falling in love, they proceeded to launch a year long journey around the world—Central and South America, Asia, Europe, returning to America and a proposal of marriage. 

The exquisitely creative couple used the lovely “91 Event Space” in the Meat Packing District as the stage on which their story was told. The intimate  ceremony took place with an image of the Maldives,

one of the couple’s favorite places on earth, and an a room with the feel of the beach. In the reception
area, a subtle slide show presented stunning photos from their months of travel. 
I commend these wonderful couples for using stark blank walls to make their stories sing!