It’s that time of year, our wedding anniversary is here, friends. I am looking forward to celebrating with my husband by indulging in a few of our cheesy, but slightly adorable, annual traditions including a broadway show and a slow dance inside Grand Central Terminal. While our wedding extravaganza has gone and passed, I still have yet to share my personal thoughts and favorite wedding day moments here on Ladyhattan. You can find a full recap of our wedding day details on both Style Me Pretty, as well as Carats & Cake where the event was formally publicized. I am proud to say that a few details from our wedding did indeed go viral, from bridezilla pinterest boards to rapper recognition. Yes, that’s right, rapper Lil Jon tweeted about this classy black tie affair gone totally krunk wild to his notable song “Turn Down for What”… In spirit of our anniversary, I’m sharing with readers and future brides, my Top 10 Wedding Day Moments.
Seeing my handsome husband for the first time
I will never forget seeing my husband for the very first time on our wedding day. I waited patiently on the famous red steps of the Plaza Hotel for him to spin me around and see the dress, the veil, and tell me I looked beautiful. I was so nervous, excited and ready to go, all that was missing was him by my side. When he turned me around, I will never forget the calming look in his eyes gazing at me like never before.
Being glamorous with my girls
I’m a bit of a diva, but so are all of my girlfriends. Getting glamorous together is nothing new. From prom nights, previous weddings, to college formals, I’ve been posing with these stunning ladies by my side for decades. Of all the events I have glammed up with these gal-pals, there was nothing like having them by my side on this particular day. While these ladies have been there through it all, I will forever be grateful for their presence and support on this momentous occasion. Thanks, ladies.
Walking into the church and straight down the aisle
It went by in the blink of an eye. The driver lifted the door open and I was immediately scurried by security straight into the church entrance. I could hear the St. Thomas Choir singing and butterflies swarmed my stomach with excitement. There was no primping, no waiting, no talking nor second guessing. We arrived with absolutely no time to spare. Without hesitation, I grabbed my father’s hand at the loud signal of the trumpet roaring throughout the grandiose space. And there I went, down the aisle – never looking back. I knew my life was just about to start, and I could not wait a second longer.
Stopping Traffic on Fifth Avenue
When I close my eyes and remember this particular moment in time, it gives me goosebumps – the good kind. As we prepared to leave the church as husband and wife, the front doors leading out to Fifth Avenue opened and there it was – traffic was halted and crowds swarmed in happy cheer. White balloons swayed side to side rhythmically with the sound of wedding bells. It was one of the most powerful moments of both of our lives.
Our First Official Dance in Grand Central Station
Grand Central is a timeless landmark in New York City that holds great meaning for my husband and I. Following our church ceremony, a car took us to this special place where we could have our “first dance” by the clock. After this brief moment spent together in Grand Central, we rushed over to our reception around the corner. While exiting the busy terminal, we received cheers of congratulations and support from strangers who passed us by – it was a very exciting moment.
Every second with my father
I will never forget the moment the band introduced our father-daughter dance. There I was with the best dad in the world, my dad of course. He looked at me with tears in his eyes and quoted my favorite movie of all time, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, noting how truly perfect the wedding day was with the words, “well you did it, you won the golden ticket, Charlie.” Just months before our big day, my father was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer and has been battling strong ever since. It hasn’t been an easy road, but rather the most eye-opening and painful experience of my life. With this great pain comes an overwhleming sense of appreciation for the blessing each moment brings. I savored every second of dancing, laughing and being with my father like there was no tomorrow.
Watching the party from a secret balcony
Being familiar with the space at the Harvard Club, I took a moment with my husband to sneak away from the party and take in a view of the scene on a secret balcony. If you go through the library, there is a large balcony that overlooks all the main party spaces in Harvard Hall and the dining room. We joyfully overlooked the scene in private, watching friends eating, drinking and dancing. To see the people we love all together having such a great time made us feel proud of the event we planned. The view of the flowers and decorations throughout the historic space was absolutely gorgeous as seen from the balcony. This was the perfect “water break” from the crowds and exciting chaos that comes with being the bride + groom.
Seeing our surprise cake and cutting it together
Even though I was quite the controlling Bridezilla in the planning phases, I had faith in the surprise production of our beloved Wedding Cake. Knowing that the pastry chef at the Harvard Club is a baking genius, I told him to just make me something “big, white, and gorgeous”… Well he sure did. When Erik and I first saw the cake, we couldn’t believe how perfect it was. The best surprise with regard to the cake, wasn’t just how beautiful it was, but how delicious the red velvet flavoring inside tasted paired with a cream cheese frosting – our favorite.
Dancing, drinking and eating ice cream cones like there was no tomorrow
For most of the wedding celebration, I wore a large custom designed couture gown by New York’s one and only, Kim Hicks. It was jaw dropping, but not necessarily easy to move around in because of the large skirt. A few weeks before the wedding, I noticed a black + white style dress while casually shopping. When I tried it on, Erik said, “you should totally get that for the after party.” Although I wasn’t planning on doing a formal “dress change” for the wedding, I started to like the idea of changing into a sexier party dress that I could actually move in. This dress certainly did the trick. It allowed me to groove and move like no one was watching. The majority of the wedding ceremony and reception were quite traditional – classy church, classy music, and formal rituals. When the clock struck midnight, things turned a bit wilder with surprises such as silly party favors, late-night snacks on the dance floor to the sound of our favorite dance songs blasting for all to hear. Everyone, and I mean everyone, was out on the dance floor by the end of the evening.
The Love of Family and Friends
A wedding celebration is not a celebration without the ones you love most. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter how glamorous or how low-budget your wedding is, as long as you have people who love and support you in your marriage surrounding you, well then your wedding day will be absolutely perfect. That’s how I felt when the day came to an end. As much as I loved the pretty dresses, the delicious sweets, and the romantic flowers, these dainty details were merely “things” in the grand scheme of a marriage. The flowers will die, the cake will be eaten and the dress will someday no longer fit. But the people who were by our side on this momentous occasion are still actively part of our lives – their energy, love and support continues to fuel the happiness of our marriage. I love looking back and remembering such a special day, but I also love looking forward knowing that the best is yet to come with the support of our family and friends.
Thank you for reading this featured post. If you have any questions on this event, please contact [email protected]. All photographs are courtesy of Ulysses Photography (the best husband and wife wedding photography team in New York).