It was such a pleasure to work alongside Samira, the bride, for the past year planning this stunning affair. With Samira living in NYC and me living in DC, we were able to plan and finalize every detail with the use of email and cell phones with the exception of 2 in-person meetings.
The weather on the morning of the wedding was a solid 68 degrees and sunny as the 3 of us (myself and my 2 assistants) arrived at the Trump Soho to check on the bride, her mom and sisters. Setup in the bride’s room in front of a gorgeous view of the city, Maria Licari stayed busy doing both hair and makeup for the ladies. Once hair and makeup was done, the bride slipped into her beautiful Vera Wang gown accompanied by fun, sparkly Christian Louboutin heels, which surprisingly the bride said were comfortable all night long.
Then they were off…the bride, her sisters and her mom headed to State Street for some unique photos and video. The groom and his groomsmen were also taking fun shots around the city at the same time. We had very talented photographers and videographers with us. Thank you to Shira Weinberger who captures the day in photos without losing any of the beauty and grandeur. Thank you to I Do Films for a video that will last a lifetime.
As guests arrived for the ceremony, they were greeted by string musicians playing on the sidewalk. The all-white ceremony with lilac lighting was breathtaking (thanks to Bentley Meeker Lighting). White draping (thanks to Dazian Fabrics) enclosed the center section with all white flower balls hanging from the center. The ceremony stage had 2 14ft tall trees with white Cymbidium, Dendrobium and Phalaenopsis Orchids attached as leaves and hanging garlands as well as hanging crystal and candles. All of the floral designs and custom linen were provided by the amazing and talented Golf Srithamrong of Tantawan Bloom in NYC.
The Afghan ceremony took place under these trees and was performed by an Imam (priest) brought in from Virginia. Ceremony musicians provided by Craig Scott Entertainment played contemporary pieces such as "Clocks" by Coldplay, "Beautiful Day" by U2 and "Bittersweet Symphony" by The Verve for the processional and recessional music.
As guests made their way upstairs to the cocktail reception, they stopped at the 7ft tall Escort Card Tree decorated with Cymbidium Orchids blossoming from its branches and hanging crystals. They nibbled on delicious appetizers and beverages provided by caterer, Thomas Preti.
Once cocktails were over, guests made their way back downstairs where the room had been transformed. 6 ft tall centerpieces decorated each table along with silver glass sunburst chargers (thanks to Something Different Party Rental) that served as a resting place for custom designed menu cards and favor boxes filled with delicious chocolates. Silver chairs with off-white cushions (thanks to Liz Waylan at DC Rental) surrounded each table. The lighting for dinner was a deep violet. Golf custom designed an all white vinyl dance floor that seemed to glow in the room.
Vali Entertainment provided the American entertainment for the evening and served as MC. I couldn’t believe how amazing every song they played sounded! Truly talented! For our Afghani guests, we brought in David Sayed from Virginia to play while the bride and groom performed their traditional portion of the reception (having henna applied to their hands, looking in the mirror, etc.). ESP New York handled all of our audio visual needs and the sound was absolutely perfect.
In addition to the food, Thomas Preti also designed the couple’s 4 tier red velvet cake with white fondant and silver ribbons on each tier.
The bride and groom waved goodbye from a vintage Rolls Royce as they drove into the lights of Times Square.
Thank you to Cindy Altunis from Gotham Hall for all of your help with coordination!
Thank you to my amazing assistants Emily Metzger and Amanda Smith! You guys are rock stars!
Congratulations Samira and Jesse!
Christine
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