May 20 2016

James & Alexandra’s Wedding at New Leaf Restaurant

Alex runs marathons, and she and James wanted an outdoor ceremony and a relaxed fun party for their wedding— they were thrilled to find New Leaf, a unique NYC venue adjoining Fort Tryon Park up near the cloisters. It was the perfect hilltop location for a beautiful outdoor ceremony with portraits of the couple to be nearby in the terraced garden area and the surrounding park space. She was excited to have found the perfect flats to wear for her wedding- designed with elements of the NYC Taxicab, these shoes were comfy without sacrificing any pizazz! After getting ready early (!) up at The Lucerne Hotel on the upper west side, we hopped in separate vehicles and made our way up to the restaurant and park where the couple was to have their first look. James was looking dapper in his suit, and his smile when spinning her around to see the whole dress just says it all. We were nervous about the forecast as there was a chance that rain would force the ceremony inside their reception tent at New Leaf, but over the course of the portraits it became clear the sun was actually coming out and it would be a beautiful day after all. I loved getting to explore this amazing park with Alex and James— they had seen some photos I’d done at another wedding here and were eager to hit some of the spots from their favorite photos, and everything was in bloom. Alex had chosen a multi-color tulip bouquet and is pretty into tulips, so I when I saw this pair of perfect yellow tulips I couldn’t resist making a portrait of them in the background with the flowers in focus- it ended up being a favorite! After meeting up with the family over by the restaurant and capturing all their group pictures we all made our way to the top of the park where Alex and James were wed under a canopy of beautiful tall trees by the bride’s sister. It was a touching ceremony indeed! Guests were treated to a pretty walk down the path to New Leaf and greeted with champagne at the door to the reception. The rest of the evening was relaxed and fun, just as the couple had imagined it! Instead of cutting a wedding cake, they had ordered a selection of their favorite Pies to be served for dessert. Before the evening was over I made sure to get a pretty night portrait of them. Congratulations, Alex & James! It was an honor and a pleasure capturing this fun wedding!
VENDOR CREDITSGetting Ready Location: The Lucerne HotelCeremony Location: The Linden Terrace @ Fort Tryon Park

Reception Venue: The New Leaf Restaurant

Wedding gown: Watters

Hair: Michael Lucero from Scott J. Aveda Salon Spa

Makeup: Michael Lucero from Scott J. Aveda Salon Spa

Groom’s suit/tux: My.Suit

Invitation Design: Minted

Floral Design: Rachel Cho Florist

Catering: New Leaf Restaurant

Music: Juilliard Performers – Megan Yip

Band: Around Town Entertainment