Happy 2019 and welcome to our New York City wedding update! Thanks for tuning in. We are getting married in nine months (October 2019) and I just know that it’s going to be here before we know it. Here’s an update at where we are in the planning process. Admittingly, we have sort of felt like we have a “pause” on things to do right now since we did a lot of the heavy lifting in the fall, and feel like we can sort of pick up again around six months out with the details. Wishful thinking? Quite possibly. Stay tuned to find out!
Where we’re getting married
It’s been pretty clear from the moment we got engaged that we wanted to get married in New York City. Originally, I am from Colorado, and my fiancé, Adam, is from Chicago. But we met in New York, we love this city, and it’s where we built our life together. Plus, we couldn’t think of anything more exciting than planning a wedding in New York City!
So New York was an easy decision. We also then started planning it as somewhat of a “destination wedding”, because, for most of our guests, it is a destination. And New York City is such a fun-filled city, we thought we could really make a vacation built around the one event.
When we started looking for venues, the only real criteria we had was a view. Since so much of our wedding in already centered around the city, we dreamed of hosting our guests with a view of the Manhattan skyline where they could really feel the city within our big night.
Other than that, we were really open! Hotel or not, any neighborhood, various decorations, and so on were all going to be a game-time decision for us. We ended up finding a venue that definitely checked off the “view” box for us, and once we walked in, we just knew it was the place for us. I can’t wait to show it to you!
What we prioritized when getting engaged
We decided to be married in the fall as it’s our favorite time of year in New York City. But, it only took a quick Google search to find that it’s the busiest time of year for weddings in NYC. So, we knew we needed to prompt in securing our major venues before they were all booked. Here’s what we tackled in the first few months of getting engaged.
Our venues
I shared our very rough processes that went into finding our venue, and I’m so excited to show you it on the big day! We also had to find a Church to be married at because the Church that we go to in our neighborhood on the Upper East Side was already booked up. We also couldn’t be happier with the beautiful Church we chose!
Photographer and videographer
After our venue, we wanted to really take our time searching for and finding the perfect photographer. We knew that our photos and video would be the most precious sentiments that we will have for the rest of our lives from this likely whirlwind of a day. So, this was a big priority on our list, and honestly, it’s been the hardest part so far!
This may sound strange, but for some reason, we felt most of the photographers we found in NYC took photos that were simply too dark. I understand it’s an important and dramatic day, but that moody feel did not fit Adam and me at all. We wanted our photos to be light, emotional, colorful, joyful, and NYC-filled.
I had noticed and greatly admired Susan Shek from when we first started researching wedding plans, but honestly, had brushed her aside because I figured she’d be booked on our day! She has one of the highest total reviews on Wedding Wire and her photos speak for themselves. Once we realized we were without a photographer with less than a year to go, I called her just to see, and nearly cried when she told me she was available on our wedding date.
We were beside ourselves with our engagement photos from her. Beyond the photos, Susan is one of the kindest people we’ve interacted with on this journey. We couldn’t be more trusting of and grateful for her.
See the rest of our engagement photos here!
My wedding dress
I didn’t realize that my dress would be an early on priority, even as early as our venue and photographer and videographer, but I quickly realized that quite a bit of planning was dependent on my dress! Without knowing my dress, I couldn’t pick out my bridesmaids’ dresses. And, without their dresses, I didn’t know what our colors would be. Without their colors, we couldn’t move forward with flowers or the groomsmen attire. And so on… you get the picture!
So, my mom and sisters and I arranged for one weekend in NYC. Everyone flew in and we had five appointments for the weekend! We ended up finding “the one” at the second salon we went to, Mark Ingram Atelier. I can’t say enough good things about this salon. Mark Ingram himself was with me while I tried on the dress I’ll be married in! I can’t wait to show you my dress in October.
How I’m preparing now moving forward
Now that we’re in the year that the wedding is in (which is crazy!), I’m starting to think about how to prepare to look and feel my best on this day! I am no beauty or fitness expert at all, but thought I would share anyway. I would love any advice in this area. 🙂
Hair
I’m not sure what exactly I can do with my hair to make sure it’s as thick and healthy as possible. All I know at this point is that I am going to try and stop using so many hair ties (I put my hair up every day to work out!) because I’ve read that they break your hair very easily. Then, I also plan on getting more frequent hair trims to keep the ends healthy and clean. And, I am researching a good hair protectant, as I blow dry my hair often.
Once again, I would love any suggestions on this from other brides-to-be!
Skin
Over the years, I’ve read that the most helpful foods for clear and healthy skin are mangos and carrots. They are filled with carotenoids, which your body converts into Vitamin A. Vitamin A is the vitamin in retinol that makes it so powerful, without the downsides of dryness that can come with retinol. These foods, combined with daily exercise, have been what I’ve relied on to keep my skin clear.
But, it’s time to up my game a bit! Right now, I get my mangos from a smoothie I make on weekdays of spinach, mango, pineapple, and apple. I’m going to be more disciplined about in taking this daily and having carrots at least once a day for a snack or with lunch. Sadly, coffee isn’t the best for your skin. So, I have considered switching to tea (though I’m not totally convinced yet- ha!).
Finally, I am curious about using some sort of eyelash booster leading up to my wedding! I’ve read that Revitalash works very well so I am planning on trying it out here before the six months mark so that I have time to try another if I don’t love it. Any recommendations?! Email me and let me know. 🙂
Fitness
All I really know about this area is that I want to start lifting weights to tone up a bit more. I’m grateful that we’re getting married soon after the summer. It’s easier to stay fit and tan in the warmer weather! As of now I feel good about my normal fitness routine and plan on just sticking to it.
Okay- that’s what I have for our New York City wedding update! Thanks so much for joining in on this very personal and exciting journey with us! Stay tuned for more updates and other wedding-related posts. I just know the big day is going to be here before we know it!