Tell us a little about yourselves!
We met in the summer before our freshman year of college in central Florida, and have been on an exhilarating journey ever since. We bonded over our shared dream of living in New York one day, and took the leap immediately after our graduation. We’ve been at home here ever since, living it up in our rent stabilized Upper East Side apartment with our Cavapoo, Lady.
Why did you decide to get married where you did?
When we envisioned our wedding day, we wanted to choose a place with a strong personal connection for us. So why not make it the place where we’d walk for hours to blow off steam during the pandemic? The place where we’d walk Lady while dreaming up our goals and ambitions? The place immortalized in so many of our favorite movies, like Manhattan and Barefoot in the Park?
Central Park held so many memories for us already, and getting married on the slopes of Cherry Hill makes it all the more special.
It’s also a venue that will never go anywhere. We picture ourselves strolling along the same sidewalks in 40 years, showing our grandkids the exact spot where we said “I do.” The skyline beyond the trees may look drastically different then, but the grassy patch where we stood will remain. And if, for whatever reason, we no longer live in New York sometime in the future, we’ll always have a sentimental place and reason to visit.
How many guests did you have?
We had just under 60 of our closest friends and family join us.
What was your budget?
Despite how expensive New York can be, we set out to make this as reasonable (and tasteful) of a wedding as possible. In the end, our wedding cost around $40,000.
Tell us about your outfits.
Lara: All my friends know that I swear by secondhand and vintage clothing. They give a more unique look and character that you can’t find in a lot of brand new pieces. When I started searching for my wedding dress, I especially knew that I wanted a timeless and classic look. So I would spend hours stalking new listings online through Gossamer until I found “the dress.” And it was everything I wanted: a champagne-colored, strapless, corseted dress with a drop-waist. As for shoes, I fell in love with Carel’s Mary Jane heels when I visited Paris last summer and had bought a pair before flying home. I knew they would be a comfortable and glamorous fit for the wedding, so I went for a second pair with a more wedding-appropriate nude color to wear on the day of.
Having our wedding outside in the New York heat (and knowing there was always a chance for rain), I found myself another secondhand dress on TheRealReal to wear for our reception, too. This one, with its chunky and textured fabric “sequins,” was an eye-catching cocktail dress that could pair beautifully with a neck scarf. So I found one on Amazon and made it a moment.
Antonio: I’ve always appreciated the quiet elegance of a black tuxedo. It’s not flashy, but it’s classic and looks good no matter the setting. Where I wanted to make a statement was my shoes. Before our wedding day, I had always leaned on more casual shoes and sneakers as a pairing for formalwear, but here was an opportunity to get something special that I could break in on the most important day of my life. In the spirit of quiet elegance, I found a pair of black leather Saint Laurent penny loafers that were the perfect addition to my wardrobe from the ceremony through the afterparty.
What was the most important aspect for you, in terms of planning your wedding?
Making the planning process enjoyable and minimizing stress was big for us. It’s easy to get lost in the minutiae when putting together a wedding, but we wanted to be able to appreciate every step and keep things as simple and streamlined as possible.
Were there any elements that were important for you to incorporate?
We wanted to have some fun with the way we engaged with our guests during our wedding, and the way in which we collected memories from the evening. So we decided to make our guestbook a bit more interesting by using a coffee table book full of pop culture icons, asking our guests to leave notes on the pages with their favorite icons. We also handed out an old-school digital camera at the reception for people to gather candid content, from sloppy dancing to drunken conversations. We knew these would bring us some lasting memories after the day was done, and looking back at those photos and iconic (wink) messages paid off immensely.
Any tips for couples getting married?
We got the most compliments from our guests for a couple of things: the food, and the gift bags.
Having your reception at a restaurant is a life saver! Find one with a menu that you already love, with a space that suits you, and you’ll have some very happy guests.
For gift bags, it’s often best to keep things casual and consumable. Our guests each got a scratch-off lottery ticket, fidget toys, and a hangover kit for the morning after.
Are there any vendors that you would like to tell us a little more about?
We didn’t have floral arrangements at our wedding, but our cake designed by the bakers at From Lucie could’ve fooled anyone. Their beautifully-designed cake combined real flowers and greenery into the frosting of a delicious cake that was a highlight among all the delicious food we had that evening.
And we can’t forget our amazing photographer Sini Choi from Sincerely, Sini, who found such creative ways to capture our love and the joy of everyone around us on our wedding day. Words can’t describe the beauty of her photography and the artistry she displays through her lens.
Photographer: Sincerely Sini @sincerelysini | Planning: A Central Park Wedding
@acentralparkwedding | Ceremony Location: Central Park @acentralparkwedding | Reception Location: Twenty Three Grand @TwentyThreeGrand | Celebrant: Kurt Denk | Cake: From Lucie
@fromlucienyc | Stationery: Etsy & Canva | Ceremony Dress: Gossamer @shopgossamer | Reception Dress: Maria Pinto from The RealReal @therealreal | Veil: Etsy @etsy | Engagement Ring: Frank Darling @frankdarling | Wedding Rings: Cartier @cartier | Shoes: Carel (Lara’s) @carelparis & Saint Laurent @ysl (Antonio)
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