Jess & Chirag celebrated their October nuptials with their closest family and friends during an intimate, New York City wedding. Chirag is originally from India and all of his family still lives there. The two planned on traveling back to his country to have their big Indian wedding (a first time visit for Jess) but they still wanted to celebrate with Jess’s family and all of their New York friends.
For a city with such a crazy, “on the go” vibe, the weekend was very laid back. Their wedding festivities kicked off on Friday evening when Jess hosted a henna party in their apartment. It was a great opportunity for me to get to know these two on a more personal level. Their friends and family are so wonderful and I feel like I’m best friends with Jess’s grandma. She was quite the storyteller and we got along wonderfully!
I can honestly say that I loved everything about Jess and Chirag’s wedding day. The two got ready together in their NYC apartment. The details were on point and her dress was simple but gorgeous. An absolutely perfect choice for an unseasonably warm October day. Although there were a few hiccups throughout the day, Jess and Chirag handled everything with such grace and just laughed it off. Things like having a ceremony start almost an hour late and having no music to walk down the aisle to couldn’t sent someone into a meltdown, but these two just laughed as their friends and family hummed, “Here comes the bride” as Jess walked into the room. The couple wrote their own vows which were very heartfelt. There was even a Game of Thrones reference thrown into Chirag’s.
Jess and Chirag had their ceremony at the historical 3 West Club in the gorgeous Solarium room, which opened up to a patio that overlooked St. Patrick’s Cathedral. After the ceremony, everyone headed to Tarallucci E Vino for dinner and polenta party. I highly recommend checking this place out if you’re in the NYC area. The food was phenomenal and the cheese display was out of this world amazing. I can’t even begin to describe. Just scroll down to see its’ awesomeness. As a girl from Wisconsin and lover of cheese (and wine), my heart skipped a beat.
I asked the couple what they were looking forward to most about being married, and they said “just being together”. Having nothing to do but hang out on the weekends and to start their lives together. Congratulations to Jess and Chirag and thank you so much for asking me to be part of your amazing day and the start of your new journey as husband and wife!
Vendors that helped make this day amazing:
Wedding Dress: BHLDN
Florals: Alma Floral Design
Ceremony: 3 West Club
Reception: Tarallucci E Vino
Invitations: Minted
A few weeks ago, I booked a flight out to NYC and wandered the streets by myself. Getting on a plane and exploring a city completely solo is something I’ve always wanted to do. Definitely the introvert in me. I went out to New York for the day mainly to scout locations for an upcoming wedding I have booked for early October. I’m so excited for this wedding and to say how I know the bride is so incredibly random. I met Jessica while I was standing in line with an old college friend of mine nearly 10 years ago. Megan and I had driven down to Illinois to meet Sarah Jessica Parker. She was signing autographs at Steve and Barry’s to debut her clothing line there. Jessica was there with her cousin. We got to talking and became Facebook friends. Our love of SJP and New York City kept us in touch throughout the years, so I find it very fitting that I will be photographing her wedding in NYC.
My first stop was Central Park. I’ve visited Central Park 3 times now and each time I’ve discovered something new that I have never seen before. This park is HUGE! After spending a few hours walking around there, I went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met), walked around the Upper West Side, took a cab to Chelsea Market, then walked back up to Central Park area. My Apple Watch told me that I clocked in just a little over 14 miles! I ended my trip with a visit to Sprinkles for a cupcake sundae. It’s a cupcake top cut off with ice cream in the middle. It was amazing! I had a pumpkin cupcake with salted caramel ice cream. The closest Sprinkles to Milwaukee is in Chicago, but they don’t offer ice cream, so I had to try this out. It didn’t disappoint.
I’m so happy that I decided to go out there and scout. I feel more comfortable now knowing the places I’ll be shooting and having seen them. As much as I enjoy the quiet at times, my heart will always belong to the hustle and bustle of the city.
When I was 18, I joined the Air National Guard. My two big reasons for joining were to get college paid for (check!) and for the travel opportunities (check, check!). While it hasn’t always been easy (leaving your family for an extended period of time never is) the people I’ve met, the relationships I’ve built, and the experiences I’ve had along the way have made it worthwhile.
On my latest adventure overseas, we made a little pit stop in Spain. While we were there longer that we originally anticipated, it still wasn’t long enough. There’s so much to do and see. I will definitely be going back.
These photos were taken right near our hotel in El Puerto de Santa Maria. El Santa Maria is about 6 miles Northeast of the providence, Cadíz. It is best known for being the port from which Christopher Columbus made is his second voyage to the Americas.
