A Warm Wintery Part-One Wedding in NYC

Stephanie and Craig said ‘I do’ in the heart of New York and their minimony was big on style. The Brooklyn-based couple wanted their celebration to feel special but not fussy. They made it official at City Hall with the families and their two best friends in tow.

With a warm, wintery and intimate feel, there is so much swoon-worthy inspiration coming your way. From the bride’s feminine bridal look which included a modern lace wedding dress, a black wedding cake, elegant drapery, and a photoshoot that captured the pure magic of the city, prepare to be whisked along on a journey of individual and timeless style. Carole Cohen captured every moment of their spellbinding celebration with artistic flair, enjoy!

Stephanie is from Long Island and Craig is from Cape Town in South Africa. “We met the old-fashioned way: on Bumble,” Stephanie tells us. “We met up for a drink at Huckleberry Bar (now closed, sadly) early on a sunny summer Sunday. We kept the day going with another drink at Lighthouse, then dinner at Lighthouse, and then another drink somewhere else that neither of us can remember. Before we knew it, six hours flew by.”

Their proposal took place when they were immersed in nature as Craig surprised Stephanie when they were hiking The Narrows in Zion National Park. She reflects, “Poor guy was carrying the ring in a waterproof pouch the entire hike. I’m sure he was freaking out when we were waist deep wading in the water. We were staying at under canvas nearby, and Craig surprised me with a private dinner that was set up with our own fire pit under the stars.”

Initially the couple talked about an intimate legal ceremony just the two of them. They were planning to do a bigger wedding the following year and as Craig’s parents wanted to fly in it sweetly snowballed. “It became a small family dinner, to a small dinner with family and a few friends, to a small dinner and an afterparty we invited all of our friends to.”

Modern bridal romance personified! Stephanie stunned in an ivory silk-satin lace-trimmed maxi dress by Rabanne with blush pink heels by Badgley Mischka and accessories by Jennifer Behr.

Stephanie and Craig

“We wanted to keep something just for us so we went into city hall just us two, and our families were patiently and lovingly waiting outside in the snow! We felt so loved. So it wasn’t what we initially anticipated, but it was better than we imagined. It was a really special, perfect day,” Stephanie says.

Stephanie’s textural bouquet was from Homecoming which included a single long stem of the south african flower protea. “It ended up looking like like a wintery scepter,” she says with a chuckle.

Adding to the effortlessly chic allure of her wedding day look, Stephanie wore her hair in a relaxed low pony tied with a lustrous ribbon.

Refined and timeless, Craig’s sleek suit was from Suitsupply

They love their neighborhood so they wanted to keep their NYC celebration local. “We wanted the space to be cosy and intimate and a non-negotiable was that the food needed to be delicious.”

Their wedding planning advice is to, “Try not to get swayed by what other people are expecting of you. It’s your special day together and that’s all that matters.”

They dined with 26 of their nearest and dearest with many more joining for the after-party.

When it came to their restaurant reception Gator was a clear winner. “It’s one of our favorite restaurants in Greenpoint. We just went back for our first anniversary. We wanted warm, wintery and intimate. Allyx, the amazing owner and chef of gator actually pulled all of the flowers together for us. I asked for rich brown tones, and she delivered.”

It was their cherished people who made the celebration absolutely unforgettable. “Given that Craig’s family lives in South Africa and my sister and her family live in San Diego, it had been ages since either of us spent the holidays with our entire families. It was a really special way for our families to get to know each other.”