summer of weddings two of four

this weekend my dear friend karina (you may remember her from our joint LA bachelorette weekend) was married in new york. without bias or exaggeration it is probably the most beautiful wedding i will ever attend. the wedding was held at the tribeca rooftop. the ceremony and cocktail hour were on the actual roof of the building over looking the hudson river on one side and the manhattan skyline on the other.

the day was overcast and drizzly but magically the skies cleared just before the ceremony, it was gorgeous.

i loved the simple elegance that was infused into the day, it goes to show that more does not equal more beautiful. the aisle was lined with simple glass cylinders, a white runner and some orchid lined branches as the alter. karina, her sister and mother each carried bouquets of pink peonies.

one of the most exciting things for me was the traditional chinese tea ceremony that was performed after the western ceremony. the couple presented the elders from both families with tea and in return were presented with gifts. not only was it a beautiful event to watch but as a bride to be i love that they got to spend some time with all of their families one on one to receive congratulations and to thank them for their support and attendance - does that sound a lot better than spending your entire dinner going from table to table with your groom?

the cocktail hour to follow was extravagant and delicious! raw bars, sushi bars, martini bars and comfort food stations, really no one had to wait in line for a drink or a snack and it was all delicious.

the reception only continued on the same high, the band was phenomenal, interactive, modern, and totally personalized. they made a sit down meal everything but stifling with dancing breaks between courses and toasts keeping the momentum up and the crown moving and mingling.

one of the sweet things that the couples did was present the bride's father with a cake since it was his birthday, it was super sweet and that transitioned into the father and daughter dance (which impressively was a waltz, she did so good!)

i could go on and on, he fathers speech, the gorgeous red gown she changed into at the end of the evening (another chinese tradition) but i think i'll just share a few more photos of the beautiful bride...i mean, really? breath taking.

all photos from Bill Wang, who was everywhere and somehow managed to already have photos of the wedding up for us to re-live.