Magnolia Bakery Engagement in NYC

Editor's Note: This post is from the archives but with the high temps here in San Antonio, I'm craving fall weather and this pretty autumn engagement is doing just the trick (except now I'm craving cooler weather *and* cupcakes!)

Hope you're ready for a super sweet engagement because Jennifer and Adam decided to have their photos taken at NYC's famous Magnolia Bakery (remember way back when Carrie and Miranda were enjoying those cupcakes on the bench?) / Photos by Natasha Montero.

Says photographer Natasha, "We shot at several locations throughout the city as [Jennifer and Adam] wanted a super "New York-y" photo shoot as they moved here together and their wedding is taking place in Texas, they wanted to have pictures for themselves and their friends and family to show how much they loved NY. But the focal point of the day and our favorite part were the photos that revolved around cupcakes! =) They bought some red velvet cupcakes from the famous Magnolia Bakery and we took some pictures outside and at a park right across the street."

Preppy Central Park Engagement with a Collegiate Feel

These classic images from Jillian and Marc's spring engagement in NYC's Central Park are the epitome of polished perfection. There's a freshness and crispness that feels so collegiate to me and I love that the couple planned their session to coincide with the cherry blossoms. The day of their session also happened to be super windy but everyone embraced the elements and I think you'll agree that the results were nothing short of magic. / Photos by Patricia Kantzos.

Patricia Kantzos Photography is a current CB sponsor.

Sunny Central Park Engagement

Editor's Note: I'm pulling this post from the archives because the cheerful summer vibe feels just right for today - hope you agree!

I thought it would be a perfect day to drench the blog in sun and cheer with one of the prettiest engagement sessions I've seen in a long while. Thanks to one of my fave photographers, Patricia Kantzos, for submitting Micah and Patrick's photos taken in Central Park, NYC, in the summer of 2012:

Is this not the cutest engagement outfit? Hello, summer!

Aren't they the cutest?!

Patricia Kantzos is a current CB sponsor but this is not a sponsored post.

Intimate Wedding in the Library and Drawing rooms of the New York Palace Hotel

Doesn't a small wedding in a NYC landmark surrounded by antique chandeliers and bookcases sound beyond romantic? Well, Elizabeth & Alex's wedding in the Villard mansion rooms of the New York Palace Hotel brings all of that and more to life and I just know you're going to love every last detail! / Photos by Patricia Kantzos Photography.

Says Elizabeth, "We chose the New York Palace Hotel because we wanted our wedding to have a timeless elegance. I'm a third generation New Yorker, so I knew I wanted to get married in Manhattan. However, we wanted a small wedding, and we were having trouble finding a venue small enough to accommodate us that could still offer the type of wedding we wanted in our budget. I initially thought the Palace only had a grand ballroom on offer, so I called on a whim with no expectations. It turned out that the original Villard mansion rooms were available. We wanted our wedding to have a classic, Gilded Age New York feeling, and the Library and Drawing rooms were the perfect setting.

We wanted a small wedding party. Alex and I are both only-children, so we picked our dearest friends. For the groomsmen, we told them to wear navy suits, and we bought them matching ties from Brooks Brothers as gifts. I really wanted to be a low-key bride, so I told my bridesmaids they didn't have to buy dresses. My original plan was for them to wear black cocktail dresses of their choice. Over the next few weeks I'd get occasional emails from them with links to dresses they liked with the message: "In case you think you might like us to get dresses, we like these." In the end, my bridesmaids picked the designer (Jenny Yoo), and I picked the fabric, color and length. But they picked their own dress style, so hopefully I still count as easy-going.

Tell us about the moment you knew you had found *your* dress. How did you know? My fiance and I visited a little boutique in Atlanta called Kelly's Closet just to see what styles might look good on me. I had no intention of buying that day, but I fell for this Grecian-inspired silk chiffon Amy Kuschal. It had every feature in a dress I wanted - material, cut, neckline, drape (I added the sash later). I was actually disappointed when I found it because I had anticipated a much longer searching process and was looking forward to playing princess with my friends. I ended up trying on about 10 dresses total. But in the end, my fiance and I picked the dress together, and that was very meaningful to me.

Elizabeth + Alex's Love Story

Ours is a modern love story. Alex and I met through OkCupid about a month after he'd moved to Atlanta. We actually lived a block away from each other, but we most likely would not have met otherwise! It only took us four months to know we wanted to spend our lives together, but we waited 7 so our parents wouldn't think we were nuts.

The rooms at the Palace where our cocktail hour and reception were held are original to the Villard mansion. The rooms are full of brass sconces, ornate chandeliers, marble fireplaces, and colorful books. We didn't need anything else to achieve our vision.

In Judaism, the ring used in the ring exchange should be unadorned. My wedding ring is a Kwiat infinity band, and for the ring ceremony I wanted to use my grandmother's wedding ring. It is absolutely breathtaking and is covered little hand-carved flowers. Unfortunately, we could not have it resized as her ring is gold foil wrap around copper fill. Alex had the ring recreated in 18k gold so I could still wear my grandmother's ring on our wedding day. I also carried my grandmother's handkerchief as my something old, borrowed and blue.

I really loved every moment of our wedding, and I remember it very well. I felt very warm and blessed to be surrounded by so much love. Alex says his favorite moment of the day was our first kiss as husband and wife, so there you have it."

After the wedding, Elizabeth and Alex spent nine days in Europe and visited Prague, Vienna and Budapest for their honeymoon. :) Thanks so much to E+A for sharing their beautiful day and to Patricia Kantzos for sharing her always stunning photos! xx.

Credits: Photographer: Patricia Kantzos Photography / Florist: Quatre Coeur / Cake: Lael Cake, Emily Aumiller, laelcakes@gmail.com / Band: New York Jazz Events.com / Videographer: Well Spun Weddings / Makeup: Jennifer Wobito, Phone: (732) 261-2253, jwo23@aol.com / Hair: Courtney Benedetti, bridesbybenedetti@gmail.com, Phone: (412) 855-0137 / Invitations: Lion In The Sun / Wedding Gown: Amy Kuschel / Shoes (heels), Shawl, Purse: Angela Nuran / Earrings (Bride): Kwiat / Bridesmaids Dresses: Jenny Yoo / Wedding Ring (bride): Kwiat / Groom’s Suit: Brooks Brothers / Wedding Ring (Groom): Kwiat

Patricia Kantzos Photography is a current CB sponsor.

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