Ace Hotel New York & St. Patrick’s Cathedral Wedding

weddings
Written By Cara Chapman

Alyssa + William, two humans who positively radiate love.  They organised a day with locations that truly encapsulate the essence of a New York City Wedding. The Ace Hotel  > Madison Square Park > St. Patrick’s Cathedral > Aurora BK for an intimate reception.

When I first received their inquiry mentioning their wedding ceremony was to be taking place at St Patrick’s Cathedral, I was certain they’d made a mistake. Surely they meant St Peter’s? St Paul’s? Some other cathedral in Toronto I just hadn’t heard of. Not THE St. Patrick’s Cathedral, historical midtown landmark and recognisable from little-known films as THE GODFATHER III, HOME ALONE 2, GANGS OF NEW YORK, MR DEED’S, etc. Not to mention it’s across the street from THE 30 Rock. There simply was no way.

Alas, there was no mistake. A Midtown/Manhattan wedding it absolutely was. Elated doesn’t even begin to cover it - a “pinch me” moment for the books. Through connecting with the couple virtually, it was clear they were going to be such a joy to capture. You could feel the warmth through the telephone, and moments upon arriving at the Ace Hotel to capture the beginning of the day, I knew I was right.

I don't normally detail the start of the day before I even get to a wedding, but this one was really something else. I had been in Brooklyn for a couple days with my partner before the wedding to settle in and location scout, but the night before the wedding - it snowed. And the most perfect, picturesque non-slushy snow you've ever seen. It kissed the top of all the trees and building like a Christmas card. I took an uber in the city from BK to save time and was literally in awe of all the factors that had to align for this day to exist to perfectly. Pinched myself one more time.

Read on for INCREDIBLE vendor details as well are more magical tidbits surrounding this day:

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VENDORS:

Moving on! Alyssa got ready with her sister a couple close friends, as well as Will with his brother and friends in 2 cozy suites at the Ace overlooking the city. Another New York staple! We decided to set ip their first look right under the front entrance awning with its beautify lights and hotel decor framing perfectly. It was teary and magical, leading the couple right back upstairs for the private vows to be read in the warmth of the hotel, where more tears and embraces followed.

Thankfully the snow was beautiful but not terribly cold, so we walked a few minutes from the hotel to Madison Square park. Presumably a hustling park on any other day, it was quiet enough to swiftly shoot our wedding party photos and a few romantic portraits without many interruptions (save for a few cute dogs out for their afternoon walk). Picturesque is the only way to describe that park after a snowfall.

The Ceremony @ St. Patrick’s: How do I even begin to describe the feeling of stepping inside this church? The first thing to note about getting married at this church is that it is in fact still open to the public. This means that you will file in and go through security just as all the other patrons dying to experience the beauty of this structure. Once through, the front of the church and most of the pews are reserved for you and your guests, so the other visitors are not quite so obvious. They do however, happily sit down towards the back and witness your union alongside you. Who doesn’t want to see two strangers proclaim their love? It turns out, many people do.

Each detail of this church felt like hundreds of years of history. It was truly breathtaking and I tried to capture every nook so as to not forget it. The only con with a church this massive is that the zoomiest zoom lens you have in your kit is 100% necessarily - the stage really is that large and far away, but makes for some incredible imagery.

One of the most incredible moments from this portion of the day was witnessing the couple during their recessional. Teary-eyed and smiling, they waltzed down the long aisle where the staff met them by opening up the church’s tall majestic doors, leading the couple to the steps to kiss, greeted by the looming and remarkable Atlas Statue in front of 30 Rockefeller. Another pinch me moment to add to the list.

Post-Ceremony: The sun was setting and a chill had settled into Midtown. Even on a not ideal day weather-wise, the block surrounding 30 Rock is still absolutely full with tourists. I could have spent all night shooting W + A in front of the church and squeezing every angle out of it possible but alas, it was cold, busy, and we had a cozy intimate reception to get to! Time to hail a cab, and off to Williamsburg we go next.

The Reception: Our last chapter. There is nothing I love more (whether in Toronto, or New York) than an intimate wedding reception at a restaurant. I love the feeling of existing in the centre of a smaller wedding and being able to capture a larger part of its events, the couples’ loved ones, and small moments. A hot tip to look into restaurants that you already adore as patrons, because it’s like a date night, but way better. AuroraBK served a set menu of food and drinks that were absolutely to-die-for. Top 5 best wedding meals I’ve ever had, easily. Speeches and dances were casually set up admidst the tables capes where an emotional first dance occurred. The night finished with the DJ kicking us off to “Empire State of Mind” and of course, the rest is history.

Cara Chapman https://www.carachapmanphotography.com
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