This is one of the most penthouse/Manhattan rooftop wedding you can get, on no less than Central Park South with its iconic New York City skyline.
Central Park South Street hosts a number of world’s famous luxurious hotels and residences and my clients station there on occasion, usually for the wedding day preparations. I have shot there and enjoyed the elevated beautiful views of Central Park but never have I captured a wedding on a private rooftop as an extension of Park Lane Hotel‘s two-story penthouse accommodating the bridal preparation. I Snapchatted my little virtual tour around the penthouse along with the hair-raising view down 46 floors but alas, did not save that video to share here. Suffice to say that our manipulations with the wedding gown on the chair tipping the edge of a 450-foot wall were nerve-wracking to the wedding coordinator and her team…
I’ve worked with Leah since 2009 on five photo shoots. Among other things, she is a pop/R&B singer and songwriter and we mostly worked on her covers, although some photos ended up published elsewhere, like Grace Ormonde Wedding Style’s article on boudoir photography. Here is a sampling:
It was only an honor to be invited as her wedding photographer when she and Joseph shared the engagement news with me. The early-summer day was gorgeous with a light wind although the sun made this open-air Manhattan rooftop wedding a bit challenging for some. At least it was not too hot, and I fully took advantage of the same sun later during our photography walk on Manhattan streets. I loved Joe’s “vivo per lei” inscription on his wedding band, so fitting a marrying Italian couple! Could not resist thinking of Andrea Bocelli’s song… 🙂 And Leah’s wedding gown… look at all the layers! (Will report on the designer and other vendors later.)
The couple is among the few who do not see each other before the ceremony, making the bride’s walk down the aisle ever so special. We did give them a touch of each other, literally, with the door between them. An emotional ceremony conducted under the birch tree canopy with the breath-taking views of Central Park… What else is needed for an unforgettable Manhattan rooftop wedding?
We spent some time for formal photos in the park and then took a fun ride on a classic checker taxi down the Park Ave to Remi, a fine Italian restaurant, making a stop by Prada for some sunset street photography. As you can see, I made an effort to get them hang out of the cab and interact with the passerbyers during the auto procession. First a bit resistant, they got a kick out of it.
The unique concrete canyon design of Remi, offering skylights and the air tunnel between the buildings and streets, created the proper Italian Manhattan wedding mood, enriched by fine food and music. They obviously didn’t skip some popular Italian songs, and the groom’s hardcore Italian father was shamelessly stealing the show time to time. 🙂 Leah’s sister, also a singer and a client of mine, treated the couple to a special performance.
Pleased to be of dedicated service to a long-time portraiture client on such a beautiful day of her wedding‬!
 Click images for full size. Kindly refrain from re-uploading images to social media during the first week of feature. Share instead!
Lots of credits for the beauty and success of this glamorous wedding are due to the contributing vendors:
Planning and decor:Â 5th Avenue Weddings
Makeup: Stacey Ford
Hair: Erik Avetisov
Getting ready and ceremony: Park Lane Hotel
Officiant:Â Joseph Bernstein
Checker Taxi:Â The Checker Guy
Reception: Remi
Entertainment: Kaos Production
Cake:Â Milk Bar
Photobooth:Â Studio Z Photo Booths
Videography: First Up Films
Photography: Zorz Studios
