WEDDING
Claire & Daniel
April 14, 2019
Photos by Christian Oth Studio
Claire and Daniel got engaged in late November 2018 and were hoping to get married by April in NYC.
Early Spring is a busy month for weddings in the city, particularly at the popular venues they were exploring. Due to their Jewish faith and observance of Shabbat, they required a Sunday wedding, which gave me an advantage with venues.
“Anne planned our wedding and boy was that the best decision we made in the planning process (outside of the one to get married!). Not only was she incredibly professional, quick on her feet, and savvy about all things NYC events, but we finished the process wanting to be her best friend. Anne tackled every challenge with grace and a can-do attitude. She went above and beyond, even helping us carry boxes of wine to our car at the end of the night when the venue's event manager was nowhere to be found.”
- CLAIRE & DANIEL
I helped Claire and Daniel to research and tour venues in order to find the best fit for their needs. It included concentration on capacity (Daniels's extended family and friends alone could have surpassed 300!) outdoor options, existing vendor relationships, and an opportunity to observe Jewish customs.
Ultimately, we chose the Boathouse in Central Park and edited the list down to 250 guests. Once the venue was selected, I got started vetting the various vendors (on the preferred vendor list), making recommendations based on my experience with similar events, and reviewing the incoming proposals and contracts.
Claire and Daniel both have large families, with whom they are close. Daniel’s family is Persian and Claire’s family is Polish/Eastern European; thus we had both Sephardic and Ashkenazi practices to balance in the celebration.
Together we built a timeline that incorporated
all the regulations of the venue, the needs/constraints of the vendors and the wishes of the bride/groom and their closest family. We had to go back and forth on many details to strike a balance between all parties, and I led the discussions to ensure everyone’s voice was heard before making decisions.
As the primary liaison between vendor and client I worked with Claire and Daniel to understand all the customs they valued and ensure they were honored throughout the day of the wedding, from start to finish by everyone involved.
I orchestrated a beautiful wedding, where the bride, groom, family and friends celebrated their union in a way that honored their Jewish faith and included the wedding customs they hoped for.
I know just how much every detail counts in a successful wedding.
And even when you’ve planned for everything, sometimes there are things that take you by surprise. Like parades…
The Boathouse is located in Central Park and requires a city permit to admit vehicles. Early on in the planning process I obtained the required vehicle permits for each vendor and guest.
However, on the day of the wedding, there was a large parade running the length of 5th Avenue blocking all vehicles from entering the park. We were not made aware of this parade during the city permit process (dates and times are included on the permit application, so it should have been disclosed).
Quickly and calmly I devised a plan to reroute all vendor trucks for load-in and deliveries to another entrance to the park, mitigating the delay caused by this unexpected roadblock.
By implementing a timely plan and communicating it clearly to all the vendors, we were able to get everything together in time! The parade cleared in time for guests’ cars to enter the park to the venue, and Daniel and Claire were able to remain calm and enjoy the day knowing I was at the helm.
