1. Real Weddings

A Modern Loft Wedding at Studio 450 in New York, New York

Mia Gliedman (27 and a user experience designer) and Jake Gardner (30 and COO and a cofounder of RTK.io) pulled off a romantic, modern affair for thei

Mia Gliedman (27 and a user experience designer) and Jake Gardner (30 and COO and a cofounder of RTK.io) pulled off a romantic, modern affair for their late-summer wedding in New York City, set against the backdrop of the Manhattan skyline. “Jake is from LA, and I am from New York, but New York is our home and where most of our friends and family live,” Mia says. “We knew from the beginning that we wanted a light, airy loft with an outdoor space in Manhattan.” Studio 450 was the only venue the couple visited, and they were instantly struck by its unparalleled views and flexible space, which provided a blank canvas for Mia and Jake to make their own. Using a palette of gold, blush and white, details such as ghost chairs and lush bouquets of blush dahlias, roses and hydrangeas, the couple transformed the airy loft space into a whimsical, romantic setting that spoke to their contemporary tastes and engagement in Paris. The festivities kicked off with a traditional Jewish ceremony on the roof, where Mia and Jake exchanged vows under an opulent chuppah draped in ivory roses, green amaranth and eucalyptus. A cellist played during the ceremony, heightening the celebration’s sense of romance. The newlyweds and their guests then headed downstairs for the reception. Mia and Jake used long dining tables to create a sense of intimacy during dinner. Gold-rimmed dinnerware and brass cutlery radiated in the candlelight, casting a warm, ambient glow over the sleek modern space. Before joining Hank Lane’s Michael Hart Band on the dance floor, guests enjoyed a meal of roasted sea bass and penne pomodoro. “Although our guests are still raving about the food, the biggest hit was dessert,” Mia says. “Guest had a choice of mini tiramisu, a linzer cookie, chocolate mousse, a lemon meringue tart and chocolate-covered strawberries. Additionally, we also had a classic ice cream cart wheeled in for some gelato with our favorite flavors, as well as wedding cake.” A tip from Mia: “Bring a backup outfit. Jake made sure to have two shirts, because he knew the first one would get drenched during the hora, which of course happened. I made an unplanned wardrobe change when I decided that I’d had enough of my ball gown and changed into a white knee-length dress.” —Libby MacCarthy

Mia and Jake’s color scheme made its first appearance in the invitations—ivory card stock decked out in gold-foil script and a gold confetti motif. “We used Minted.com to design our invitations and customized a specific collection to fit our design,” Mia says. “We contacted the original designer and had her create a custom large canvas that had the gold-speckled design for our ketubah, which our good friend Michael wrote by hand.”
For their flowers, Mia and Jake kept things simple, opting for classic arrangements of hydrangeas, carnations and roses. For the bridal bouquet, Celadon and Celery Events created a romantic bundle of ivory and blush roses, which they accented with blush satin ribbon for a refined, ladylike finish.
“I knew from the start that I wanted them to wear something fun and flirty—not uptight—and definitely not typical bridesmaid dresses,” Mia says of her bridesmaid dresses. To avoid a cookie-cutter look, Mia asked each bridesmaid to choose her own blush gown for the event, selecting the most comfortable style. “So often you hear of bridesmaids complaining about the same boring dresses they all had to wear, and I didn’t want my friends to go through,” she says. “We had never seen the dresses together until the day of the wedding, and they turned out to be a perfect spectrum of blush.”
Mia and Jake’s chuppah perfectly reflected the couple’s modern, romantic vision with its fusion of natural and contemporary elements. Curly willow branches and Plexiglas columns served as the base for the striking structure, while a cascading garland of green amaranth, greenery, vines and blush and ivory blooms brought a secret-garden feel to the decor.
The festivities unfolded with a traditional Jewish ceremony on the roof of Studio 450 in New York, New York, where Mia and Jake exchanged vows under an opulent chuppah draped in ivory roses, green amaranth and eucalyptus. “Under the chuppah we did the seven blessings, and as Jake stepped on the glass at the end, our friend and rabbi blew the shofar and everyone yelled 'mazel tov!' ” Mia says. A cellist played during the ceremony, heightening the celebration’s sense of romance.
Mia and Jake wove the gold-splatter motif from their invitations into the day-of stationery elements, including the escort cards. Guests' names were written in gold-foil script and accompanied by playful gold confetti for a festive feel.
Mia and Jake took an unconventional approach to the day, hosting cocktail hour before the ceremony got underway. As guests arrived, they were greeted with glasses of white sangria and assorted nibbles. Then they were invited to take a lock from a bin to place on a wire installment that paid homage to the love-lock bridge (Pont des Arts) in Paris, where the couple got engaged.
To distinguish their seats at the head table, Mia and Jake had Celadon and Celery Events create floral garlands for their ghost chiavari chairs. Featuring blush roses, white hydrangeas and greenery, the arrangements achieved a whimsical, garden feel.
Shades of soft blush dominated the reception decor, the romantic hue materializing in lush arrangements of dahlias, roses and hydrangeas displayed in shimmering mercury-glass vases. While the centerpieces were essential in bringing Mia and Jake’s vision to life, it was a wisteria ceiling installment over the dance floor that truly stole the show.
Gold-rimmed dinnerware and brass cutlery radiated in the candlelight, casting a warm, ambient glow over the sleek, modern loft space. A single pink rose was placed on each plate, helping bring the couple’s romantic vision to life.