A Modern Rooftop Wedding at a Private Residence in New York City

After dating for more than four years, Whitney Little (33 and Social Media Director at The Knot) and Henry Bell (32 and a lawyer) "woke up one day, looked at each other, and just realized we wanted to be married," Whitney says. They got excited by the prospect of a courthouse wedding but not because of Henry's background. "Neither of us had ever been interested in throwing a big celebration," Whitney says. However, once their out-of-town parents got wind of the news and asked to join in the festivities, the pair settled on an intimate rooftop wedding very close to home—as in, on the rooftop of their Manhattan apartment. In just seven weeks, with only immediate family and closest friends present, the Texas natives made it official within view of the Hudson River and the Statue of Liberty. "It was important that the celebration was a reflection of who we are as a couple," Whitney says. "We had no motif, dress code or design inspiration, and it didn't matter to us what it looked like on Instagram, which is weird to admit because I work in social media!" Whitney and Henry's nearly endless list of inside jokes inspired much of the wedding's personalization. Because the two met watching football, Henry wore a maroon tie to honor Whitney's favorite team, Texas A&M University, though he also represented The University of Texas, his pick, with burnt orange socks. The guy who introduced Whitney and Henry to each other officiated the wedding, and during the service, the pair pinky swore. "When we first met, we pinky swore that we would always try," Whitney says. "Though that sounds so simple, it can be taken for granted." Once rain hit, guests moved inside the couple's apartment for a spread of New York City's best: Hill Country Fried Chicken, in honor of the couple's first dinner date, Artichoke Basille's Pizza, which they ate the night Henry asked Whitney to be his girlfriend, and micheladas, courtesy of Henry, which were a staple during their early days of dating. Guest left with cookies from Milk Bar and coffee from Blue Bottle, both favorites of the couple, plus a funny memory: "At the bar, we danced to our song, Al Green's 'Let's Stay Together,' Whitney says. "Henry accidentally dropped me, but it was the perfect metaphor for our wedding: We had a great time but didn't take it too seriously and laughed when things went wrong."

Our favorite #MakeTradition moment: "When my grandmother on my mom's side passed away, she left behind a lot of her jewelry for me, including her brooches," Whitney says. "My mom made a bouquet out of them—and even found one from my late grandmother on my dad's side to include—so I could have my late relatives with me on my wedding day."