This Romantic Garden Wedding at Wave Hill in the Bronx, New York, Had an Epic Cake

Samantha and Ian's wedding at Wave Hill in the Bronx, New York, was a romantic affair complete with portraits in a greenhouse, a flower-filled wedding ceremony and an elegant ballroom reception with an oversize wedding cake. "We wanted the entire day to feel like you were at a garden party with a little bit of fairytale mixed in," explains Samantha of the couple's wedding inspiration for their New York wedding. "Our florals featured fresh flowers and vegetables like mushrooms, chives, etc. To complement the garden, we used various shades of green (ranging from chartreuse to hunter green), light pink, creams and gold in the color palette." Samantha goes on to explain that "it was so special to be with our closest family and friends after 2020. We had postponed our wedding twice and happened to have our wedding the day that New York City lifted restrictions on the city."

When it came to designing their wedding, Samantha and Ian wanted to complement Wave Hill's floral beauty, yet do so carefully to ensure they didn't overpower, or compete with, the venue's innate charm. "Wave Hill is a magnificent space on its own," says Samantha. "We wanted to add florals to the space and brought in furniture that would complement the space but not overpower it. On the afternoon of the wedding, we made the decision to move our ceremony inside due to afternoon showers. It was important to still keep the garden feel in the indoor location. Our fabulous florists created a large floral arch at the altar with two large planters on each side. The aisle was lined with flowers that gave a garden feel while still being indoors. Following the ceremony, cocktails were served outside. We had a beautiful round bar with a topiary interior and the glassware was all vintage inspired by Wave Hill. Then, the reception was in Wave Hill's great hall. We wanted this space to feel like a summer fairytale. The tables were set with tall candelabras and the florals featured a mix of florals, mushrooms and alliums."

Beyond filling the day with beautiful flower arrangements, Samantha and Ian also made sure to personalize their New York wedding. Specifically, the couple focused on serving an array of sweet treats. "Our cake was made by a family friend, Charlotte Neuville," says Samantha. "She created a pink champagne cake for us and set the cake on top of a layer of fresh roses. As a friend, who is a pastry chef and food stylist, created a special strawberry, Meyer lemon and mini shortbread cookie with notes of rose, kefir lime, and hibiscus." In addition to dessert, music was a big focus for the couple. "Our ceremony music was played by an instrumental quartet put together by a family friend, Elad Kabilio," says Samantha. "The quartet featured a lute and additional string instruments. They played all modern music ('Still Into You,' by Paramore, 'The Edge of Forever,' by Dream Academy, 'Yellow,' by Coldplay, and 'Time After Time,' by Cyndi Lauper). Our DJ, Martin D'Arce, was phenomenal. We worked with him to find two live musicians (an electric violinist and saxophonist) who played along with the DJ during dancing. Our favors were dear to my heart.  After the reception, our friends piled in a bus and went to K-Town for karaoke." Ultimately, despite all the fun details, getting to see loved ones was the most special and memorable part of the wedding for Samantha and Ian. "With being socially distanced for so long, we were so thrilled to see our family and friends. Our most important priority for the night was that everyone have fun."