A Timeless, Contemporary Wedding at Bridgewaters in New York City, New York

Marielle Mendoza (34 and a QA engineer) and Roderick Rodriguez (36 and a developer) met at work, with their first point of contact being Marielle’s interview. On a trip to Austin, TX for the SXSW festival a year later, the two decided to give a relationship a shot. The next three years were filled with many travels, adventures and memories. For their third anniversary, Rod surprised Marielle with a proposal on Bow Bridge in Central Park. For their wedding, the couple decided to invite their family and friends from all over the world to join them in their Manhattan home, so they could share with them everything they loved about the world-class city that brought them together. “We wanted a traditional church ceremony for our families and after hunting for Catholic churches in New York City, we decided on St. Monica's for it's location and gorgeous interior d?cor,” says Marielle. For the reception, they chose Bridgewaters (which unfortunately closed after Hurricane Sandy), which offered unique, breathtaking views of the city skyline and Brooklyn Bridge. Wanting the wedding to have a classic, yet contemporary style, the couple opted for a timeless black and white color palette, adding in touches of gray for a subtle modern flair. The flowers, a mix of white orchids and calla lilies, were submerged in water and paired with floating candles to create a sophisticated, romantic feel for each of the reception tables. “We are big foodies and wanted to give our guests a taste of different cuisines from around the world,” says Marielle. “Our cocktail hour had six indoor and outdoor stations serving sushi, barbecue, tapas, raw bar and Asian foods, plus there was an assortment of passed hors d'oeuvres. Food is extremely important to use and we loved how much our guests enjoyed all of the food.” After indulging in all of the inspired eats, guests hit the dance floor. DJ Duane from 74events.com played an upbeat mix of pop, Old School, reggae, salsa merengue and cumbia that kept everyone dancing all night long. “Our story was based on how well we complimented each other; from tastes to travels we wanted our guests to feel the magic of the city that makes us who we are together and individually,” says Marielle.