This World-Traveling Couple Selected the Wythe Hotel in New York City for Their Vintage-Inspired Wedding
David Nimmo and Jason Pettigrew’s relationship can best be described as a worldly romance: spanning cities, states, countries and even continents. But, their story began as many do—in New York City. “We met on Tinder! Our first date had us hopping around the West Village, Soho and Nolita: having great convo, good eats and lots of drinks,” the grooms divulge. David hails from Australia, whereas Jason moved to New York from the West Coast—both are consummate travelers. In fact, Jason popped the question during an intimate dinner in Sicily, Italy, after a luxurious day of wine tasting and wandering.
Knowing that many people on their 75-person guest list had never been to New York before their big day, the grooms spent a lot of wedding planning on the guest experience. “Our goal for our wedding was to make our attendees feel like locals,” says Jason. “To incorporate New York’s energy, sounds, and flavors (which took us years to discover) into every event and moment that our loved ones would participate in.” In this vein, the couple planned a full weekend itinerary for their group, including a rehearsal lunch at their favorite restaurant, welcome drinks at a local watering hole and a “recovery” day post-wedding at a nearby bowling alley.
Before their May nuptials, David and Jason sought timeless wedding-day looks for themselves. “We wanted to include color and linen fabrics,” they note. “After browsing NYC’s requisite men’s formal wear stores, we confidently chose P. Johnson. The studio is in Soho, but the company is based in Australia—which was an opportunity to tie things back to David’s home country.” The gentlemen worked closely with the team to create two bespoke looks. Jason designed a white double-breasted shawl-collar dinner jacket while David opted for a green, single-breasted peak-lapel blazer—both chose classic tuxedo pants to create a fashion through-line. “The colors aligned with the motif of our floral decor, and the suiting (when all styled together) evoked an Old-Hollywood look.”
On the morning of their big day, the sweethearts met for their first look on their venue’s rooftop. “We had seen each other in our suits already, so we thought the moment would be more about getting to say ‘hi’ after a hectic morning of getting ready. However, it was surprisingly intense when we turned around and saw one another. It finally felt like the start of the wedding.”
Friends and family gathered in the enclosed ceremony space to await the pair’s arrival. They found their seats in sleek black chairs underneath string lights and facing a verdant ceremony arch dotted with white flowers. “The largest floral element of the event was our arch at the end of the aisle, and the white flowers in the arch honored Jason’s mother, Malaika, who passed away in 2020.” In addition, the space was flanked by natural greenery climbing the exposed brick, giving the industrial area a lush element.
David and Jason choose different versions of the song Moon River for each segment of their processional group. “Our families and wedding party walked out to the orchestral rendition from the film Breakfast at Tiffany’s, and then we walked down the aisle together to a newer version sung by Frank Ocean. Walking in lockstep to a unique take by a gay African-American artist was really impactful.” Then, after saying “I do” under the guidance of their officiants—who happened to be their couple-friends—they sealed their vows with a kiss.