I’m still recovering from Jill and Cesar’s fun wedding on Saturday. Everyone had a great time celebrating with the couple, as evidenced by the enthusiasm on the dance floor. Here are the details, and most importantly, their India House wedding photos.
When you meet Jill and Cesar, it is clear these two are meant for each other both in how they complement one another and in how they are able to constantly crack each other up. They met by chance at a bar in the East Village two years ago, and share a love of pinball and traveling to far flung reaches of the earth. About two weeks prior to the wedding you would have found Jill and Cesar in Peru, and their honeymoon will take them first to Dubai, then to Sri Lanka and the Maldives. Fittingly, Cesar proposed to Jill on a glacier while the couple was hiking in Patagonia.
But back to New York City. The day started at the Andaz Hotel, a short skip from the India House, where Jill and her family got ready for the big day. This is my second wedding starting at the Andaz Hotel, and the location on Water Street is ideal for anyone getting married in the Financial District.
Jill and Cesar decided to observe tradition, and did not see each other until the ceremony. To save on time and make sure that Jill and Cesar could enjoy their cocktail hour, we took care of separate family photos beforehand and then did a quick round of final family photos after the ceremony with the bride and groom together.
The ceremony was touching, and it was wonderful to see the look in Cesar’s eyes when he saw the doors open and Jill emerge in her beautiful dress. A few things to note: first, be sure to notice the delicate feathers that are part of the floral arrangements at the front of the room, in Jill’s bouquet, and throughout the wedding. Jill had a 1920s-theme as reflected in the art deco font style on the menu cards, the box used to collect cards from guests, and the whimsical cake topper. Second, the couple personalized their secular ceremony to reflect the Cesar’s heritage by including the traditional Jewish glass breaking. In addition, the ceremony was spoken in English and in Spanish in order to accommodate guests that had traveled from Cesar’s home town of Puerto Rico for the wedding. Finally, don’t miss the shy little flower girl, Anika, who moments earlier had been bouncing off the furniture while the bride was getting ready. She was precious, and regained her energy on dance floor.
Speaking of dancing, Cuban music provided by the band Conjunto Guantanamo quickly got guests on their feet at the start of the reception. The band was terrific, and I highly recommend checking them out if you are in NYC. This was a dancing crowd, and they proved it on the dance floor. There were a few guests I did not see sit down the entire time until the final song – Frank Sinatra’s ‘New York, New York’ – was played; a fantastic way to end a wonderful night.
Vendors
- Ceremony and reception venue – India House
- Getting ready venue – Andaz Wall Street
- Catering – Masterpiece Caterers
- Band – Conjunto Guantanamo
- DJ and photobooth – Empire Sound DJ
- Officiant – Veronica Moya
- Wedding dress – Kleinfeld Bridal
- Bride’s shoes – David’s Bridal
- Wedding ring case – BHLDN
- Cake topper – Jolie en Rose Vintage, Etsy
Interested in seeing another set of India House wedding photos? Check out all the details of Melody and Michael’s wedding here.
Are you planning on throwing your own India House wedding? Drop me a line and let’s talk about scheduling.
If you would like to see more images from my wedding photojournalism portfolio, then please visit my website — KellyWilliamsPhotographer.com.
