A Quintessentially New York Wedding on Top of Rockefeller Center

“We wanted to create a garden oasis in the center of the city.”

Cindy and Dan at their NYC rooftop ceremony

Photo by Jenny Fu Studio

Cindy doesn’t remember when exactly she met David; they connected through a mutual friend several years before any sort of relationship formed. At the time, their jobs didn’t leave much room for romanticism, anyway—she's a clinical psychologist and he's in law enforcement—but eventually, in April 2017, a spark ignited.

Two years later, David was set to deploy to Afghanistan with the US Air Force. But, there was one thing he had to attend to before leaving for six months: He proposed in August 2019. Needless to say, Cindy and David are busy. So when it came to wedding planning, they enlisted the help of the renowned team at Colin Cowie Lifestyle, whose founder has worked with celebs from J. Lo and Ben Affleck to Oprah. "The most difficult part was to articulate what we wanted or what we were looking for,” Cindy admits. "But [our planner], Heather Mueger, helped us along the way, and extracted the essence of us as individuals and as a couple accurately and beautifully.”

It began with a venue search, and Heather prepared a slide deck of various venues, with 620 Loft & Garden topping the list. “It immediately caught our eyes because of the beautiful garden scene in the middle of Manhattan!” Cindy recalls. “Although we never envisioned our wedding to be outdoor since we know how New York City weather is, 620 is so beautiful and unique that we were willing to risk the unpredictable weather in May.” The venue kicked off the vision. “We wanted to create a garden oasis in the center of the city.”

The rest of planning went similarly, Heather providing the couple with a choice of her top vendors in each category. “She kept our style in mind, as well as our cultural backgrounds: Taiwanese and Jamaican,” Cindy shares. “Integrating elements of our cultures throughout the wedding was very important to us.” 

They tied the knot on May 8, 2022, in front of 72 guests. Keep scrolling to see all the lovely details, with planning by Heather Mueger at Colin Cowie Lifestyle, photography by Jenny Fu Studio, and videography by Milk & Honey Productions.

groom getting into tuxedo

Photo by Jenny Fu Studio

groom in Ralph Lauren tuxedo

Photo by Jenny Fu Studio

The first tuxedo David tried on was from Ralph Lauren Purple Label and he loved the way it looked; however he couldn’t quite justify the price tag. Reluctantly, he moved on and found a more affordable option—but the universe had other plans. A dry cleaning mishap left him without a tuxedo the day before the wedding. “So, David phoned Ralph Lauren to see if the tux [he loved] was still there, and it was!” Cindy remembers. “They did a rush alteration and we picked up the tux Sunday morning, hours before the wedding.”

He accessorized with a pair of meaningful Montblanc cufflinks gifted from Cindy. “David didn’t get to meet my stepdad, who was an extraordinary man and only used Montblanc pens when he was alive,” Cindy shares. “I wanted David to have something that has association with my stepdad.”

bride getting into wedding dress

Photo by Jenny Fu Studio

bride in Monique Lhuillier gown

Photo by Jenny Fu Studio

“I was actually determined to wear a more modern and fitted dress to go with the NYC theme, which meant no lace,” Cindy remembers. She tried on countless gowns, and was leaning toward a modern Pronovias—but she made one last appointment at Monique Lhuillier. “I went to Monique and declared that ‘I couldn’t wear something with lace,’ but the consultant, Mona, convinced me to try on a few of their signature lace dresses. I was sold that I needed to wear a lacy ballgown! I knew this was the one because I felt so beautiful and girly and could totally see myself getting married in this dress.”

Her accessorizes were as symbolic as David’s. “All of my jewelry was designed by Jenny Wu, our family jeweler in Taiwan,” she says. “There was a pearl set with my wedding dress because it’s a tradition in our family to wear pearl jewelry on our wedding day. Another set in ruby was a gift from my deceased stepdad. My mom dreamed days before my wedding that he picked out something red for me to wear.”

bride and groom's first look

Photo by Jenny Fu Studio

bride and groom during first look

Photo by Jenny Fu Studio

bride and groom crossing a New York City Street

Photo by Jenny Fu Studio

“I wanted David to be the first person to see me in my wedding gown,” Cindy says. “Our first look was special because it made it real to us that we were getting married—that we were becoming husband and wife in front of our families.”

rooftop ceremony space in Rockefeller plaza

Photo by Jenny Fu Studio

We wanted to ensure the iconic location was featured.

pink floral arbror

Photo by Jenny Fu Studio

pink florals for ceremony

Photo by Jenny Fu Studio

For the ceremony, the couple intended to pay homage to the city they love. With a venue nestled in Rockefeller Plaza overlooking St. Patrick’s Cathedral, how could they not? “We wanted to ensure the cityscape and iconic location was featured, so we kept the arbor simple with pink florals and branches, and elegant white chairs,” Cindy says.

flower girls walk down the aisle

Photo by Jenny Fu Studio

groom awaits his bride

Photo by Jenny Fu Studio

bride and her mother walk down the aisle

Photo by Jenny Fu Studio

Cindy’s mom walked her down the aisle as a string quartet played “Can't Help Falling in Love.”

bride and groom exchange vows

Photo by Jenny Fu Studio

bride and groom jump the broom

Photo by Jenny Fu Studio

bride and groom's first kiss

Photo by Jenny Fu Studio

The couple recited traditional vows, then jumped the broom. They sealed it with a kiss and processed out to an apt tune: “Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I’m Yours).” 

bride and groom portrait

Photo by Jenny Fu Studio

escort card table

Photo by Jenny Fu Studio

bar with blue and white china vases

Photo by Jenny Fu Studio

We kept everything minimal so that the pops of blue and pink really stood out.

dining table at reception

Photo by Jenny Fu Studio

place setting with hand-tied blue chiffon ribbons

Photo by Jenny Fu Studio

While the palette had been largely bright pink and blush for the ceremony, blue and white hues were incorporated into reception decor. "The reception space is entirely white, and we kept everything minimal so that the pops of blue and pink really stood out,” Cindy says. Her one DIY for the event? “Each napkin was hand tied with a blue chiffon ribbon.”

newlyweds enter reception

Photo by Jenny Fu Studio

band performs at reception

Photo by Jenny Fu Studio

Their first dance was a family affair. David’s uncle John took the mic with band Souled Out to croon Luther Vandross’ “Buy Me a Rose,” as the newlyweds swung around the floor.

blue and white wedding cake

Photo by Jenny Fu Studio

bride and groom cut the cake

Photo by Jenny Fu Studio

The couple's red velvet cake was handpainted with a blue floral design and featured sugar cherry blossoms in white and light pink. It was just before cake cutting that the bride changed into her final gown, a vibrant red Jenny Packham design. “I picked the dress for its color and fit: Red is the festive color in Chinese culture, and brides wear red on their wedding day.” 

lounge area on rooftop

Photo by Jenny Fu Studio

outdoor space overlooking New York City

Photo by Jenny Fu Studio

The outdoor space was flipped post-ceremony to serve as a cool lounge area for guests, who moved in and out of doors to snap pictures despite the May chill. They sipped signature gin gimlets and cucumber ginger mocktails and posed among the decor and flora, illuminated with pink and blue lighting

bride and groom dance at reception

Photo by Jenny Fu Studio

“I hadn’t seen my whole family together for close to three years because of the pandemic, so our wedding brought everyone to me,” Cindy shares. “It was the first time that both sides of the family met, so it was very special.” Even the bride and groom’s bond grew stronger while planning for the big day. "I thought the process was a great way to learn even more about each other.”

Wedding Team

Venue 620 Loft & Garden

Wedding Planner and Floral Designer Colin Cowie Lifestyle 

Bridal Gown and Veil Designer Monique Lhuillier 

Bride’s Jewelry and Rings MYWU

Bride’s Shoes Manolo Blahnik 

Bride’s Hair and Makeup Wendy Lin

Mother of the Bride’s Dress Reem Acra 

Groom’s Attire Ralph Lauren Purple Label 

Flower girl attire Amaia

Ring bearer attire Bonpoint 

Groom’s Wedding Band Tiffany & Co.

Invitations and Signage Alex & Mima

Music On the Move

Catering Creative Edge Parties

Cake The Cake Fairy

Rentals Luxe Event Rentals; Nüage Designs; Party Rental Ltd.

Lighting Bentley Meeker

Videography Milk & Honey Productions

Décor Photography Calen Rose

Photography Jenny Fu Studio

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