A Black-and-White Rooftop Wedding in New York City

When Molly Clark and Andrew Mundo started planning their wedding, they decided to give their guests a taste of the city where their love story unfolded: Manhattan! While the couple first met as students at Indiana University, they now call the Big Apple home.

It's also where Andrew proposed. “A few days before Valentine’s Day in 2015, Andrew picked me up after work and we walked through Central Park with snow flurries falling around us,” Molly remembers. He led her to her favorite spot—Strawberry Fields—and that’s where he got down on one knee. Of course, they celebrated in a very New York City way as well, with drinks at the Rainbow Room at the top of Rockefeller Center.

And after a proposal like that, the couple continued their iconic New York City theme for the wedding, which took place downtown at Tribeca Rooftop. On August 26, 2016, 200-plus friends joined Molly and Andrew for a classic night out in the city—and a Friday night, at that: “Our guests loved that the wedding was on Friday. It meant they had all weekend to explore New York!” The bride's sister is a wedding planner at Lemon & Lime Event Design in Baltimore, so she naturally took the lead and the sisters designed a wedding full of crisp stripes, modern bows, and hints of gold and green.

Lisa Ziesing of Abby Jiu Photography was there to capture the black-and-white rooftop event—take a peek, below!

The couple welcomed guests with NYC-inspired treats like saltwater taffy and vanilla cream soda, as well as cookies decorated with the Indiana University logo (a nod to where they first met!).

Molly’s Amsale gown featured a bateau neckline, fit-and-flare silhouette, and a sheer back with a delicate row of buttons. “It was so classic, and I knew it would never go out of style,” says the bride.

The bride carried a lush and organic bouquet that combined calla lilies, garden roses, and deep green magnolia leaves. “I wanted something more textured against my form-fitting gown,” she says.

The bride gave her mother an embroidered handkerchief, complete with a personalized “thank you” for being an amazing mom. (Brides, take note of this day-of gift idea!)

The bride and groom explored lower Manhattan for their portraits—and brought their dog and best friends along for the fun.

Molly’s bridesmaids wore black cocktail dresses with a bateau neckline to mirror the structure of the bride's gown. The back of each dress also featured a bold bow, which tied into the evening’s classically preppy theme. The groomsmen, of course, wore black bowties as well.

We can’t get over the incredible view from Molly and Andrew’s ceremony! The couple kept the script traditional but worked with their officiant to personalize the ceremony. The aisle was decorated with a black-and-white runner and pillar candles inside modern lanterns.

From the silhouette of the pair’s pup on the invitation suite to the penguin drink stirrers (a nod to the night they met) at cocktail hour, Andrew and Molly’s paper products were truly personalized works of art.

Inside, tables were decked in black, white, and gold. The head table was topped with a crisp striped linen, with an elevated arrangement of greenery and white hydrangeas lit by pillar candles on gold candlesticks. “Having candles everywhere was a priority of ours,” says Molly. Place settings included gold-rimmed chargers, gold flatware, and the wedding party’s monograms.

“We brought in our band, Burnt Sienna, from Philadelphia,” says Molly. “They played at my sister’s wedding, and it was the only band we wanted to have at ours!” The couple finished the night on the dance floor, surrounded by friends and family as the band played “Piano Man” by Billy Joel. And looking back at their memorable Friday night, Molly has this to day: “Give yourself enough time to plan. We had a little over a year, and it was great to not have to worry or stress about the timeline!”