A Classic New York City Wedding

Danielle Hirschberg and Joshua Holtzman met in New York City through a mutual friend in March 2011 and they immediately hit it off. Fast forward to November 2015: Danielle works in public relations, so when she got invited to a Soul Cycle class she assumed it was a work-related event. But when she arrived at the studio, she discovered “My Girl” playing on the stereo, candles glimmering around the room, and Josh on one knee wearing a t-shirt that read, “Will you be my soulmate?”

With just under a year to plan, Danielle and Josh enlisted Angie Nevarez of Baton Events to execute Danielle's vision of an all-white, romantic affair—with a modern touch. And on October 15, 2016, that's exactly what they created! Keep scrolling to see Andrew Kelly's photos of their classic New York City wedding—and the bride's gorgeous Vera Wang gown.

After researching venues in the Hamptons and the Hudson Valley, Danielle and Josh decided to have their wedding closer to their home in Manhattan. They found the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx on a site visit and quickly fell for its ability to host an outdoor ceremony and a ballroom reception in the same space. “We were such a close ride away from Manhattan but it felt like we were transported to our own little dream wedding bubble,” Danielle says.

Lion in the Sun of Park Slope created stunning invitations that featured a custom illustration of the statement-making venue.

While dress shopping, Danielle realized that glam dresses (with sequins, pearls, and the works) were so not her. So she restarted the shopping game again, this time looking for simplicity and comfort. That's when she tried on a silk crepe gown with an open back by Vera Wang—and when she learned that it came with detachable bow on the shoulder, she knew it was the perfect choice.

The bride works for Kenneth Cole Productions, so she was lucky enough to work with Kenneth Cole to create custom wedding shoes. “We worked together on the design, heel height, and fabric—it was such a fun experience," she says. And as a surprise, the designer had the soles engraved with "Danielle & Josh 10.15.16."

Before the ceremony, the couple posed for portraits at iconic spots in Manhattan and in their venue's gardens in the Bronx. The groom looked classic in a tuxedo by Armani, a bow tie and pocket square by Tom Ford, cufflinks from Tiffany & Co., and Brooks Brother smoking slippers.

The ceremony is always Danielle’s favorite part of a wedding, so she really wanted to give her guests a romantic experience. When they arrived at the venue, they entered "the Secret Garden" through small garden gates to see a dramatic chuppah covered in green vines and leaf branches with white wisteria cascading down. The roof of the canopied structure was constructed with tallits—or Jewish prayer shawls—belonging to the couples’ fathers and Danielle’s grandfather.

Live musicians played “Sky Full of Stars” by Coldplay as Danielle made her way down the aisle, accompanied by both of her parents. After a traditional Jewish ceremony, the wedding party exited to Stevie Wonder's “Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours.”

Inside the reception space, long tables were topped with Plexiglas to create a unique reflection from the candles. Vases of varying heights also topped the tables, each holding a single bloom arrangement of roses, dahlias, and orchids. After dinner, Danielle and Josh (and all of their guests!) stayed on the dance floor for the rest of the night. They even made a special appearance on stage to sing "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" with their dads, moms, and sisters.

As the finale of their classic New York City wedding, the newlyweds cut into a five-tiered buttercream cake, which was filled with chocolate and vanilla buttercream.