An Over-the-Top Garden Wedding in the Heart of New York City

Samantha Edelstein still isn’t quite sure how she and Abraham Chetrit scheduled their first date. “We first met at Lavo in New York City, but he never asked for my number,” she says. “Somehow, he managed to get it and texted me the next day—I still don’t know how!” However it happened, that mysterious text led to a three-year romance that stuck. And in September of 2016, Samantha and Abraham went to visit his grandparents, but took the elevator to the wrong floor of their building. She adds, “I was starting to get suspicious, and when we walked into the building’s party room, there was a huge lit sign that read, ‘Will you marry me?’ ” Of course, she said yes.

The bride is an event planner so she took the reins to create a dramatic and stunning celebration for 600 people on June 11, 2017. “We needed a venue that could fit our huge guest list, but that still felt intimate somehow,” she explains. They found that in Cipriani Wall Street, where the bride’s vision was to fill the space with flowers. “Everything was pink and purple—I didn’t want a single white bloom,” she says. The lush décor, paired with shimmering gold accents, came together in a striking wedding reception that the couple's many, many guests will never forget.

Keep reading to see more of this stunning, over-the-top wedding in New York City, as photographed by Felix Feygin for Fred Marcus Studio. Seriously, just wait until you see the statement head table at the reception (spoiler: it's amazing!)!

The invitations were finished with stunning paper flowers, taking the stationery suite to the next level. Says Samantha, “My sister and I hand-glued every single flower! It took days, but it was absolutely worth it.”

When Samantha couldn’t find the gown she was dreaming of, she turned to Karan Sabag for a custom design. The silk Mikado gown featured 100 yards of fabric, including a dramatic 15-foot train over the full ball gown skirt. “The dress was really simple, so I chose a really detailed veil with vines and flowers to complement it,” says the bride. The groom donned a black and navy metallic tuxedo from Dolce & Gabbana.

The Jewish ceremony, including an emotional bedeken, took place at the Museum of American Finance. “After we exchanged vows, we closed down the block, rolled out white carpets, and led our guests across the street to the reception,” says the bride.

A combination of tables filled the dramatic space inside Cipriani Wall Street, and the one in the middle of the room was a custom-made to sit 44 guests. With a gold base, the tabletop was covered in moss and decorated with vibrant pink roses and candles on gold candlesticks. “I wanted our wedding day to feel like a lush garden in the middle of an urban jungle,” Samantha says.

Dinner began with tuna tartare, followed by Dijon-crusted rack of lamb and Cornish hen with a mango demi-glaze. The pièce de résistance was a towering white wedding cake, topped with hundreds of handmade sugar flowers.

After Samantha and Abraham completed their first dance, to “Bless the Broken Road” by Rascal Flatts, cannons filled the air with gold confetti. “For a few moments, you couldn’t see the two of us at all!” Samantha recalls.

Toward the end of the evening, Samantha swapped her ballgown for a pair of white lace pants and a silk top with a train, also by Karen Sabag Couture. “I wish I could wear my second outfit every single day,” she says.

If you can't tell, this bride is a planning pro, and it showed! “Make sure you don’t leave anything until the last minute,” she says. “Those last few days (and your wedding day!) are the most enjoyable part, and you shouldn’t be worried about getting things done. You should be having a blast with your loved ones instead!”