An Epic, Nature Inspired Wedding at The American Museum of Natural History

As seen on The Cut

Stephen and Sophie’s love for nature and the city they call home led to a wedding day most could only dream of.

After meeting during freshman year at Harvard, Stephen and Sophie moved to New York and started dreaming of their future. There was no formal proposal. They both just had an understanding that they were meant to spend the rest of their lives together. They celebrated their engagement spending a long weekend together in Nayarit where they exchanged private letters to each other.

Animals and nature were incredibly important to them both. A ceremony at the Central Park Zoo followed by dinner and dancing at The American Museum of Natural History was a dream come true. They had an intimate ceremony in front of the snow monkeys (who very loudly voiced their enthusiasm throughout their vows). They then enjoyed some dim sum and drinks before heading over to the museum. Not of course without a stop by the ice cream truck outside the park first.

130 of their closest friends and family were greeted to cocktail hour in the museum lobby by the infamous dinosaurs, glowing from the sunset streaming in. We worked closely with the in house catering, CxRA, to create a delicious bi-valve/vegetarian menu. For their wedding cake, they chose one of their favorite local bakeries, Empire Cake. They plan on getting a cake from Empire each year to commemorate their anniversary.

The reception was held in the Ocean Life wing of the museum, home to the iconic blue whale in the sky.

Together with Janice from Joi Blooms, we took inspiration from the museum itself and created gorgeous floral arrangements that reflected an underwater feel while still allowing the natural beauty of the exhibits to shine.

Sophie started the day in a gorgeous lace gown from Peter Langner. She then changed into a sleek Galia Lahav gown for dinner and their formal dances. Their first dance under the whale to Dos Oruguitas was a highlight for both the happy couple and their guests. Once the dance floor had gotten started, Sophie changed into her final look of the night- a shimmery mini dress from Retrofete. She carried a bag passed down by her grandmother throughout the day. Stephen matched Sophie’s incredible style with a silky shirt from Tanner Fletcher and jacket from local NYC brand, Fried Rice. Their rings were also custom made together at Soho Gem.

They both wanted to pay homage to their grandparents throughout the evening. During their cake cutting, they played “I’ll Be With You in Apple Blossom Time”, which was Sophie’s grandparents’ wedding song. They also had a beautiful letter written to them by Stephen’s grandmother on display by their sweetheart table.

The day was filled to the brim with personal touches throughout some of New York’s most iconic spots. They ended the night jumping into a cab outside the museum after dancing the night away under the whale.