I have a tendency to rate places I travel based on the coffee shops I fall in love with. I mean, the coffee shops I visit and drink coffee at like a totally-non-obsessed-normal person. Do normal people fall in love with coffee shops… I’m not sure if normal people fall in love with coffee shops??
Let me start over. When I think of my last trip to New York, I think of two things. This amazing little coffee shop on the Upper East Side and Erica and David. I think I probably fell in love with both of them. The coffee shop and the couple.
I love the city. I joke with people that my family has to live in the suburbs because if it was just me I’d be living in a flat in Chicago and if it was just my husband he’d be living on 40 acres somewhere in the middle of NOTHING. So… our happily married compromise (and one that’s served us well for most of our marriage) is living somewhere in between, just a little outside a city with enough space to keep him sane and driving distance to alllllll the things I need in my life.
Brooklyn, New York has all my favorite city loving things. Good coffee shops, great food, and you know… old beautiful bridges. Although I’m a Los Angeles native, and a huge fan, I will say that in a city that has everything, the one thing us LA friends are missing is OLD things. And maybe bridges, we don’t have a ton of those either.
I first officially met Erica and David in person in a parking garage. Actually, it looked like the scene in a bad movie where we were wandering around a parking garage trying to find each other with zero cell service. I don’t really handle moments like that well. I kept running up to the top floor to try and text and then running back down with my cell phone in the air trying to get magical cell service. All the while, completely panicked that I actually would never find them. Ever.
We did actually find each other and make it up to the sunshine. We wandered the streets of the Dumbo Brooklyn, New York pulling in all the area had to offer. Erica was pretty much stopping traffic as she was moving around, it was pretty amazing. I often tell my grooms (jokingly) that they’re just an accessory for the gorgeous bride they’re accompanying. She was absolutely gorgeous and she clearly felt like a QUEEN.
Erica is a photographer herself. She actually owns a photography company with David’s sister, STOP how sweet is that??? I love my couples and it’s an honor to photograph people in general but there is something especially amazing and also scary about photographing a photographer. The standard is high because I know they understand the amount of work and technical expertise that goes into every image created. Because of that, I want the images to be perfect. It’s super fun and tons of pressure. Such an honor to photograph another photographer.
I loved listening to Erica and David talk about their love story. They have a beautiful story and a wonderful family. Laughing and talking as we walked around New York was so much fun. We saw all the things one would expect on the streets of New York…giant lizards, sweet looking dogs, humanity in it’s finest and strangest. But in the midst of it all was this beautiful and romantic couple, with a perfect 12 year long love story. Sometimes it feels like the chaos of the world just freezes in moments like those, the way the two of them looked at each other was the only thing that was drawing my attention on the streets of Brooklyn that day.
Erica and David, you two were a delight on so many levels. Everyone else, enjoy. Vendor Love below.
Vendors
Bridal Gown | Bacio Bacio Bridal
Bridal Accessories | Champagne + GRIT
Hand Lettered Jacket | Ink Letter Love