Traveling to NYC is obviously an exciting adventure, but if you add in a retro-inspired elopement too?? 10/10 a good time. And that’s exactly what Amber and Travis did. They’re from Canada but wanted to do something fun and epic for their wedding and felt that a City Hall secret elopement here in the city would be perfect for them. The whole day was so beautiful from start to finish!

A City Hall Ceremony

We began with their ceremony at the marriage bureau in the financial district and even as we were waiting for their turn to say their “I do’s” they exchanged so many sweet and butterfly filled moments. My favorite was when Travis noticed a stray flower falling from Amber’s hair and he tenderly picked it back up and put it in place. The ceremony is quick but these two were on cloud nine and so excited to share their first kiss and embrace over and over as newlyweds.

Afterward, we took some photos around the area with all of the beautiful marble architecture and Art Deco details of the financial district as their urban backdrop. The overall vision for their day was retro, Hollywood glamour and man did these two pull off the look. Amber’s sleek, satin slip dress (from Zara!), delicate pearl accessories and her beaded micro-purse with her white kitten heels really set the tone. Not to mention the pearl studded veil, am I right?

A Retro Backdrop for Direct Flash Glamour

After waiting for the sun to set a bit, we went back to their hotel, The Walker Hotel in Tribeca, because it has the most amazing mid-century architecture and decor inside this perfect little room off to the side of the check- in area that feels private. There we had so much fun amping up that glamorous feeling with some editorial and classical European portraiture inspired photos. The Direct Flash gave this retro look a bit of a modern and timeless twist. The alley beside the hotel was also giving us the best “perfectly imperfect” vibes for some super New York feeling gritty moments.

Little Island at Sunset

Ending at Little Island, a man-made park on the water in Chelsea, we enjoyed a nice breeze coming off the water as we just BARELY dodged a thunderstorm that almost shut the whole park down for the rest of the evening. In fact, when we first walked up they had the gates closed but there really wasn’t a dark cloud in the sky. Thankfully, while we were regrouping they actually reopened the gates and we were able to continue with our plans. The sunset was INSANE because of the clouds the almost storm had brought in and the sky was almost like an actual painting backdrop. And that was a wrap on this beautifully intimate and retro-inspired elopement!