NYC City Hall Elopement + River Cafe Celebration
A New York Wedding on Film at Nine Orchard, City Hall, and The River Cafe
Maya + Luke met and fell in love in New York City, and they built their wedding day around the places that already held meaning for them here. Equal parts private and public, we crossed many miles (and a bridge!), together while celebrating their wedding in three parts: getting ready at Nine Orchard, a classic City Hall ceremony, and a reception with 100 of their closest family members and friends at The River Cafe.
From their room at Nine Orchard, Maya + Luke pointed out to me both the spot where they had their first date and The River Cafe. I think about that moment a lot. What it means to build a life together in a city filled with eight million different people and endless possibilities, and how the invisible threads of the universe pulled them together.
Nine Orchard sits inside a restored 1912 bank building on the Lower East Side. It's one of those LES spaces where the architecture holds so much history: arched windows, vaulted ceilings, original molding, wood floors that glow in the morning light, velvet accents in rich greens, an abundance of warm white and marble. For Maya + Luke, two people with a deep love for design and fashion, it was the obvious home base for their wedding day.
I arrived while they were still getting ready together, while the morning sun filtered into their room. The plan was for Maya + Luke to share their private vows on the swan benches out front and then make the short walk from Nine Orchard to City Hall, but to traipse our way through Chinatown on the way and stop for rice rolls, before meeting family outside of City Hall for photographs. Essentially, a quintessential NYC morning, with the festivities of a wedding thrown into the mix!
Maya + Luke’s wedding was photographed on my Leica M6, Pentax 645nii, Yashica 124G, Holga, and digital. All film processing was done by my friends at Indie Film Lab.
DETAILS
When — September 2025
Where — Brooklyn, NY
Getting Ready Location — Nine Orchard
Venue — The River Cafe
Florist — Joi Blooms
Stationary — Ten Story Stationary + Calligraphy by Phuong
Maya’s Courthouse Set — Reformation
Maya’s Courthouse Shoes — Gucci
Maya’s Courthouse Ceil — Sabina KW Design
Luke’s Courthouse Suit — Sandro
Maya’s Reception Dress — Wed Studio
Maya’s Reception Shoes — Vintage Manolo Blahnik
Maya’s Reception Purse — Roop
Luke’s Reception Tux — P Johnson
Luke’s Reception Shoes — Morjas
Reception Second Look — Rat & Boa
HMUA — Tatiana Li
Entertainment — Alex Edge
Cake — Lauren Schofield
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