Coronavirus may have cancelled lots of things this spring, but love must go on. Traditional weddings, though? Not so much. However, that didn't stop this Brooklyn couple from safely saying "I do" on the roof of their Greenpoint apartment, with their loved ones on Facetime and strangers on neighboring on rooftops giving them a champagne toast. Sometimes a Plan B can truly be magical.
Paula and Ken, who met on OkCupid back in 2014, were originally set to wed on March 21, 2020 at the Box House Hotel in DUMBO - with a guest list of 200. But with the rapidly evolving regulations surrounding coronavirus in the week leading up to their celebration, Paula and Ken knew that their plans would have to be postponed, save for their actual nuptials. So they got creative.
Their guest list was cut down to five - just their parents and the groom's brother - and a last-minute officiant was called in along with their original wedding photographer, Yumi Matsuo, who captured their big (while still being small) day.
Paula turned her bedroom into a bridal suite, and they decked out their apartment with the wedding decor they were planning to bring to the venue. Paula's brother and his fiancée, who were supposed to fly in from Florida, sent over a bouquet and boutonniere made of dry flowers. Their mothers set up appetizers and surprised them with a wedding cake, and the reception dinner was takeout from Fornino.
"We drank wine and champagne and just enjoyed each other’s company in the excitement of being newlyweds," says Paula. "We’ll have our first dance in January now! And share all the wedding traditions next time."
"Without all the usual fanfare, this celebration was refreshing to witness as a photographer but also incredibly special to experience as a New Yorker," says Yumi. "Neighbors watched from their rooftops, total strangers did champagne toasts from a distance...it was an unforgettable New York moment."
Click through for a look!
[Photos by Yumi Matsuo]
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