Come to Me // Meredith + Josh

Meredith and Josh met through mutual friends in college at the University of Michigan. And when it came time to ask Meredith to be his wife, Josh was sure to propose to her in her favorite area of Central Park in New York, a place close to where they shared an apartment at that time. The two would often take walks there before or after work and on weekends, so that area really held a special place in their hearts. After Meredith said 'yes', Josh had an entire weekend of fun planned with family and friends, some even flying in for the weekend to celebrate with them!

After having most of their morning preparations take place at The Westin Jersey City Newport, the two traveled to their venue, Hudson House, for the finishing touches. Hudson House is an elegant event venue situated right on the Hudson River, with such amazing views of the New York City skyline and the Statue of Liberty. Here, Meredith put on her gorgeous strapless wedding gown and accessories, including a beautiful veil and purse made from her mother's wedding dress.

And while still in the bridal suite, Meredith shared a sweet first look with her father before it was time to head outside. It's always so hard to keep a dry eye during that sentimental moment when fathers see their daughters for the first time on the wedding day.

Josh arrived at their venue, just needing a few finishing touches added to his classic black tux ensemble (including that brilliant inscribed watch!) before he was ready to see Meredith on this special day. With the river and city skyline framed in the background, the two were all smiles and hugs as they met outside for their first look.

Formal and candid photos were taken after the first look by Anthony Vazquez Photography, a fantastic photography team who documented this whole special day in photos. They had such a beautiful day for all those outdoor portraits with the bride and groom and their massive wedding party. And they shared a few of the wonderful photos by Barbara on instagram!

After the Ketubah signing, Meredith and Josh were ready for their ceremony to begin. With Josh waiting for her, Meredith walked down the gorgeous white floral flanked aisle on the arms of her parents. Their beautiful ceremony included meaningful Jewish traditions, and concluded of course, with the breaking of the glass!

The bright, natural light-filled reception room was adorned with tall, white floral centerpieces, white linens and so many flickering candles in multi-tiered hurricane vases. Flowers by Brian did such an amazing job making a fabulous space even more gorgeous. And of course, gigantic windows framed the amazing views of New York.

The newlywed's arrival to the exquisite reception space was announced, then Meredith and Josh danced their first dance of the evening to the love song 'Come to Me'. They looked like seasoned, professional dancers, even ending with a dip! And right afterwards was the dance of the Hora, that wonderful celebratory dance and one of our absolute favorites to film!

The Hamotzi blessing was given, then both Meredith and Josh's parents gave a welcome speech and such beautiful toasts to the couple. We always love hearing all the cute, funny (did they meet as freshmen or sophomores?) and touching stories about the bride and groom as they grew up and then how they eventually met their love. Sweet dances, Meredith with her father and Josh and his mother, followed the toasts.

After cutting that amazing all-white, four-tiered wedding cake from Calandra's Bakery, it was time to dance again! Rock & Soul from Starlight Music brought the party that night and dancing continued all evening long. The floor was so packed one could hardly move... and we heard Josh just may have even crowd surfed that night!

And then, a fun after-party was a fantastic way to keep the party going just a little longer. Really, nobody wanted to end this event, a beautiful, joyful wedding planned and coordinated by the couple and their family, of course, and by Sarah and her team at Honeycomb + Prince. Everything turned out so wonderfully... simply perfect.

We wish Meredith and Josh continued joy and success as they share a lifetime of love together.

Photographer: Anthony Vazquez Photography - Barbara Torres - New York, NY

Floral Design: Flowers by Brian - Andrew - Mineola, NY

Entertainment: Starlight Music - Rock & Soul - New York, NY

Cake: Calandra's Bakery - Fairfield, NJ

Wedding Planner: Honeycomb + Prince - Sarah Prinz - NJ

Officiant: Rabbi Mark Kaiserman - The Reform Temple of Forest Hills - Forest Hills, NY

Venue: Hudson House - Jersey City, NJ

Accommodations: The Westin Jersey City Newport - Jersey City, NJ

www.cord3films.com