Metropolitan Club Wedding : Jade & Julian : New York, NY

Metropolitan Club Wedding : Jade & Julian : New York, NY

Jade & Julian were married in the summertime at The Metropolitan Club on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan.

The Met Club is one of those places that makes you feel the weight of the city's history the second you walk in. J.P. Morgan founded it in 1891 — literally because he and a few friends got blackballed from another club and decided to build a better one to hang with his buddies the Vanderbilts and the Roosevelts. The interiors are jaw-dropping in the way that only Gilded Age excess can be. I've shot there a handful of times now and still spend the first few minutes just staring at the ceiling.

Julian wore his Navy dress whites for the ceremony and cocktail hour, switching to a sharp summer white tuxedo for the reception. There's something about that particular combination of venue and uniform that makes the whole thing feel like a different era, the good kind. Jade leaned hard into the glamour of it all and it showed — she was completely in her element in this space.

Jade is a film photography enthusiast and we planned ahead for that. Over the course of the day we went through more than ten rolls. It changes the energy on a wedding day when you're working with film — there's a deliberateness to it, a different kind of attention, and Jade felt that. You can see it in how she carries herself in those images. The overcast summer light was perfect for it, soft and even without being flat.

Jeannie Uyanik did the planning and kept everything running with the kind of smooth efficiency that lets everyone relax. The florals from Bastille Events were big, lush arrangements that held their own against the ornate gilded rooms without trying to compete with them — no small feat. Frank Simmons Band ran the reception floor while Art Strings handled ceremony and cocktails, and John Castillo was on video.

For portraits we crossed 5th Avenue straight into the park and worked our way down to the lake. Jade had a crimson red umbrella that was just perfect against all that green — one of those props that makes a lot of sense the second you see it in the frame. Back inside, the rest of the day was really about being present in the space itself. The gilded walls, the candlelight, the scale of those rooms — you let it do the work. We mixed in a touch of direct flash here and there, enough to give a few frames that modern edge without it taking over.

Vendors
Event Planning/Design: Jeannie Uyanik / C&G Weddings 
Venue & Catering: The Metropolitan Club 
Florals: Bastille Events 
Band: Frank Simmons Band / Hank Lane Music 
Ceremony & Cocktail Hour Music: Art Strings
Videography: John Castillo 
Hair: Elena, Bridal Squad Pro
Makeup: Jasmyn, IVJ Beauty Services
Lighting: Fusion

Metropolitan Club Wedding : Allison & Ethan : New York, NY

A Winter Wedding at The Metropolitan Club in New York, NY

Allison & Ethan were married on the day of the biggest snowstorm in the NYC area this year which I am certain was nerve wracking - but by the time the ceremony began the sidewalks had been cleared and they had a full compliment of guests. The gold metal certainly goes to Allison who braved truly frigid temperatures and snowy conditions in a wedding dress to take some photos outside.

Allison made some amazing choices in decor with vivid color and tons of candlelight which set the tone for a stunning evening. I love how it gave a fun, energetic vibe to the stately and elegant club off Central Park. The party really ratcheted up a notch after the cake had been cut as Sticky's Finger Joint, Katz's Delicatessen and Chip City Cookies set up to offer a quintessential NYC food hall. Lit batons passed around the dance floor as the band drove an amazing experience for the guests. My second shooter and I remarked how this would be an amazing party to attend ourselves. That's how you know we're having fun.

Photographer: Brian Hatton Photography

Cinematographer: Frank Ahn Films

Rabbi: Rachel Ain, Sutton Place Synagogue

Florist: Forever in Bloom

Cake: Lulus

Lighting: Frost Lighting

Band: Brooklyn Sound, Hank Lane

Hair & Makeup: FaceTime Beauty

Wedding Dress: Monique Lhuillier

Bride's Shoes: Jimmy Choo

Jewelry: Nuha Jewelers

Groom's Attire: Enzo Custom