Neda and I bonded over bubble tea when we first met, so we only saw it fitting that we would get a shot of the couple in front of her favorite bubble tea spot in Flushing, Queens. Neda is also a huge, huge fan of Totoro-- so of course Totoro was a theme throughout her wedding. Totoro cake toppers and a mega huge totoro cut-out for the photobooth!? AWESOME!! One of my favorite parts of the wedding was during the ceremony. Neda loves the show Friends (so do I!) so when her friend officiated her wedding with, "It is a love based on giving and receiving as well as having and sharing. And the love that they give and have is shared and received. And through this having and giving and sharing and receiving, we too can share and love and have... and receive." There were so many great parts to the day, we began at Neda’s family home, then headed over to Gantry State Park to do some wedding portraits then finished the day back in Queens at the Sheraton Hotel for their reception. It was another amazing night as a New York City wedding photographer! ;)
A Snowy New York City Wedding Proposal in Long Island City Gantry State Park
Andrew had been planning his proposal to Stella for a few weeks. He had chosen the location, had the ring, had the plan and was ready to go! But never would he had thought that it would snow the day before the proposal. The ground was full of fresh snow and another storm was rolling in soon... so he knew he had to move quick. Andrew put together the final touches on the scrapbook he made for Stella and practiced the song that he would sing to accompany her as she looked through the book. He was going to sing about their 12 dates, but to the tune of "The 12 Days of Christmas". It was really a sweet!! We all huddled together, a group of his friends and I, hiding in the bathroom nearby the spot where he would propose overlooking the New York City Skyline at Gantry State Park. His friends cracked jokes, calmed him down and encouraged him about his exciting future with Stella. It was a lot of fun!! Then Andrew got the call, Stella was on her way to meet him! So Andrew hurried over and the show began...
It was so touching to see them get engaged and also have their backdrop with friends, family and New York City! Afterwards they went to go celebrate :D
A New York City Wedding in Long Island City and Manhattan
Congrats to this adorable couple!! I was so blessed to be able to photograph such a beautiful, loving and Christ-centered wedding of Ha & Mark. From the funny, quirky and cute vows to the most heartfelt parent (and sibling) speeches I've ever heard, you can tell just how clearly these two people are loved. This wedding was so full of love, all of the decorations-- and even the food were prepared by volunteers and people who really loved them. It was really sweet. It was a great wedding in New York City, and we were able to incorporate so many views of the New York City skyline at the piers at Gantry State Park. We started the day in Long Island City and then made our way to the Queens Botanical Garden for the ceremony and finally to the upper west side where they had their reception at Redeemer Church.
Here are some of my favorite highlights from the day:
HA&MARK-WEDDING-NYC-CYNTHIACHUNG-0047
Last but not least… I made a little something special for this couple! While editing their wedding, I noticed their reception was non-stop fun and movement… so filled with dancing and fun.. SO, I decided to turn the whole night into a stop motion. So, if you were part of their big day, be prepared to see your face somewhere within this slideshow! It’ll be a fun ride! ENJOY!!!
An Intimate Backyard Wedding in Forest Hills, Queens, New York City
Pooh & Peter live in Queens and wanted to keep their wedding as local as possible! They got ready at the Paper Factory Hotel in Queens, New York City. It was such an adorable and gorgeous hotel with some many great spots to photograph at! One of my favorite things they had was this amazing book wall staircase - which was so perfect because Pooh loves to read- and is a teacher!!! With close friends and family, they had a beautiful and sweet intimate backyard ceremony at My Kitchen, Resturant in Forest Hills! It was such a great day! We were able to head over to Gantry State Park to get some portraits and the amazing skyline view of New York City - and just party the night away with some serious DANCING skills!
Vendor Information:
Hotel Prep Location: Paper Factory Hotel
Photographer - Cynthia Chung Weddings
Venue- My Kitchen Restaurant in Forest Hills, NY
Dress- Tadashi Shoji for BHLDN
Her Shoes- Nina
Earrings- Kate Spade
Hair & Makeup- MG Hair and Makeup
Suit- Indochino
His Shoes- ALDO
His Accessories (tie, pocket square, cuffs)- Tie Bar
DJ- John Panikidis (a father of one our students at school...talk about keeping it local...)
Flowers- Annis Florals in Astoria
Favors- Hellenic Gifts in Astoria
Officiant- Caitlin Northcote from Officiant NYC
Rings- Kent Jewelry in Manhattan