Of course, we’re not exactly the most impartial people to say this, but: today’s blog really is an absolute belter. The photos are courtesy of AJ Tamari, who you may remember us crushing on a couple of months back; and the couple in question are Tessa and Suraj, who we are definitely crushing on forever going forward. They got married in a laidback but luxe ceremony that focused on and celebrated their love in and of New York City; concrete jungle where dreams are made, but also where stunning, love-filled weddings happen (as the famous song goes). Get ready to be inspired by just about every element of this gorgeous wedding, which shows how intimate weddings can still be just as incredible. (Oh, and that wallpaper you see above? Gucci wallpaper, installed especially for the occasion. It’s a yes from us!!!)

p.s. Love their cute zoom session during lockdown with AJ with their new addition too!!

Who are you both and what do you do?

Tessa and Suraj – We live in NYC with our son, Elio and two cats, Kobe & Lebron. Tessa works for an investment group, and Suraj is a product manager for a consumer tech company.

How did you meet?

We met on our way to a yoga class. We were both interning at Microsoft in Seattle at the time - all the way back in the summer of 2007! We became great friends and started dating a few years later after we both graduated and moved back to Seattle.

What’s your favourite thing about each other?

Tessa: I love Suraj’s humor, wit, self-assurance, conviction and big dreams. Even at 20, Suraj had a self-knowledge and vision for his life that was unlike anyone I’d ever met. He pushes me when I get complacent, and I know our life together will never be boring. Even after more than a decade, he’s still my favorite person and best friend.

Suraj: I love Tessa’s selflessness, intelligence, and her desire to do what is right. Her natural inclination is to put others above herself, from family members, to friends, to strangers. She knows so much about so many things, and I love learning from her. We have many overlapping interests, yet she has also introduced me to so many other things that have made me better and helped shape how I view the world.

Tell us about your day!

We got married on our 10th anniversary, and we decided to have a tiny wedding with just our immediate family at City Hall in NYC.

We both love New York City. Growing up, Suraj visited NYC a lot to see his aunts who lived Queens - and fell in love with the city as a kid. He loved (and still loves) skyscrapers and the subway. The first time I visited New York was actually with Suraj when we were living in Seattle. When Suraj got a job offer here, I thought it would be a cool adventure or a year or two. And here we are 9 years later!

New York was definitely a central component of our wedding. The decision to get married here - specifically at City Hall - was very intentional. We both love the energy, hustle, authenticity and diversity of the city - and a City Hall wedding embodied that. Even the other (somewhat disparate) elements of our wedding could only make sense here - our cake, rings, dinner restaurant, outfits, etc all originate from different countries. Cake is Japanese+French, rings are from a Brooklyn-based designer but with a Sri Lankan sapphire, dinner was by Mexican chef, Suraj's suit is from Italy, my dress is from France but by a British designer, etc.

The day started with us getting ready with our families at The Beekman Hotel, which is a beautiful historic building across the street from our apartment. Then we took the short walk to City Hall. We waited about an hour for the clerk to call our number, and there was some great people watching in the meantime! Our ceremony was short and sweet, and our families showered us with confetti on our way out of City Hall’s iconic gold doors.

We took a break for photos around our neighbourhood, and then celebrated with cake and champagne at our apartment. AJ captured some stunning portraits of us (and our two cats!) in front of the incredible Gucci bee wallpaper that we installed for the occasion.

After that, we took the subway to one of our favourite restaurants, Cosme, for dinner. The food was incredible - arctic char, cobia al pastor, branzino, lamb belly tacos, mole, and duck carnitas. The meal was capped by the chef’s iconic corn husk meringue dessert.

What was your favourite part of the day?

Dinner! It was such a treat to share such a nice meal with our families. Our families live in different states so it was great to have an opportunity for everyone to catch up, share stories, and enjoy the food.

What have you learnt about married life so far?

Last January we welcomed our beautiful son, Elio, into the world. Just about a month after he was born, we took him out to dinner with us to celebrate our first anniversary! That celebratory dinner was just a few weeks before covid changed everything, and were so grateful for that lasting memory of normalcy. He has been the most incredible addition to our family, and he has taught us so much in his first year of life!

Do you have any advice for couples going through putting their wedding together right now?

Be creative and be authentic. We made a lot of decisions that made our wedding day atypical. We weren’t sure everything would work out as planned, but in the end we created a day that felt natural and joyful for us. Looking back on it now, I’m so glad we didn’t feel obligated to follow “the rules” of what a wedding should be.

What drew you to AJ Tamari, and the film photography aspect in particular?

Suraj shot film photography in college, and he was very particular about who we chose to photograph our wedding. After browsing hundreds of photographers, he wondered if we should just ask a friend who could match the aesthetic we wanted. Luckily he stumbled across AJ’s instagram, and he was immediately drawn to her work. After learning her tagline - “a wedding photographer for couples who don’t really want a wedding photographer” - and seeing her focus on film, we instantly knew we had the right person.

The dream supplier team who helped make it happen:

Suraj's Outfit:

Suit (Gucci) - We went to a Gucci exhibit/museum while we were in Florence the fall before we got married and became rather obsessed with the heritage of the brand and Alessandro Michele.

Pocket Square (Gucci) - classic flora print

Shirt (custom) - Suraj custom designed his shirt.

Watch (Cartier) – Surprise wedding day gift from Tessa!

Tessa's Outfit:

Dress (Celine) - My dress is by Phoebe Philo before she left Celine. She is an icon and has a very modern point of view of women's clothing. It is my ode to feminism for my wedding day. Also something blue!

Veil (Twigs and Honey) - something new

Earrings - something borrowed from my mom

Sunflower brooch - It was my great grandmother's, and I incorporated it into my bouquet.

Shoes (Gucci) - Bees for prosperity

Rings: Custom by Mociun. The main stone is a bicolor blue purple sapphire from Sri Lanka, which is a nod to Suraj’s heritage.

Flowers: DIY from the Chelsea flower markets in NYC

Green bee wallpaper: Gucci

Cake: Lady M Mille Crêpes Cake

Dinner: Cosme