Natasha &and Andrew

When and where did the proposal take place, and how did it unfold?

Natasha: I grew up on the upper west side, so naturally one of my favorite movies is “You’ve Got Mail.” One night last summer Andrew and I watched the movie and I pointed all the real attractions and my favorite spots, and then gushed about the final scene where they meet in Riverside Park. The morning that we were leaving for Italy for a two week vacation together, Andrew suggested we rent Citi Bikes and ride from Tribeca where we live up to Riverside Park so he could see this place that I love so much. The bike ride was actually much longer than either of us expected, but the moment we finally arrived, Andrew proposed! That moment changed our lives in so many ways, but in the immediate few hours, leaving for vacation that day as a newly engaged couple made everything extra exciting and fun.

What did you base your choice of location on?

Natasha & Andrew: We went to see a few iconic New York locations, but the moment we walked into the lobby at the Four Seasons we were in love with it. The architecture is stunning with a soaring lobby ceiling, and then beautiful trees in the restaurant were everything we wanted. We ended up using pretty much every space in the hotel for the wedding, which was amazing. And it just so happened that the Four Seasons Hotel was hotel where Andrew stayed on his first trip to NYC!

What wedding planning decision was the easiest one to make? What was the most difficult?

Natasha: That’s a tough question because there were more decisions than I ever expected to have to make! I’m thankful we had a great planning team because I had no idea what we were getting into in planning a (relatively small) wedding. So I’m not sure what the easiest decision was, but a fun decision was my dress. From the moment I put it on I loved it. I had a huge smile on my face and didn’t want to take it off. Even so, I changed the dress a lot and by the end of all my fittings, the seamstress was one of my favorite people! She placed all the lace for me throughout my train and veil and changed the neckline of my dress so it really felt like a custom dress that was exactly what I wanted.

One difficult decision that is completely ridiculous in retrospect was the color of the chairs for the dinner. My mom and I “fought” over this during every design meeting almost until the wedding. Everything would have looked just as beautiful either way, but we dragged that one out!

What was running through your mind while walking down the aisle?

Natasha: Don’t cry! I was so calm until one minute before walking down the aisle, and then all my emotions hit as soon as those doors opened. Not seeing Andrew all day and then seeing him for the first time standing under the chuppah brought on a rush of emotions. At first he looked like he was tearing up and I think in my head I was saying “don’t you cry or else I’ll cry!” We kept it together though and then it was all smiles.

If you had to choose, what would you say was the best part of your wedding day?

Natasha & Andrew: Being reunited during the ceremony after not being together all day felt wonderful. It was a very special ceremony for us – we met with our Rabbi several times leading up to the wedding and learned about the blessings and together decided what rituals were really important to us. Then standing under the chuppah, hearing it all come together and saying the prayers was very special.

The dinner speeches and time in between were also a great part of the day. I think it’s when we really started to relax and got to enjoy our friends and family. The food and drinks were delicious and the speeches were so good! This is where the night went from beautiful and special to also being the most fun night we could have imagined!

Andrew, was it different to perform a solo piece dedicated to your new wife? Natasha, what was going through your mind as your new husband played for you?

Andrew: The piece that I performed was particularly close to my heart because I first performed it when I was 9. I chose this piece because it stands as a metaphor for Natasha herself: lyrical, delicate, and beautiful.

Natasha: Truthfully it was pretty basic…
“Oh my god he’s so good!”
“This is not how he plays at home!
“This is my husband!”

What is the most valuable thing that you have learned from each other?

Natasha & Andrew:  This one is simple: unconditional love. It is the greatest strength of our relationship and allows us to be the best version of ourselves. We’re not perfect but we always support each other, want to be holding hands, and can’t wait to build a life together!