Meni and Robert were married on a rainy fall day in New York City. While wet weather can dampen a special occasion any where else, in New York, the rain makes the pavement shine and the bright lights sparkle even brighter – adding more romance in that unique, NYC way. Following a traditional Greek Orthodox ceremony at Holy Trinity Cathedral, Meni and Robert took photos beneath an umbrella on 49th Street, while their guests arrived at the Rainbow Room via a double-decker bus, donned in plastic ponchos. Quintessential New York.

Location
The Rainbow Room
Date held
Sat Oct 8th
Q1

What moment from your day stands out the most in your memory?

Meni: Walking down the aisle and seeing my husband-to-be. We wanted to keep it traditional and didn’t do a first look, so it was hard not seeing him right before the ceremony and I was incredibly excited. Seeing Rob standing there, it just made me feel so many emotions and I couldn’t have been happier to finally be with him up at the altar.

Rob: I was a little nervous about doing all the traditional Greek dancing, but a little practice paid off and I really had a blast dancing with my new family. It felt like I had officially been accepted into the family.

I couldn’t have been happier to finally be with him up at the altar.

Meni

Q2

What part of planning your wedding did you find the most fun or exciting?

Meni: I loved planning the whole thing!! But if I had to pick one part, it would be coming up with ideas to make it unique and fun. I loved the fact that we had hired a double-decker bus to take our guests to the reception while at the same time providing them a small mini tour of Manhattan (which also gave us time for photos). Or putting the cigar bar together that many of our guests enjoyed in the outdoor space of the cocktail area. It was just great seeing everything come together for our special night.

Rob: It was fun to see how we complement each other’s tastes and talents. It was also exciting to see that we worked really well together as a team.

Q3

What did you do to work personal details into your day?

We tried to add some small hints here and there of things that we both enjoyed – like favorite things, experiences and places. For example, we loved creating the welcome bags for our out-of-town guests. It was New York themed and included some of our favorite snacks.

Q4

Did anything surprise you?

Rob: I am surprised how relaxed we were and how much we were able to enjoy everything going on. I was expecting for it all to be a whirlwind, but I have so many great memories and never felt like we didn’t have time to enjoy each moment.

Meni: I have always heard from other brides and friends that the bride and groom don’t really have a chance to eat, or really soak the whole thing in and appreciate it because it just goes by so fast. We were surprised how much we ate and drank the whole night. And we had so many moments to just take a look around and appreciate the party and each other. We definitely experienced every moment of it to the fullest.

Q5

Did you learn anything about yourself or each other throughout the planning process?


Meni: I realized how much I loved planning my wedding – like, really loved it. I had a month-of-coordinator at the wedding, but all the planning I did myself and really enjoyed it. Yes, it can be stressful at times, but it is so much fun.

Rob: I learned that Meni has great taste and is a solid negotiator. She had a fantastic vision for our wedding and ensured that everything fell into place.

Q6

Do you have any advice for couples who are in the throes of wedding planning?

Meni: Just try to have fun with it. And remember to remind yourself what the wedding is really about. Yes, you want to throw a great party, but more importantly it’s about marrying the person you love. And that’s really all that matters.

Rob: Make decisions early and stick to them. Waffling over minor details isn’t worth the time or stress. Rely on people you trust and everything will work out fine.

I loved planning my wedding – like, really loved it.

Meni

It’s about marrying the person you love. And that’s really all that matters.

Meni

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Credits

  • Photography

    Joanna Toto for The Day

The Day