Vista Penthouse Ballroom and Sky Lounge Wedding

“A girl who loves soccer is a girl worth keeping.” Not only did Raj keep Cathy, he eventually made her his Mrs. at the gorgeous Vista Penthouse Ballroom and Sky Lounge in Long Island City. Sports fans work in mysterious ways…

The two met while working in the ER at Flushing Hospital in Queens. Back then they were just colleagues. Soon after they became friends, then they happened to watch the semi-finals and the finals of the 2014 World Cup together. The first date followed right after.

Raj and Cathy did not waste time. In the following April they were already engaged at the Plaza Hotel and in October they got married. When you know it’s true love you, you just know, right?

Since the couple lives in Miami, I wanted their wedding photos to reflect the beauty and grandeur of New York City, so I photographed them by the water, in the Long Island City Park, against the impressive backdrop of the NYC skyline.

Since I normally capture people who are utterly in love, I am pretty used to romance being in the air when at work. But there was something special about Raj and Cathy’s photo session. The way they looked at each other, hugged and kissed made this shoot flow seamlessly.

And the overall relaxed personalities of the spouses made the day feel super-chill. Cathy and Raj did not care about the tradition of not seeing each other before the ceremony, so they got ready in the same hotel room while the flower girls were applying makeup to each other (the 11 year old was doing the younger girls and Cathy's mom's make up while Cathy was getting hers done by the professional!).

Following Indian traditions, Cathy had a Mehndi event in the morning at the Paper Factory Hotel where she got her hands tattooed with henna -  a Vedic custom centred on the idea of awakening one’s inner light. It was great to see how both families got together while their cultures flawlessly mixed.

The celebrations lasted several days starting on Wednesday when Raj’s family arrived in Pennsylvania. There were ceremonies on Thursday, an exciting road trip to NYC and a delicious dinner on Friday, the Mehndi brunch party and the stunning reception on Saturday followed by the Sunday breakfast.

Cathy and Raj and their guests had a blast and danced the night away at the chic Sheraton Hotel Vista Penthouse Ballroom rooftop, knowing that leaving for Florida the following Monday would feel bittersweet. Now they are back to Miami enjoying the sunny weather, palms and beaches as Mr. and Mrs.

The whole day went off without a hitch thanks to TanaRi Events.  And thank you so very much Cathy and Rajeev for allowing me to witness and play such an important role on a day where you celebrated the love for each other, your family and friends, and the city where you met.