St. John the Divine wedding

If ever there was a wedding where the bride should have felt like a princess, it was this one. Jennifer looked like a modern-day Aphrodite, wearing a stunning mikado sheath wedding gown by Pronovias. But the formality of the ceremony began and ended with a sense of playfulness, totally in tune with Jennifer and Michael’s spirit.

Jennifer had her hair and makeup done at their suite in the St. Regis Hotel, with plenty of champagne and wisecracks. Michael got ready at home in Harlem, in an old brownstone filled with art, spiritual talismans, and light-hearted flourishes, like the Nike “Just Do It” bumper sticker affixed to an old oak door.

And then, just like every wedding day, the morning went by in a flash and it was already time for the ceremony.

The chapel at St. John the Divine was bedecked like a medieval tapestry garden. There were trees flanking the altar and greenery lining the aisle, along with flowering shrubs and profusions of blooms surrounding the celebrants and guests. There were cherry trees, zelkova, hornbeam, and orange trees… crape myrtle, hydrangeas, and rose bushes… potted asters and mums. It seemed like they had conjured a garden of paradise within the cathedral. We stopped by Central Park Conservatory Garden for bridal portraits on our way to Lotos Club for the reception.

In that sacred space, it is not surprising that the readings during their ceremony were full of emotion. There were bittersweet moments when the bride and groom remembered lost loved ones. But there were also many moments of laughter and expressions of pure joy. It was a ceremony just like Jennifer and Michael: imaginative, whimsical and sophisticated, bursting with life.