A Classic Black-Tie Wedding in NYC with White Flowers
Angelica Voss and David Motemaden, two New York City locals, met in 2019 through Ivy – a social network for working professionals. After David initiated a conversation via the network’s chat function, he eventually asked Angelica out on a first date, which consisted of drinks at the Nomad Bar.
“We noticed right away that we had a great connection and lots to talk about,” Angelica recalls. “That first date lasted almost 4 hours as we talked over several glasses of wine. One of our immediate connection points that we had both lived in Europe recently and eventually found our way to New York. Upon meeting David, I immediately noticed his intelligence and kindness. He is driven and ambitious, yet balanced and cares deeply about family and friends. He has an incredible presence and focus, and can really keep a conversation going. Just like myself he is a risk taker and a hard worker who also appreciates the beautiful and simple things in life.”
“The city has made such a deep impression on both of us and living here has shaped who we are as people.”
“Upon meeting Angelica,” David adds, “I immediately noticed how multi-faceted she is as a person. For example, she speaks multiple languages and has lived in several countries. She has a deep interest in business and technology, yet she’s also passionate about fashion and the arts. She is driven in her career, but also has deep knowledge of meditation and spirituality. We also both noticed our shared interest in sports, travel and we both love big cities and really enjoy living in New York City.”
A Classic Black-Tie Wedding in NYC with White Flowers
The couple’s engagement was a picture-perfect sunset proposal in Miami Beach. After walking around South Pointe Park, David dropped down to one knee to pop the question. After Angelica regained her composure and accepted, the two of them were joined by friends for a celebration dinner, champagne, and a David Guetta concert at Story Miami. Without question, the newly engaged pair knew they wanted to have a classic black-tie wedding in NYC.
“The city has made such a deep impression on both of us and living here has shaped who we are as people,” Angelica explains, “so we wanted to bring our friends and family to join us for a celebration in the city we love. We also knew we wanted a classical wedding with traditional elements, but we wanted to put our own spin on it.”
After looking around NYC for a venue that offered an elegant and romantic atmosphere, the couple fell in love with the Lotte New York Palace. Along with being a classic NYC establishment, it also offered opportunities to customize every detail of their wedding. The venue’s wedding coordinator, Adam Riegler, and the entire Palace staff were incredible collaborators, helping the couple execute their wedding vision to perfection.
“David and I both love clean design,” Angelica says, “and we wanted all white flowers and candles to be the key elements of our décor. We also wanted a black-tie event that felt both sophisticated and fun – with high energy and lots of dancing. We were personally involved with every single detail of the event because we wanted our wedding to really reflect who we are. We made the year-long planning process a special project that we worked around busy careers and other priorities.”
An NYC Wedding Weekend
Angelica and David’s NYC wedding weekend was greeted with warm and sunny springtime weather, which was the perfect welcome for guests flying in from around the world.
“Given the number of international guests,” Angelica notes, “it felt like a global affair where people from different places had a chance to meet, celebrate, and make connections. We kicked off the weekend with a welcome party at the Gansevoort Rooftop in the Meatpacking District where our guests enjoyed sunset cocktails, dinner, and Swedish desserts under the stars.”
When the wedding day arrived, the bride and groom got ready with their wedding parties in their respective suites at the Palace. Their first look took place at the Golden Staircase, which was a special moment they enjoyed to themselves before their short and intimate wedding ceremony. The couple wrote their own vows and, even though there were some emotional moments, they also had guests laughing and enjoying themselves throughout the event.
Just as the bride and groom had wanted, their wedding reception was a high-energy party and the dancing commenced as soon as guests entered the room.
“Our incredible wedding band got the dance party filled before David and I even made our grand entrance into the reception,” says the bride, “so we arrived to a party that was already underway. The dancing continued all night, in between courses and toasts, and into the after party and beyond.”
The night was punctuated by family and friends giving beautiful speeches and toasts. A fantastic dinner and an all-white wedding cake was served, which perfectly matched the white flowers and black tie wedding décor. Later that night, guests were treated to authentic NYC-style pizza from Joe’s Pizza – yet another classic taste of the city. A DJ was also brought in for the after party, where everyone continued dancing to old-school rap and Swedish pop.
A Mini Moon at The St. Regis Kanai Resort
After their classic NYC wedding celebration, the newlyweds took off for a mini-moon in Mexico’s Riviera Maya, where they stayed at The St. Regis Kanai Resort.
“We rested up at the peaceful and beautiful resort with incredible food and a gorgeous beach to recover from all the wedding events and many event-filled days with friends and family,” Angelica says. “We are planning our actual honeymoon in the winter of 2024, and we are planning to visit Tokyo and Bali.”
WEDDING TALENT
Location & Catering: Lotte New York Palace, New York, NY; Planner: Adam Riegler, Lotte New York Palace, New York, NY; Floral & Event Design: Floralies Events; Cake: Ron Ben-Israel, New York, NY; Engagement Ring: David S. Diamonds, New York, NY; Wedding Dress: Custom WONA, New York, NY; Hair: Fabio Scalia; MUA: Michelle Stern; Groom’s Attire: Custom Enzo; Entertainment: Around Town Entertainment; Invitations: Zola; Mini Moon Destination: The St. Regis Kanai Resort, Riviera Maya; Photography: 4 Eyes Photography, New York, NY;