Little did Danielle Samuelson know that her soulmate, Bryan Lazarus, had a special surprise awaiting her right in their home. “I thought he was out of town and I came home to our apartment decorated with flowers, balloons, pictures of us on all the walls and tiny candy jars all over,” she says of the moment she realized he was, in fact, in town and asking her to be his wife. After she accepted his proposal, the lovebirds joined family and friends to celebrate the next phase of their lives.

When planning the details of their nuptials, price and reputation were important decision-making factors for the couple; however, one of their biggest wishes was to wed in the "Big Apple." “We always knew we wanted to get married in New York City because this is where our life together is,” the bride confides. In spirit of their beloved metropolis, Manhattan photographer Roey Yohai captured precious moments of the duo strolling down the avenues while the bride was dressed in her lovely A-line gown. More than 200 guests gathered in the city to witness their Jewish ceremony. In addition to signing the ketubah and saying their "I dos" beneath a customized chuppah, the pair incorporated objects of sentimental value. “It was important to us to incorporate some family heirlooms into the event as well. We used kiddush cups and a tallit from various family members and [Bryan’s] grandmother’s wedding band for the ceremony,” Danielle describes.

At the reception, bright lights were loosely suspended above the dance floor during the entire reception. “We wanted the space to feel very romantic with a twinkly garden feel.” In addition to the Mezinka dance and the hora, attendees enjoyed the live band throughout the night. Additional details included matchbooks as place cards, as well as a candy table, photo booth, cotton candy, mini tequila bottles, and monogrammed takeout containers. The festive night ended with Danielle crowd-surfing on the dance floor. “We just wanted the day to be really fun and all about us as a couple,” she confides.

Musing upon her own celebration, the bride encourages all engaged pairs to take time throughout the planning process and not be hasty. “Really just don’t rush into any big decisions," she advises. "You don’t want to get locked into something that can later really affect your budget or overall feel for the entire day.”