A Night at the Guggenheim Museum in New York

A wedding held at one of New York’s most iconic landmarks, The Guggenheim Museum boasted elegant, contemporary touches like the bespoke tables mirroring the “Oculus” skylight and the blooming unconventional cake that spilled with natural florals. The bride’s Danielle Frankel dress, with its tucked taffeta and swelling sleeves, infused the atmosphere with artful imagery and design.

The ceremony was held at the Neo-Gothic style church, merely a block from the museum, which inspired the couple’s choice of bold floral arrangements and rich tones.

The New York wedding was artfully captured by Andreas Sellinidis.

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Our Story

Names / Jordan Ingersoll & Victor Jacob Stolt-Nielsen Holten

Location / New York, United States

Wedding Date / October 28th, 2023

Guest Numbers / 220

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How We Met

Jordan and Victor Jacob met in September of 2019, a time of year often associated with vacations winding down, he start of school, and new beginnings. Their first date was at Rosebar, the vibrant yet dimly lit bar behind a velvet curtain in the lobby of the now-closed Gramercy Park Hotel. Interest was immediately and mutually sparked after they learned how much they had in common, and they proceeded to go on dates in the city until Covid struck. In March of 2020, they decided to drive out “for the weekend” to Greenwich, CT where Victor Jacob grew up, and they ended up quarantining there together for 4 months. The rest is history.

Our Engagement Story

Victor Jacob proposed to Jordan on a brisk fall day in November 2022, just over three years after they had met. After leading her through a scavenger hunt throughout Manhattan, Jordan was directed to the River Cafe, a restaurant nestled under the Brooklyn Bridge with sweeping views of the entire city. As they settled into their seats overlooking the Manhattan skyline, Victor couldn’t wait any longer– he got down on one knee and asked Jordan to be his wife. A few fellow diners caught wind of what was transpiring and began clapping, and the couple celebrated their forthcoming nuptuals with a delicious, intimate meal and of course champagne!

What we love most about each other…

Jordan and Victor Jacob are each other’s yin & yang, having complementary strengths and weaknesses that balance each other out. Victor can be outgoing, and spontaneous, while Jordan is more reserved and calculated. While they have many differences, they share common goals and values, serving as a strong basis for their relationship and helping them navigate life’s challenges together.

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The Setting

Wedding Location

Getting married in New York City was a no brainer for Jordan and Victor Jacob. It’s where Jordan grew up, where they had met and were currently living, where Jordan’s family lives, and where both Victor’s parents and grandparents had met. Having both grown up with parents involved in the arts and developing similar passions themselves, they decided that a museum would make for a fitting backdrop for their big day– and what museum more iconic than the Guggenheim?! Nestled just a few blocks from where Jordan went to school from K-12, it was the perfect spot. They decided to have their wedding ceremony at The Church of Heavenly Rest, just one block from the museum making for an easy commute for the guests, but also holding a special place in Jordan’s heart as it’s where her High School graduation had been held nearly 10 years prior.

Aesthetic

Built in 1929, Jordan and Victor couldn’t help but be drawn to the antiquity of getting married in one of New York City’s beautiful Neo-Gothic style churches. For their reception they opted for The Guggenheim, designed with a focus to stage modern art and new ideas. They found the mix of the old and new to be a perfect balance which then inspired each of the design concepts developed throughout the spaces.

Preparation

Jordan got ready with her two best friends, mother, sister, and grandmother in her childhood home on the Upper East Side. Together in their robes they listened to music, chatted, and scarfed down some pizza before heading to the venue. Victor and his close friends got ready at the Mark Hotel, where Jordan and Victor stayed that evening, with a classic NYC Zabar’s spread of bagels, lox, cream cheese, and of course whiskey!

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Photography

Andreas Sellinidis photographed the entire wedding weekend. The couple was initially drawn to his photography style given the movement, vibrance, and personality that he captured. Neither of them wanted their photos to feel overly posed or forced, nor did they want the day to revolve around getting the “perfect shot”– they wanted to be in the moment and for their photographer to capture them as they were. And he did just that!

Style Notes

Ceremony Décor

Elegance was magnified throughout the ceremony design. The ceremony decor for Jordan and Victor Jacob drew inspiration from the natural beauty of The Church of Heavenly Rest and the vibrant tones accentuated in the window panes. With a desire to stray from the expected, the couple chose to incorporate bold, textured tones into the floral design.

Reception Décor

Jordan and Victor Jacobs’s reception design was fueled by their love of art and architecture. The story began with bespoke tables that mirrored the iconic design of The Guggenheim’s skylight or “oculus”, of which Cerka Creative executed flawlessly. The couple opted to infuse the space with the essence of the outdoors, blending chic autumn-hued florals with contemporary elements, resulting in a design that was both unique and unforgettable.

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Wedding Planner & Stylist

In pursuit of a wedding celebration marked by understated romance and timeless elegance, Jordan and her mother, Jennifer, a fashion forward, art collector with an incredibly discerning eye for design turned to the expertise of Kate Ryan of Gold Leaf Event Design & Production to bring their vision to life. Recognizing the pivotal role of a trusted floral and decor partner, Kate strategically aligned with Cerka Creative for the design execution. With a commitment to precision and style, this collaboration ensured a seamless integration of refined floral arrangements and sophisticated decor elements. The result promised to be an event that not only reflected the couple’s distinctive vision but also exceeded expectations.

Flowers

The ceremony floral was inspired by the venue and its surroundings. Being that the church is located opposite New York City’s most iconic park, the couple was inspired by utilizing some of the rarer flowers that bloom in Central Park throughout the year. From tulips and poppies to ranunculus, dahlias, alliums, and hellebores a mix of soft tones accompanied deep pink, yellow and pastels can be found in the arrangements while Jordan carried a classic, loosely constructed bouquet featuring white roses and orchids.

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“Elegance was magnified drawing inspiration from the architectural beauty of The Church of Heavenly Rest and the vibrant tones accentuated in the window panes.”

Stationery

Jordan expressed her desire for a modern take on a traditional invitation suite as the design process started. As a nod to the curved shape of The Guggenheim, the talented Emily Baird Design presented an option for a round save the date. A custom letterpress cityscape showcasing Jordan and Victor’ Jacob’s subtle “JVJ” monogram completed the piece.

To follow suit with the invitation suite, Andreas Sellinidis had beautifully captured photos of Jordan and Victor in Central Park. The goal was to include one of the images with a more modern and artistic take than simply presenting a printed image. Jordan and Victor Jacob decided on a custom pocket crafted by the die cut cityscape previously seen on the save the date. Complementing the main invitation card were additional informational pieces one of which presented the couple’s image on pastel letterpress. The envelope held all the pieces together beautifully as the lines on the outside of it mimic the structure of the museum. To complete the presentation a classically monogramed, white wax seal.

Cake

The couple’s cake was made by From Lucie NYC, a small local bakery on the Lower East Side that specializes in cakes covered in real flowers. While definitely a less traditional wedding cake given the assymetry and bright colors, they couldn’t have been happier with the delicious outcome: A Pistachio Cake with Strawberry Jam and Marzipan Swiss Meringue Buttercream with orange and pink flowers sprouting from all sides. They opted to freeze a couple pieces of the actual cake to eat on their first wedding anniversary and look forward to reliving the day through the rich nutty flavor.

Food & Beverages

Like every element of the evening, crafting a thoughtfully curated menu was an important component in the planning process. Jordan and Victor Jacob selected a menu presenting seasonal offerings including Grilled Foraged Mushrooms, New York Strip Steak, Acorn Squash Ribs and the most incredible Autumn Spiced Carrot Tart featuring Dulce de Leche and Tahitian Vanilla Gelato. Later, the after party kicked off and it only made sense to offer the city’s most infamous New York style pizza.

Fashion & Beauty Notes

Bride’s Dress & Shoes

Jordan wore the Tabitha long-sleeved gown from Danielle Frankel, a tucked taffeta off the shoulder ball gown with a crinoline-encapsulated bubble hem. She styled it with baroque pearl earrings held by a string of white diamonds, and a pair of white pointed kitten heels from Manolo Blahnik.

Bridesmaids

Jordan felt very strongly about wedding party not all wearing the same dress – or even the same type of dress – as she knew everyone in her and Victor Jacob’s families had very distinct taste and style and wanted everyone to express themselves authentically. She therefore advised them to just wear a solid colored dress, all in different colors, but beyond that the sky was the limit!

Hair & Makeup

Before her hair and makeup trial, Jordan felt strongly about wearing her hair down with a few waves, as this has always been her “go-to” style for formal events. Plus, she had been advised by close friends that your wedding day is not the time to try something brand new. However, hair stylist, Megan Lanoux started playing around with her hair and they both realized that a loose updo would highlight her decolletage and facial features, and also stay secure throughout the evening. They added a few loose pieces in the front to give it a more relaxed look. Moral of the story: mixing it up for your wedding day can work!

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The Details

Wedding Songs

One of the most memorable moments of the evening was when six of Victor Jacobs’s friends popped up from each of their seats reciting each verse from Frank Sinatra’s, “New York, New York”. A surprise performance for guests in lieu of a welcome toast was the perfect way to kick off the dining reception. Jordan and Victor later joined each other on the dance floor for their first dance to L.O.V.E by Nat King Cole.

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“Opting to infuse the space with the essence of the outdoors, blending chic autumn-hued florals with contemporary elements, resulted in a design that was both unique and unforgettable.”

Entertainment

Guests were welcomed into The Church of Heavenly Rest where Aragon Artists’ quartet performed a curated list of prelude songs accompanied by a pianist. During the ceremony, a beautiful rendition of Ave Marie was sung by Samuel Sebastian Cox, a close friend of the bride. As the celebration continued, a 11-member ensemble, also from Aragon Artists, graced the stage in The Guggenheim. The party didn’t stop as Aragon Artists’ DJ Mutis took over the DJ booth and Jordan and Victor Jacob continued to celebrate with friends all night!

Readings

During the Church ceremony one grandparent of both Jordan and Victor’s read a scripture from 1 Corinthians and Song of Solomon. Incorporating them both into the ceremony was extremely important to the couple.

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Our Advice

A memorable moment…

We were the last two to enter The Guggenheim after our Church ceremony. At that point, our guests were making their way up the ramps that climb the outer walls to the third floor cocktails, and as we entered the rotunda everyone looked down at us and started cheering. It was a very surreal moment to experience the space together and just think, “Wow, we really did it!”

One thing I wish I knew before I started my wedding plans…

Planning a wedding involves making hundreds, if not thousands, of big and small decisions. Putting your heart and soul into each of them is not realistic, and trying to do so will completely drain you. So pick your battles and remember that no small decision like the color of your napkins or the florals used in the restrooms will make or break the event. Trust your bigger vision and the smaller details will work themselves out.

Sources of inspiration…

The goal was to collaborate with a planning team that understood our vision and would help navigate our way through the creative options available to us and best suited for our needs. The Gold Leaf Event team was that resource for us and all else fell into place like a domino effect.