The Maker Hotel Wedding Photography and Proposal
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Ricardo’s Proposal and Wedding at The Maker Hotel in Hudson, NY
After wrapping a wedding reception in Port Jefferson on Long Island, Capa and I made our way back home to Northport on a humid sunny afternoon. Heather, however, pressed on past our exit off the LIE en route to a surprise proposal at The Maker Hotel in Hudson, NY. I’m not sure if she listened to DMX, DMB, or podcasts but I’m sure that she was feeling a mixture of fatigue and excitement on the three-hour drive. That’s because The Maker Hotel isn’t just any hotel; and Ricardo and Michael aren’t just any couple.
The Maker Hotel was co-founded by Lev Glazman and Alina Roytberg, the creative minds behind the global beauty brand, Fresh, and nearby cafe and bakery, Bartlett House in Ghent, NY. A personalized aesthetic can be traced through all of their brands and nowhere is it more tangible than in the unique and authentic decor between the cozy walls of The Maker. Glazman and Roytberg’s hospitality expert, Damien Janowicz, was pivotal in the execution of the old-world-meets-new-world-vibe, providing both comfort and intrigue to restaurant diners and hotel guests alike.
Ricardo and Michael’s proposal and wedding seamlessly transitioned from a dimly-lit intimate dinner party to a beautifully sexy burlesque on Broadway show between toasts of champagne. Ricardo has a gentle, caring tone that makes him a warm and generous host. You could tell by the look on Michael’s face when Ricardo spoke just how deep their connection ran. By choosing The Maker Ricardo and Michael were able to share their story with their guests in a space that felt like home with a splash of the old world and a dash of bright lights.
Heather and I got to talking and realized that Apollo Fields is based on a lot of the same principles as The Maker and Ricardo and Michael’s relationship. At one point we even said that our motto should be “an old way to look at the new world” in regards to the artistic style we implement when we document weddings. Heather and I have an adoration for history and want to lift the best parts of it into the 21st century. We aim to build a future that celebrates humans in all of their many beautiful forms, and are always on the lookout for honest artistic expression. We appreciate style but don’t want to sacrifice comfort; we want to travel the world without leaving home.
A great relationship is like a great hotel, you feel comfortable anywhere you are. You want for nothing, you’re in great company, and all of your needs are met. You sink into the couch a little bit deeper, sip that hot coffee a little longer, and maybe even drift off into a daydream. You look over at your partner and lock eyes--oh how love can be so light in those beautiful moments. That is what we are all after--what a great partner, hotel, or brand can bring--those moments of deep love that somehow come so easy.
Vendors:
Venue: The Maker Hotel | Hudson NY
Photography: Apollo Fields
New York Times Wedding Photography by Apollo Fields
Ron and Sunil's New York Times Wedding | Apollo Fields | New York Wedding Photography | Intimate Weddings in NYC
Ron & Sunil
2020
For a suburban family, a house is a home--but for a New York City family--home is their entire neighborhood. Despite being in one of the biggest cities in the world, all you have to do is live in a NYC neighborhood for one year to know what I’m talking about: how you start to recognize the same faces on the subway, the same delivery trucks blocking the same traffic as they’re double-parked, and how you begin to see the same people rotate from neighborhood bar to neighborhood bar while you sit there wondering how you think you know them. So the fact that Ron and Sunil live in the Upper West Side, one block away from where Heather and I first met, technically makes us New York family.
I first met Ron while serving him and his late husband at a restaurant at 105th and Broadway in Morningside Heights. I was new to bartending and they would playfully give me pointers as I trudged through shift-after-shift. Funny enough, this happened to be the same bar that Heather and I first met. To take this NYC serendipity even further, Ron and Sunil held their small reception at the restaurant across the street in the same building where Heather used to bartend! Talk about that neighborhood love!
Just a couple of blocks west, after you cross Riverside Drive, you come up on Riverside Park, which runs four miles up and down Manhattan’s west coastline. It’s too far a trek for most tourists and is a great place to do yoga, go for a run, have a picnic, or in Ron and Sunil’s Covid-contingency-case, have a wonderfully intimate and beautiful wedding ceremony. In true New York fashion, between all the congratulations from the passersby, there was a token heckler. Unsure what to do, we followed Ron and Sunil’s lead and we let their love speak for itself, ignoring this unhinged man for the pest that he was.
We’re so grateful to have been part of their celebration and we aren’t the only ones! Their wedding was featured in the New York Times this past weekend and they look just as good in their stylishly complementary outfits as they did the day of. Ron calls his jacket a ‘dusty pink’ and it might’ve been a literal description if Sunil dropped him when they danced and dipped on 106th street, but lucky for Ron, Sunil is an adept dancer. Shortly thereafter they embraced and the emotions of the day caught up with them. Ron cried. I cried. We live for these moments.
Ron and Sunil plan to renew their vows next year on the same date, inviting the same minister (Ben) who was actually at the church the night they got engaged! We love the idea of using their anniversary to celebrate their love even bigger and better. They plan to hold their reception at the India House and we can’t wait! Who knows, they might even invite their whole neighborhood!
vendors:
Apollo Fields | Photography
Serafina UWS | Reception
Riverside Park | Ceremony Site
Banana Republic | Ron’s Suit
Middle Collegiate Church (East Village, NYC) | Revs. Ashley DeTar Birt, Benjamin Perry / 2021 Ceremony Location
media:
New York Times
