Lara and Ilya’s modern New York wedding at the TWA Hotel was a dream come true.
I’ve been obsessed with the TWA terminal building since I studied it in college, so when I got Lara & Ilya’s inquiry, I freaked out. Turns out their New York wedding at the TWA Hotel was even more beautiful than I could’ve imagined.
Modern Wedding at the TWA Hotel
The building originally opened in 1962 as a terminal at JFK, which was then known as the Idlewild Airport. The terminal building has since been restored into a sort of 60s-themed hotel, reimagining Eero Saarinen’s iconic TWA Flight Center. The TWA Hotel is full of architectural beauty and has nostalgia written all over it. Basically a dream venue for any fellow design lovers!
Which brings me to Lara & Ilya! They’re both architects (they actually met on their first day of college studying architecture!), so getting married at a building designed by Saarinen felt only natural. Set against the bright red and dramatic curves, these two tied the knot and celebrated with their closest friends and family. As two architects in a world-famous building, their New York wedding at the TWA Hotel could not have been more perfect for them.
Lara & Ilya’s Love Story
Lara shared the story of how they met and I’ll always remember how full circle their love story felt by celebrating their union with a New York wedding at the TWA Hotel. Lara and Ilya met on the first day of school during their freshman year at Rice. They were part of the same architecture studio of 20 people so it wasn’t a coincidence that they had almost every class together and became part of a tight knit group. Like so many great love stories, they spent their first year as friends before catching feelings in the beginning of sophomore year. The rest is history!
Lara & Ilya are avid travelers so they feel most at home being together, wherever in the world that may be. Spending their days together at home, with their cat (named Rice!), is also their most favorite place to be.
A New York Wedding at TWA
The wedding venue itself was incredibly unique with so much dramatic intrigue and modern details, so from a visual standpoint their wedding was striking and memorable. Their New York wedding at the TWA Hotel felt like a really cool blend of modern design elements and vintage nods that perfectly complemented their style as a couple. Seriously, Lara’s accessories and thoughtfully designed details with dramatic pops of red were made to be photographed in this space!
In addition to how beautiful their day looked, Lara and Ilya’s New York wedding at the TWA Hotel was full of so much love. I think the perfect representation of this was the last dance of the night. All their friends and family surrounded them on the dance floor as Lara and Ilya swayed to the last song of their wedding. Everyone was nearly in tears gathered around them, singing along, and overflowing with love. It was such a beautiful moment that encompassed all the overwhelming emotions that come with sharing and celebrating love in a room full of your favorite people.
Are you a fellow architecture lover planning your wedding?
You’re in the right place! I’m always looking to explore and discover unique wedding venues, both new and old. For more inspiration, I’ve gathered a list of some of my favorite intimate wedding venues in the northeast, here. To chat about capturing your love story through documentary-style photography on film and digital, you can connect with me through my contact form here!
Venue and catering: @twahotel
Planning: @thegettogetherevents
Officiant: @weddingsbylarissa
Florals: @kraftandcompany
Entertainment: @nota_entertainment
Hair & makeup: @ceobeautynyc
Invitations: design by couple, printed by @albertinepress
Dress: @jennyyoonyc / @flairboston
Rings: @melaniecaseyjewelry
Photobooth: @lodi.nyc
Paper fans: @letteringbyliz
