Dancing Over Boston with The Makenbrocks

5/1/2014

A few weeks ago, two of our long time friends got married on the rooftop of the Taj Boston. The Taj has prime real estate at the end of Newbury Street, the city's most exclusive shopping scene, and across from the iconic Boston Public Gardens, home of the most famous ducklings in the USA. The hotel is classically luxurious, and while most of the interior boasts an old fashioned sophistication common in New England, the rooftop is surprisingly modern and undeniably chic. It's a unique venue with checkered floors and sweeping views of the city. The rooftop is especially popular with visitors and residents in the summer for their open air Sunday brunch. If you are inclined to spoil yourself (or someone else), make a day of it and, after brunch, book a massage at a nearby spa or visit some of the fab clothing boutiques on Newbury street. Also, the Taj is pet-friendly, and their proximity to the public garden makes it a perfect spot for walking your pooch.

Now, let's get back to Hanna & Steve's big day! I met these two during our first week of college, around the same time I met my husband. That means that we have been friends since we were teenagers so this was a really exciting day for us!

Hanna has always had fantastic taste, so I knew that this wedding was going to be fabulous. Every last detail was stylish and glamorous: her dress, the venue, the cherry blossom centerpieces, all the guests and especially Lola, the flower dog (who has made a previous appearance on Beyond Voyage)!

Her photographer, Leah Haydock, was AMAZING! You can check out photos of the wedding on her blog . Below are a few of my pictures, as well as a bunch of pictures from Leah (watermarked with her name).

Congrats Hanna & Steve! We had blast and I was honored to be a part of this incredible day!

Pictured Above Left: A throwback picture of Hanna & Steve in Boston's Public Garden before our commencement Ball in college. The picture on the right is one of my favorites by photographer, Leah Haydock, on their wedding day in the same place!

Below are a few snaps from my phone:

Now let's see some professional photos. First of all, how gorgeous was the reception room? I loved the cherry blossom centerpieces by Flou(-e)r Specialty Floral Events and the view of Boston, especially when the city lights twinkled at night.

I loved all the details, especially the Lola shaped place cards!

We had a lot of fun taking pictures before the ceremony began. This was my first time in a "Vanity Fair" style wedding photo. We had to give the photographer our fiercest faces. How'd we do?

I have a little story about the picture below. The photographer asked us to channel the introduction to the 1990's show 90210 where the cast stands in a line, casually leaning on each other. My friend Mo was standing at the end (on the right) with her hand awkwardly placed on the shoulder of a groomsman who wasn't looking at her. Realizing her position in the photo she responded with "Great, that makes me freaking Andrea."

That remark prompted this next picture. I couldn't stop laughing. If you were not a teenage girl in the 90's it's very likely you won't get this reference. If that is the case, then you have a new show to watch on Netflix!

After formal pictures, it was showtime! One thing I loved about the ceremony was how much Hanna, Steve and their officiant, John, made us smile. Lola, on the other hand, decided to take a nap.

Hanna and Steve had a traditional Chinese tea ceremony where the bride and groom serve tea to their parents and grandparents. This was the first time I'd ever seen this ceremony and It was a lovely part of the wedding.

The BC crew at cocktail hour! All of us lived in the same dorm our freshman year of college. Not much has changed except we have traded in our sweatpants for suits and dresses and our Busch Lite cans for martini glasses.