[clockwise]

cap-sleeve cotton blend sheath dress: victoria beckham

‘take the cake’ ring dish: kate spade new york 

‘mr. & mrs.’ bag charm: kate spade new york

embellished wedding pillow: mina victory

‘two of a kind’ glasses (set of 2): kate spade new york 

‘two of a kind – ours’ decanter: kate spade new york

‘put a ring on it’ tiny pouch: rebecca minkoff 

 bridal & evening collection nudist sandal in white: stuart weitzman

]]> http://www.the-beautiful-things.com/2016/07/20/engagement-accessories/feed/ 0 http://www.the-beautiful-things.com/2016/07/19/engagement-photos-part-two/ http://www.the-beautiful-things.com/2016/07/19/engagement-photos-part-two/#respond Tue, 19 Jul 2016 13:48:56 +0000 http://www.the-beautiful-things.com/?p=2114 Continue reading "engagement photos, part two"]]> Yesterday I shared a set of engagement photos my sister shot for us but they weren’t the only time we posed as a newly-engaged couple. This set was taken earlier in the summer last year, and it was a bit more spontaneous–a family friend who is a professional photographer offered shoot them while visited. The backdrop is stunning Verona Park, New Jersey (seen here in an Instagram photo from last summer). We didn’t have any particular goals in mind so we just had fun–their young children were running around out-of-shot and are responsible for many of our big smiles.

What I wore:  Conscious Collection Burgundy Satin Dress: H&M (sold out, similar); Nude Sandals: Zara (similar); Nails: Essie’s BBF Best Boyfriend; Ring: Tiffany & Co. (read all about it here)

What David wore: Shirt: Polo Ralph Lauren; Belt: Fossil; Boots: Rockport;  Men’s ‘Carrera’ Black Dial Stainless Steel Chronograph Watch: Tag Heuer

I love photography (obviously), and though we’re taking pictures all the time, I really wanted a dedicated shoot to commemorate our engagement. I didn’t have to think twice about where I wanted it set–this gorgeous historic New York park is where my grandfather took my parents’ wedding photos over thirty years ago (I teased the spot and what we wore on my social media).  I find props distracting so we abstained from using any and we tried to create simple, natural poses (royal engagement photography was my biggest inspiration). As for our outfits, again we tried to keep things as simple and classic as possible. We had a truly great time taking the pictures–though I did get bitten by many mosquitoes, it was well worth it!

Hope you enjoy them as much as I still do!

What I wore: Megan Sheath in Heather Gray: Diane von Furstenberg; Nude Pumps: Guess; Nails: Essie’s BBF Best Boyfriend; Ring: Tiffany & Co. (read all about it here)

What David wore: Suit: Banana Republic; Belt: Ferragamo; Shoes: Ferragamo;  Men’s ‘Carrera’ Black Dial Stainless Steel Chronograph Watch: Tag Heuer

Next up, I’m going to share my engagement photos (we had two shoots). Let the wedding fun continue!

The hotel’s main entrance is on 60th street, less than half a block away from Columbus Circle. Even though that thoroughfare is bustling, their bellmen whisked our luggage away painlessly. The street-level lobby is just a glorified elevator bank–you need to go up some fifty floors to get to the main check-in area. That sky lobby is absolutely stunning–all sleek glass and granite, with lots of modern art and understated Asian accents.

We checked in and were personally walked to our room on the fifty-sixth floor by a member of the hotel staff. Tea and cookies were delivered instantly, an incredibly lovely welcome gesture. We sipped and munched and took in the glorious view through the floor-to-ceiling windows.

The room was perfection and had one of my favorite bathrooms ever (the stall shower had a view of the city I’ll never forget). There was so much attention to detail throughout–a TV in the bathroom, lots of large mirrors, fresh orchids, bath salts near the tub, slippers, robes–and I loved the use of black in all of the decorating.

One of the best parts of the Mandarin New York is that it has a dedicated entrance to the Shops and Columbus Circle, which meant that getting to Per Se for our dinner reservations (read all about that meal here) was as simple as going down a few flights in an elevator and using our room key to enter and exit directly onto one of the upper floors of the mall (we were even able to shop for a few things we’d forgotten to pack).

After we had dinner (and more phone calls to family and friends), we stopped by the Mandarin’s Lobby Lounge for late night drinks. It was an incredible end to the day, with sparkling views of Columbus Circle, Central Park, mid-town, and the Upper East Side. The cocktails were incredible (a Mandarin Sunset with Absolut, blood orange, lychee, and Lillet for me and a Baby Buddha with Hendrick’s, cucumber, cilantro, lime, and sake for David).

We came back to the room to find turn-down service had arrived with two bottles of champagne, chocolate-covered strawberries, and more roses than we knew what to do with (some were from family, others from David, and some from the hotel). Again, perfection!

The next morning we got up early to have breakfast in Asiate, a lovely restaurant inside the hotel’s sky lobby. The amount of food we ordered was embarrassing–and even more so considering we ate it all! The service here was a bit shaky (and completely at odds with the rest of the flawless hotel staff) but the food was very, very good. It was another gorgeous day and the view from our window seat was unreal.

We headed back to the room, finished packing and checked out. A luggage cart was a must: even though it seemed silly for an overnight stay, it was mostly for all the flowers and leftover champagne!

I’m admittedly very biased (it was a milestone weekend and the area is sentimental to me) but I loved, loved, loved the hotel–I don’t think David and I had one complaint. Everything about the place is luxurious but it manages to never be over-the-top or ostentatious. It’s just good, sensible quality with lots of elegant touches. If you can swing it, don’t hesitate to book a special stay!

I don’t know when I first heard of Per Se (it opened in 2004 and made a splash on the already extravagant New York City food scene), but once I had it never left my mind. Ever. Every single time I passed by the Time Warner Center, I’d look up, trying to spot the restaurant’s windows as if people would be pressed up against them showcasing the food. David and I often visited Bouchon Bakery, Chef Keller’s multi-venue casual spot, and I’d always loved everything I tried there. When I thought about a “perfect” proposal, a small voice in my head suggested dinner in Per Se–and eventually that voice mentioned it aloud to David. He was all in–it was a splurge, but reservations are notoriously hard to secure so we didn’t count on it. In a sign that I’d like to think smiled upon the timing of our proposal (on a Saturday no less!) a dinner slot opened, so after I said yes, we freshened up and made our way to the restaurant’s famous blue wooden door.

About that door–it was made to match the one on Chef Keller’s West Coast version of Per Se, Nappa Valley’s The French Laundry (that restaurant, which Keller bought in 1994, is housed in a 1900 historic building in Yountville California). The sitting area in front of the restaurant is meant to it evoke its wine-country predecessor. With just a screen, some casual couches, and plants, it helped erase a bit of the busy shopping mall we were still standing in and set the mood for the experience.

It’s important to note that David and I were walking on air at this point (I could not stop staring at my ring, he at his watch, and the both of us at each other–seriously, we took an insane amount of selfies looking back). I’d had breakfast that day but David had been so nervous about proposing that he said he hadn’t eaten anything in over 24 hours. So we were happy and hungry and excited–normally I’m incredibly anxious about momentous occasions, often to the point where it hinders my enjoyment of them, but I can honestly say that from the second we arrived at Per Se I was calm and stress-free.

We checked in–they knew all about our engagement and congratulated us immediately. I have to say that the staff all seemed genuinely happy for us. I don’t know if we were a break from their norm (there were lots of stuffy business-type meetings going on it seemed) or everyone just loves weddings, but they all looked excited to hear our story. We were brought to our table, which was in a secluded section of the spacious two-tiered dining room. The decor of this main room was perfectly understated with bits of luxurious finishes here and there (I most strongly took away their use of fresh flowers, wood, and silver metal in the dining room; the entrance/bar used more stone and glass). The view was incredible, all sky and buildings and treetops. It was a gorgeous summer day, which helped a lot, but as good as the food was–and it was so good–the view and atmosphere almost had it beat.

Once seated (everyone had a seat, including my Galleria tote–they gave me a stool for it!) we were brought champagne and a personalized menu. David and I looked over every course, and while he was pretty much at the point of “I’ll eat anything,” I had a few questions–namely the duck and tuna courses since I wasn’t too fond of either meat. Without any hesitation, they offered substitutions–quail and halibut–with different accompaniments (that part really impressed me–they were  making an effort to match the food properly). From then on we had a team of waiters to bring us everything we needed, from water to new silverware to the food itself. One head waiter never touched a single dish and simply stopped by to explain, in detail, what we were about to eat. Incredibly the ingredients were all fresh and locally sourced and hand-shopped by the kitchen staff. I knew I wanted to photograph everything (the lighting up there was phenomenal) and the servers barely batted an eye, actually taking the time to compliment our camera and encourage each shot.

Anyway let’s get onto the good stuff–the food!

The menu changes daily, but there are some signature dishes that remain. To start were two of those as an amuse bouche: gruyere puffs and salmon coronets. These made it into the top five things we had during the meal, which is impressive given their diminutive size and short ingredient list. The pastry of both was melt in-your-mouth tender and the flavors, though recognizable and familiar, were so pronounced it made every other time I’d tasted them seem one-dimensional.

David and I said yes to every bread choice they offered us. I blame our Italian heritage/habits–the waiter actually commented he’d never seen anyone eat so much bread there (whoops)! Each piece was better than the last–Parker House rolls (my favorite), sourdough, and pretzel bread–and they came paired with hand-made, small-batch butters (one was salted and the other, shaped like a bee-hive, honeyed).

Next was another Thomas Keller original: “oysters and pearls.”  Officially described as a “sabayon of pearl tapioca with malpeque oysters and osetra caviar” it’s something that needs to be experienced to be understood. Seriously. The recipe isn’t a secret so this might help you imagine the flavor profile, but my best attempt at explaining it would be to call it an intensely creamy, silky pudding studded with sweet brine-y bursts that is truly, perhaps more so than anything I’ve ever eaten, equal parts texture and taste. It left us speechless.

Next we were heading into what was called a salad course, and I stupidly expected to be underwhelmed for the first time. Instead I was blown away. Described as a peaches and cream, it was again a medley of textures and flavors. The “cream” was much like unsweetened whipped cream (officially it was a gelatin-thickened bavarois). The paper-thin peaches were firm and tart and beneath it all, a mixture shishito peppers, olives, nuts, and oil so good I didn’t even try to figure out exactly how they were seasoned.

Then the main courses were rolled out. We both had grilled langoustines and were shocked to find how much we liked barbecue-flavored shellfish. David and my dishes started to deviate due to my substitutions. My halibut with peas was incredibly good–the fish meaty, the peas sweet. The quail with summer squash marked the first time in my entire life I enjoyed dark poultry meat and its skin (it was so juicy and salty and tender). David had duck with truffles and bacon wrapped tuna (he was pleased with each).

Our last course, lamb with morel mushrooms, was shared. With no insult to the dish here’s where I first started to flag. Overall the portion size had been perfect, truly, and though tasty no one plate was rich enough to prohibit so much mixing. I simply got full (plus the mushrooms and lamb were fragrant and toothy and I simply couldn’t do the mouth-work to finish them). David happily polished off my plate and I excused myself for a walk to the bathroom/lounge. The wait staff took note–we’d been eating for over two hours and this point–and said to feel free to enjoy a small break so we happily did.

Though unplanned, it was actually the perfect segue to the intermezzi: a champagne granité that was unbelievably refreshing and a sinfully rich cheese plate that was assembled table-side. The waiter who carved the cheese was incredibly chatty and encouraged us to go bold with our selection. Again, I couldn’t finish my dish (that soft cheese was strong!) but David dug right in.

By some miracle I got a second wind and was able to enjoy their dessert spread. Both plated desserts were predictably perfect. One was a burnt honey ice cream topped with tiny popcorn kernels the other a decadent chocolate marquise.

We sipped coffee, an espresso for David and a macchiato for me, and watched as the sun set over Central Park (the window’s shades moved with a switch as the angle of the sun changed throughout the meal). This was yet another incredible sight, as the swath of visible sky turned purple and pink and then a dusky blue then black. I said it then and I’ll say it again–if our perfect day had to end, I couldn’t have imagined a more fitting way.

At this point the the ordered courses broke down and the sweets kept coming. A tree of mignardises–macarons, truffles, caramels, and nougats–was set up on our table and a waiter brandished box of hand-made chocolates asking us to select as many as we’d like (or could stomach). The quality here, though still better than most places, started to suffer a bit as nothing blew us away on taste. The service dipped a bit too. It was almost as though with the end of the meal in sight attention to detail and precision were allowed to fall away–maybe it’s all a plan to help ease you back into the real world?

The very, very end–as in this time they mean it!–saw one last signature dish: “coffee and donuts,” a coffee-flavored semi-freddo (it was more mousse-like than ice cream) and freshly-fried sugared donuts holes. Both were very, very good but by that point I was more than fine with the amount of food I’d eaten. David on the other hand could not get enough of the donuts–adorably he ate his, most of mine, and a third dish of them they brought out when they noticed his enthusiasm.

We paid the bill and were walked back to the door of the restaurant where we were handed a folder with a copy of our menus (mine had been updated to include my substitutions) and a tin of  chocolate-filled shortbread cookies. We took some more photos and headed off to one more indulgence–an overnight stay in the adjoining Mandarin Oriental New York (but more on that soon).

    My final thoughts on Per Se? To start, I’ll quote what I wrote on social media directly after that weekend. The experience wasn’t nearly as overwhelming as I worried it might be. Relaxed is surprisingly the best word for it. The meal was perfectly paced, the plates were just the right size, and the staff was super friendly, helpful, and kind. It goes without saying, but I’ll say it anyway, again and again and again: the food is sublime–I-can-still-taste-it-all, conversation-starting, thought-changing good. Yet it was the location that got to me the most–dining there was like being in a small, delicious bubble on top of the world.

It’s pretty much impossible to capture the whole experience in words. The best analogy I can come up with is that dining in Per Se is like a performance you can taste, feel, explore, and talk about (it helps explain the cost a bit too). I’m not an actor or a singer or dancer so I always seem a bit removed from live art–I try my hardest to understand it but I can’t quite touch the experience with my mind. Food though I get so for me Per Se was intensely satisfying. And also, above all, special–yes David’s made me happy from the minute I first got to really know him and he always says the same for me but this day and night was something else. Every moment of it, Per Se included, is one I’ll never forget.

Tiffany and Co.‘s storied connection to New York had me hooked since I was a teenager, and as I grew older their perfectly crafted, unique designs kept me interested. I’d been checking them out, both in stores and online, for as long as I could remember. Right after I started dating David, I was in love with their Novo ring, a cushion-cut stone set atop a thin pave band. However as time went on the design got more ubiquitous through copies and eventually started to seem a bit dated to the mid-aughts. I was afraid of getting something trendy, so though beautiful we both fell out of love with it–and couldn’t find anything to replace it for years.

I started to like one version of their Soleste style about a ten months before we ended up getting engaged–with an emerald center stone and a bead-set halo, it looked a lot like a new antique ring. But to get an emerald stone to look as ice-y and have the finger coverage we wanted, we kept straying way out of our price range. We almost bought a more modest-sized ring I that liked but didn’t love. We’d even put it on hold at Tiffany’s flagship store for a weekend but I had enough reservations about it not feeling perfect that we (thankfully) let it go.

The prospect of getting an actual antique ring was looking more and more appealing. For a while I even considered making one of my aunt’s or grandmother’s rings official (without any modifications to preserve the original designs and stones). David never took to the idea (I think he wanted his own fresh start) so I eventually let it go top. Then one day while idling browsing pictures of rings online, I stumbled upon a style that looked so perfect I could have designed it myself: the Tiffany “ornate” Legacy. It was literally everything I wanted: an original Tiffany design, a non-circular stone, architectural, unique, sparkly, and it looked old-fashioned.

Turns out it was all a bit too good to be true–Tiffany had retired the exact style a few years ago and what I was seeing were old rings or copies. David offered to call the company, and incredibly some of the ornate Legacy rings were still floating among a few Tiffany stores. They pulled an extraordinarily expensive one for us to look at (in a private room with sparkling water and Tiffany blue box-shaped petit fours no less) and I knew from the way we both gasped upon seeing it that we’d somehow miraculously found our ring style. David took over from there, with my support and help–and the rest you can read about in yesterday’s proposal post.

Now onto the ring itself! Tiffany actually made two versions of the Legacy ring. The original one is my style, now referred to unofficially as the “Ornate” Legacy. You can see the current one that’s for sale here–overall, it has less stones on the band and a higher, more pronounced shoulder. As advertised, both are vintage-inspired, Edwardian to be exact, which means they look like rings from around 1890 to 1915 (here and here are some real ones to compare them to).

The center stone is a patented “modified cushion brilliant” diamond, and its angular facets are stunning. There are over one-hundred other tiny diamonds on the rest of ring, all in bead-set pave (wherein tiny beads of the ring’s platinum are pushed up to hold the stones in place). The ring is heavy but secure, it moves a bit on my finger (we had it sized to be a bit bigger for that), and sparkles like nothing else I own.

Over a year later I’m still getting compliments on it and an art dealer once mistook it for an actual vintage piece. Tiffany store employees always gush over its uniqueness and more people than I count have asked me to take it off so they can get a closer look. But all that aside, words can’t describe how perfect it feels–on my hand, in my jewelry box, and to have had it come from David.

David and I met the very first day of college (though we’d known of each other since high school). We were inseparable from that moment, thanks to online chatting and similar schedules, and we started dating about a year after we met. I’d never been more comfortable, happy, or relaxed with anyone (or myself) since the day I started knowing him, and he always said the same of me, so the idea of getting married was just always there. We always happily discussed it and rings but with schoolwork and jobs, the timing just was never right.

The first ring David ever bought me was a Tiffany and Co. sterling silver ring (this one to be exact) and I never took it off for years. It was a Christmas gift and he walked to the flagship store in the rain the night be bought it, shielding the iconic blue bag in his leather jacket. I’d always loved Tiffany and Co.–the history, the New York connection, David’s adorable story–and I dreamed of a Tiffany and Co. engagement ring. But that was another thing that never seemed right–I couldn’t chose a ring from their selection for years. David always agreed with my opinions and we just kept waiting to be wowed.

And then one day I spotted the style of my future ring online while idling browsing and knew it was the one. Turns out it was an old, retired style (you can still see a sketch of it on the top of the drawn photo here), but a store was able to track one down for us. We went in to see it and both fell in love. From then on something shifted in David. We decided we didn’t want that exact ring (since I’d seen it so much) and I stepped back a bit to give him the space to find another that would work. Eventually he told me he the ring in hand, and we started to speak vaguely about a proposal and what would make us both happy and comfortable. He set some things up, I set up others, and we always acted as though we could call it off if we decided against any imminent timing. It was thrilling and a blur. I didn’t know if we would go through with it, but also I didn’t care. We both were so happy!

The morning of July 11th, 2015, we arranged to go to Tiffany and Co. again. It was hot summer day but clear and beautiful. David said something vague about checking my size and I didn’t press him. Once uptown, we walked past a lot of the old places we used to frequent when we were young and dating, and happily reminisced. David suggested we cut through Central Park, and I didn’t question him.

I remember at some point saying, “If you’re doing what I think you’re doing, I want you to know it’s perfect.” It seemed like we were wandering forever (David later said he’s scoped out the park earlier in the week to find a good spot), and we stopped a bit up a hill near a large rock under a gorgeous green tree. It was crowded but by some miracle no one was actually nearby us. He fiddled with our camera’s tripod, mumbling that he wanted some photos of us. I’d told him I’d wanted pictures of his proposal but didn’t like the idea of a lurking photographer, so I knew what was coming.

While he was behind the camera that I got so nervous–so incredibly nervous (clearly visible in one of his “test” shots above)! Yet what I remember most about the moment was how calm David was. When he looked up from the camera and walked towards me, I’d never seen him so happy and at peace. I remember thinking that he wasn’t hesitating or taking a deep steadying breath (I on the other hand started shaking).

David said incredibly sweet things about me and us and our life, got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. I said yes.

We hugged, we kissed, and though I didn’t cry in the moment, I asked him to sit down so I could “propose” to him–basically I started rambling about our love and started myself crying (I also fished out a watch from my bag that he’d always wanted that I’d bought and kept with me since I knew he had a ring just in case). David moved the tripod and let the camera keep snapping.

We then called our families and though they knew we were ring-shopping they seemed genuinely shocked (which was a lot of fun, as you can tell by our expressions).

With the camera situation working out so well–thank you bright summer sun and David’s understanding of Nikon’s menu system–we posed for a few more photos.

We continued to have the best weekend ever–highlighted by a stay in the Mandarin Oriental New York, a hotel we used to pass by to people watch while in collage, and dinner in Per Se, the famed multi-course restaurant atop the Time Warner Center (where we used to frequently share Whole Foods lunches). It was a happy, perfect time and it was ours and it was heaven.

Everyday I remind myself how lucky we are to have found and kept each other. As I said on social media, right after it happened, David has, through pure happiness, made my life beautiful.

Thanks for reading–I hope I don’t sound too sappy! I’ll share more details throughout the week, so keep checking back! x