It. Was. Amazing.

I’m not exactly the girl who’s dreamed about her wedding her entire life. As much as I love going to weddings, I never took mental notes for when my day arrived. I never knew if such a day would arrive. But I did figure that if I were to get married, the celebration wouldn’t be in a church or at a hotel. They just don’t feel right; aren’t who I am. The one thing I’ve always believed about weddings is that they should be very personal and reflect all that is important to you, as you gather all your loved ones around you.

So that is what Andrew and I did: we approached things simply and sought out a spot—the New Museum—that we loved as a couple and that we knew our out-of-town guests would also love. We created a ceremony that replaced religion with what’s most meaningful to us: family. And we let good food, booze and music do the rest of the work.

All in all, it was a weekend of overwhelming emotion, celebration and bliss.

We had our parents and siblings give speeches as the foundation of our ceremony, and they were the most incredible words ever spoken. My best friend gave an amazing opening speech and Andrew’s brother officiated. Andrew and I wrote our own vows to each other. Grown men cried.

Friends flew in from San Francisco, LA, Denver and Chicago. Family trekked from CT, Maine and Kansas City. There were mini lobster rolls and KC barbecue sliders. Beet salad and rhubarb galettes. Birthday and Father’s Day cakes from Momofuku. There was a full moon and fireworks shooting up from Chinatown. We danced to Blondie, Spandau Ballet, Rihanna and Jay-Z.

Of course not every detail and plan was flawless. But even with imperfections, it was perfect. Never have I felt so loved, so touched or so thrilled. So happy to be exactly where I am in my life.

Thank you for all of your notes, cheers and well wishes. (And hopefully more pictures will come soon!)