The couple’s wedding was also a love letter to New York

When Pedro Reyes, 52, and Natasha Danielle Smith, 44, decided to get married, they knew New York City would be one of the key players in their wedding.

“This is where Natasha and I fell in love,” Reyes said. “It just feels right to bring our closest family and friends to the city that has shaped our story.”

The pair decided to turn their July wedding into a three-day celebration that captured the spirit of the city they love.

Reyes said it starts with a nighttime TopView bus tour that goes from Times Square and the Empire State Building to the Flatiron Building, SoHo, Chinatown and then a quick tour around Brooklyn.

“The next night we gathered at Biga Bite for dinner and shared a giant pizza for 18 people,” added Reyes, who oversees audience development at the New York Post. “Most of Natasha’s family have never met me or my family, so it was the perfect way for everyone to connect before the big day – with laughter, pizza and the magic of New York.”

Smith, a communications director for a financial services company, has family from the Deep South.

“Since almost everyone is a tourist, we tend to tap into that energy,” she said. In fact, her 81-year-old aunt had never been to the city before. “She said she had never seen a building that tall in her life,” Smith recalled.

The couple’s weekend wedding featured an 18-person ceremony and reception at the Crosby Street Hotel, followed by a walking tour of Soho and a performance by magician Matt Szat during the dinner.

“We love learning, and we want our guests to not only be in awe of New York City, but to leave knowing more about this community than when they arrived,” Smith said of the private walking tour. “Plus, Pedro and I had so much fun trudging through the cobblestone streets in our wedding attire—it was the first time I’d seen so many stoic New Yorkers striding around shouting congratulations and well wishes to us,” she quipped. (“Be prepared to dodge a few taxis and escape traffic,” the groom warns. “It’s all part of the true New York experience.”)

Even the details of the wedding day reflected thoughtful consideration for New York. For example, they worked with wedding planner Ikiya Devonish, owner of Intimate Occasions by Ikiya in Brooklyn, to create a custom dinner menu using watercolors of Central Park through Zazzle.

In addition, each guest received a watercolor illustration of a Four Things paper with jokes and fun facts about the couple. “It chronicles everything from the moment we met to our first date, to Pedro’s love for the New York Knicks, our concert date at Madison Square Garden, and our shared disdain for shellfish,” Smith said.

Devonish appreciates yellow cab style in weddings, from displaying the cab graphic on mocktail napkins to the tiny cab character hidden among the ceremony flowers.

The pair also carefully planned the party favors, making sure no two goodie bags were the same. “Inside each burlap bag is a personalized frayed cotton ribbon, tea made in-house by the New York Botanical Garden, scented candles in different scents, and even a New York lottery ticket,” Smith said. Also included, she noted, were Läderach pralines as a tribute to her family in Louisiana, and Georgia peach jam “as a tribute to the people of Atlanta.”

To have a New York-themed wedding without going overboard, Devenish recommends “looking for unique personal touches that tell the couple’s love story.”

“Create a wedding that reflects your love for New York and speaks to your personal experiences,” Smith says.

For example, some of the gifts the couple gave Smith’s mother and sister came from an exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and have special meaning because “they reflect black culture and celebrate New York City during the Harlem Renaissance,” Smith said. This introduces elements that are uniquely New York and encapsulates the couple’s identity.

“Reflect on why you love New York and let it guide your decision,” she adds.

How to go to town: Here are some fun ways to incorporate your love of the concrete jungle into your wedding.

Candle

This aromatic interpretation of New York City is handcrafted in New York’s Hudson Valley. Starting at $16; script perfume

bow

Custom bows for your bridal bouquet, hand-painted by Tribeca artist Ashley Myers. $250; casting

black and white cookies

Carnegie Deli’s signature giant signature black and white cookie. Starting at $50; Carnegie Deli

coasters

Darling city themed coasters are a great addition to the wedding table. Set of four $45; Rare goods

baked goods

Levain Bakery cookies make the perfect wedding favor. 4-packs starting at $32; Levine’s Bakery