A Chic and Modern Wedding at Mandarin Oriental in New York, New York

After being set up by friends in October 2013, Amanda Goldstein and Phil Rofsky went on a series of dates; but the sparks did not fly right away. Phil was interested in Amanda immediately, but the feeling wasn’t mutual. Amanda thought Phil was very attractive and kind, but a little too quiet to keep up with her big personality. Phil knew things weren't going well when Amanda downgraded their fourth date from dinner to just drinks, and decided to end his romantic pursuit – something the couple now refers to as “Round 1.”

Fast forward to the summer of 2014, when Amanda and Phil crossed paths again at a rooftop party in Manhattan. Amanda tried to be cordial. Phil gave her the cold shoulder. Funny enough, it was that rooftop party that changed the course of their relationship, because Amanda was able to see Phil in his own element. He was at ease being surrounded by close friends, and his real personality – one filled with charisma and wit – shone bright. Amanda realized her initial impression of Phil was off-base, and she made it her mission to get Phil to go out with her again.

Phil secretly still had feelings for Amanda but was playing hard to get. It seemed to be working because Amanda invited him to her birthday party later that summer. Phil purposely declined her invite, and cleverly leveraged it to ask Amanda out for drinks to make up for it. This time, Amanda upgraded it to dinner. This was the start of "Round 2," and from then on, they were inseparable.

When it came time to propose in March 2017, Phil surprised Amanda by dropping to a knee in Abington Square, their favorite West Village park. Not only did Phil arrange for a photographer to catch the special moment, he planted fake tulips (Amanda’s favorite flower) since the tulips in the park had not yet bloomed.

For the wedding planning process, Amanda – a meticulous planner – had a vision of crisp and clean décor with a modern touch, which she executed with the help of dream vendors. 

Every detail was carefully selected, including the bridal party’s farm table seating with mirrored nameplates, the stocked bar cart on the dance floor so guests didn’t have to stop dancing to refill, the chilled towels that were passed around throughout the night, Magnolia’s famous banana pudding as a snack for the taxi ride home, and everything in between.

On wedding day, the entire plan came together and made for the most perfect day. The newlyweds made sure take in every moment and dance the night away together.

Wasting no time, Amanda and Phil took off on their honeymoon the next night with a brief stay in Paris, followed by an unforgettable two and a half weeks in South Africa.  The two relaxed and tasted delicious South African wines in Franchhoek, took in the culture and beauty of Cape Town, and felt the true beauty of the world on safari at Singita Sweni in Kruger National Park and Singita Boulders in Sabi Sands.