Ingrid + Martin | City Glam and Multicultural Traditions

A celebration rooted in community with cultural traditions, a luxe NYC setting, and marriage lived out as mission.

Ingrid and Martin met through Frassati Fellowship, a Catholic volunteer community in New York City. They grew close and fell in love as they worked together planning missions to Peru and Jamaica.

As they planned their wedding, they sought to invite their guests into the rich community life they’d found in the city, and into the mystery of sacramental marriage.

In the original cathedral of New York City, celebrating with the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, they bore witness to the beauty of the Creator and to their respective heritages.

From the Bride:

Now, more than ever, Martin and I feel so lucky to have been able to have our wedding before everything changed [due to COVID-19]. We really loved having a more intimate wedding by traditional standards, but now we know what a luxury it was to have a wedding with over 100 guests in New York and can’t imagine what couples are experiencing now.

We chose Old Saint Patrick’s Cathedral in SoHo for our wedding Mass. Not only had we done much of our volunteer work there, but the historic landmark has an incredible sanctuary with vaulted Gothic arches, stunning stained glass windows, and an 1868 Henry Erben Pipe Organ. The organ was played during the Mass and the music was led by some of our close friends from the Franciscan Friars.

The rich music combined with the splendor of the space created for us and our guests a sublime setting where one couldn’t help but be filled with awe and joy. Exchanging vows at the altar will be a moment we will both forever treasure.

We have so many favorite memories from the day; it’s hard to pick just a few. Our wedding captured the reverence and solemnity of marriage but also the pure joy and bliss of a once-in-a-lifetime celebration.

If I had to pick my favorite memories, they would have to be when Martin turned around during our first look (I cried) and, of course, walking down the aisle with my father.

When we were walking down Mott Street in SoHo, everyone was so friendly when people saw I was in a wedding dress--the drivers didn't even honk when we stopped traffic!

Also, we loved giving our favors--they were custom-made capiz shell votives sourced by my Tita, which is “aunt” in Tagalog, and hand-carried by my mom all the way from the Philippines. I also loved dancing with my niece Isla on the dance floor and being hoisted up on chairs during the reception.

Finally, we loved [all of the personal and cultural details we were able to include in the day]. From the custom invitations, the ceremony programs, the Spanish trio that played at our cocktail hour, the hand-painted escort cards, and all the décor.

It was incredible to see all the aspects of the day woven together to create such a beautiful experience for us, our families, and our guests. Guests shared how it was both the most beautiful ceremony they'd ever seen plus some of the most amazing food they'd ever had at a wedding. For us to get compliments covering both the spiritual and reception aspects of the spectrum was incredible.

From the Wedding Coordinator:

The overall design for the wedding was based on Ingrid and Martin’s Filipino and Peruivian backgrounds and incorporated their favorite color, blue--which also showed reverence for Mother Mary. They complemented the deep blue shade with mauve and tan--beautifully fitting for a fall celebration.

The Nuptial Mass included the Filipino traditions of sponsors for the wedding candle, wedding lazo (lasso), and arras (coins). Ingrid and Martin also had a pair of rosary rings blessed during the Mass that belonged to Martin’s mother. They now wear them on their right hands and on mission trips.

Both the Philippines and Peru are known for their textiles, so we pulled inspiration from these nations’ native dress for the attire. To complement these elements, we included natural details like Filipino capiz shells.

Ingrid wore a romantic dress by Watters and a custom veil. One of my favorite details of the day was her navy velvet Manolo Blahnik heels; they made a beautiful statement against her ivory gown. She also wore her grandmother’s earrings and carried a capiz shell clutch from the Philippines.

Martin wore a midnight blue pin dot tuxedo and shoes by Jimmy Choo. He also wore mother-of-pearl cufflinks that Ingrid’s mother had purchased in the Philippines.

Ingrid asked her flower girls to choose a floor-length dress within the color palette, instructing them to pick something “that made them feel beautiful.”

The cultural significance extended to florals, which contained spray garden roses, ranunculus, dahlias, anemone, chrysanthemum, foliage, lisianthus, Lunaria, and privet berries. The bridal and bridesmaids’ bouquets, corsages, and reception centerpieces contained café au lait dahlia, anemone, Jasmine vine, garden roses, and Lunaria, some of which are grown in the Philippines and are very special to Ingrid’s family. The cream, mauve, and soft honey tones matched the season and the elegance of the day.

The reception in a Little Italy restaurant, with its warm brick interior, exposed kitchen, and dramatic high ceilings, made the gathering of 113 guests feel like one big family dinner. Watercolor imagery and gold accents on the stationery complemented arrangements of vintage bottles and vases on each table, with custom votives and gold candlesticks. The votives were given as favors at the end of the evening.

In place of a traditional guest book, Ingrid and Martin asked guests to sign a beautiful coffee table book about sacred spaces that they'll display in their home.