THE ONE WITH NEW YORK

New York.

I've spent years watching episode after episode of Sex and the City. I could recite every line, tell you where they stood in every scene, repeat restaurant and cafe names they sat in. New York is romantic, exciting, jawdropping, unbelievable. 

The first time we were there, I honestly spent each and every moment with my mouth gaping open in awe of what I was seeing. I was speechless. Everything you've seen on television and in movies was there but bigger, brighter and busier. As soon as we stepped out of our TINY hotel room and hit the street, I just kept saying to Ryan "I love it, I love it, I love it". I literally ran the streets to the next amazing thing in front of me. Not very cool. Not very Sex and the City.

The second time we were in New York, Ryan proposed to me. Just when I thought I couldn't be in love with the city any more than I already was, it now has a beautiful moment of my life connected to it. During this trip, I discovered downtown Manhattan. No words. You're just wondering around Jay Z and Beyonce's playground!

And so on our engagement trip in New York, we quickly decided that we wanted to have our wedding there.

That being the case, we recently returned to New York on a mission to plan our wedding. We pretty much booked it immediately after landing. Gorgeous catholic church in Soho, booked. Cool rustic reception venue, booked. We met with event planners, we scouted florists, we found some cake stores we liked, we discovered a few little jazz bands (damn you Bon Musique for being so unbelievably fabulous but completely out of our price range) and now, I feel like I have the wedding plans slightly under control. So, on May 15th 2013, I will become Mrs O'Hare. SO excited.

Then, let's not forget my trip to Vera Wang.

VERA WANG

And just because I didn't think anyone would believe me, I took the sneakiest of sneaky photos in a store that has an uber strict no photgraphs policy. It was a very successful stealth mission. And so, I ticked the dress off my list too.

genius photographic skills by me!

There's just so much to fall in love with in New York, you need to go hundreds of times to see it all, and that is the best thing. No matter how many times you go to New York, you do/see/eat/visit something different every single day.
There is no denying that the top attractions are literally breathtaking, but the most amazing thing for me is that you can walk the streets and stumble across new little areas every few blocks. It's like you're somewhere else. Walk another few blocks and you're in a completely different village again. You discover so much in one day, that the days feel like weeks and yet you still feel like you need more time when it's time to fly home.

Don't get me started on the food. Eataly. Shake Shack. Lombardis. Billy's Bakery. Wholefoods. Manana Mexican. The Mercer. Food trucks. Meatball subs. Fried chicken. Balthazars. Blue Smoke. Bianca. The Plaza. Sliders. Pastis. Cafe Angelique. Chelsea Market. Murrays Cheese. Pizza, so much pizza.

I'm just so excited for all of our wonderful friends and family to come to New York for our wedding and fall in love with it just like I did. I simply cannot wait.

Love to you all,