Charlotte and Paul styled their New York elopement inspired by the 1950s and 1970s. They stayed at the iconic Hotel Chelsea, once home to generations of artists, writers and musicians, where they got ready together and returned to after the ceremony.

Paul is the drummer for punk band The Flatliners, while Charlotte works as a hair and makeup artist in television and film. They had stayed at the hotel following its renovation and loved how the original artwork and design had been preserved. It soon became their favourite place in New York and the natural setting for their wedding.

Charlotte brought her professional eye to the styling. Her work often involves researching and recreating specific periods, so every detail was considered through the lens of character and storytelling. She wanted the finished look to carry references from several decades without it feeling like they were wearing costumes.

“The theme for our elopement was ‘timeless vintage’”, the bride said. “We really wanted to lean into a vintage theme with limited modern details. We wanted to be able to look at our photos and not know what year it was taken in. This being the main reason choosing our photographer and videographer was so important that they understood our vision and they both executed it perfectly, while also hitting historic locations within NYC.”

Her original inspiration was Sharon Tate’s bridal style, although the finished look prompted plenty of comparisons to Priscilla Presley. A short white Vanessa Cocchiaro dress with sheer sleeves, lace detailing and a high neckline was paired with a bouffant, winged liner and a soft nude lip.

The warm palette of the flowers was inspired by movies like The Godfather; hot summers in NYC, and even down to the restaurant they ate at afterwards – John’s of 12th Street, which was one of the most historic Italian restaurants that had filmed a memorable scenes in The Sopranos, one of their favourite TV shows. “Every detail of our elopement had both of us in mind and it blended together harmoniously”, Charlotte said.

Their friends and family knew an elopement was coming, but the date and location remained secret. For one day, Charlotte and Paul got to disappear into New York together, free from timelines shaped around guests or expectations. “We skipped a lot of traditions, mainly just having it be about the two of us,” Charlotte explained. “It was nice to be able to have this big secret kept just between the two of us for a whole day. It was an amazing feeling to shut the world off, and it not be about anyone but the two of us.”

After their intimate ceremony in Madison Square Park, the newlyweds went bar hopping around the Lower East Side before returning to the Hotel Chelsea. The night ended with champagne and an impromptu party through the hotel’s corridors and staircase.

“Even an elopement may seem like not a lot of work, it actuality is,” Charlotte concluded. “Especially when you’re an extremely detail oriented person like both of us are! However I thrive on a stressful creative process with a great end result. To me, there’s nothing worse than being generic and boring, so you might as well make it fun and make it totally about you and what you both love. Also – don’t be afraid to take a risk!”