[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/real-weddings-paige-and-kim\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/real-weddings-paige-and-kim\/","headline":"Hot Air Balloon Proposal Followed by a NYC Wedding","name":"Hot Air Balloon Proposal Followed by a NYC Wedding","description":"\u00a0   \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 After dating her partner, Kim Johnston, for more than three years, Santa Barbara resident Paige Harvey wasn\u2019t about to just pop the...","datePublished":"2011-07-01","dateModified":"2021-06-21","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/author\/eweditors\/#Person","name":"Equally Wed","url":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/author\/eweditors\/","identifier":3,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ca62cf123aaaf135c80b055249bacbda79de9226e11cdfcde6529bedf89683de?s=96&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ca62cf123aaaf135c80b055249bacbda79de9226e11cdfcde6529bedf89683de?s=96&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Equally Wed","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"http:\/\/equallywed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/equally-wed-lgbtq-weddings-logo.jpg","url":"http:\/\/equallywed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/equally-wed-lgbtq-weddings-logo.jpg","width":218,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/real-gay-weddings_paige-and-kim.jpg","url":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/real-gay-weddings_paige-and-kim.jpg","height":382,"width":659},"url":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/real-weddings-paige-and-kim\/","about":["Real LGBTQ+ Weddings"],"wordCount":708,"keywords":[" lesbian wedding","Connecticut","Gramercy Park Hotel","hot balloon ride","ring boy","Vermont"],"articleBody":"\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0After dating her partner, Kim Johnston, for more than three years, Santa Barbara resident Paige Harvey wasn\u2019t about to just pop the question any old way. She wanted to make the moment memorable for the two women\u2014and took six months to put her proposal together.Knowing Kim had always wanted to ride in a hot air balloon, Paige planned for them to take a ride for Kim\u2019s birthday in July 2009. They were visiting Kim\u2019s parents in Vermont, and Paige wanted to propose while the two were flying over the countryside in the hot air balloon. Of course, not everything goes as planned.\u201cPaige realized it would be a little awkward, given that we were in a 4-foot-by-2-foot wicker basket with the pilot who was a stranger,\u201d Kim says. And then things got worse. \u201cThe ride was fantastic, but we had a rough landing in the rain\u2014the balloon and basket were dragged uphill with all three of us in it!\u201d Kim says. \u201cPaige was more worried about losing the ring that was in her pocket.\u201dLuckily everyone on board\u2014including the ring\u2014survived and Paige later proposed while they were safely on the ground. And then the wedding planning began. The couple decided to have a small legal ceremony in New Canaan, Conn., on August 4, 2010, with an intimate celebration with 50 close friends and family for cocktails, dinner and dancing at Gramercy Park Hotel in New York City on August 7.\u201cIt was important for us to get married in a state where marriage is legal,\u201d Paige says. \u201cWe didn\u2019t want to have a ceremony in California simply because it wouldn\u2019t be recognized.\u201dIt took about seven months to plan the wedding, and both women agree it was a challenge to put together from the other side of the country. However, doing things like selecting the Gramercy Park Hotel made the process a little smoother.\u201cWe ended up choosing a venue that was beautiful on its own and didn\u2019t need much decorating,\u201d Paige says. \u201cEverything at the Gramercy was built into the venue, including the lighting, the bar, catering and ambiance.\u201dEven though, the distance still made it a challenge. \u201cThe most difficult part was incorporating all of our personal touches into the venue and having those set up on the day of the wedding,\u201d Kim says. \u201cWe were lucky to have some great friends who took the lead so that we could focus on getting ourselves dressed and ready for the day.\u201d\u00a0Vendors: Venue: New Canaan, Conn., City Hall Venue: Gramercy Park Hotel, New York City Caterer: Gramercy Park Hotel, New York City Photographer: Erinn J. Hale Hair and makeup: ARROJO Studio, New York City Mini Cupcakes: Crumbs Bake Shop Paige\u2019s Dress: BCBG Max Azria Kim\u2019s Dress: EverAnd as if cued by the karma that seemed to, well, rain down on Paige\u2019s perfect proposal, the couple lucked out with a 75-degree New York City day in August. \u201cWe were nervous about the hot and humid weather New York is known for in the summer, but there was no humidity and not a cloud in the sky,\u201d Paige says. \u201cThings all fell into place and everything felt right.\u201dThe day\u2019s festive atmosphere carried right on through to the ceremony, which was especially intimate and non-traditional. Neither girl walked down an aisle or in through a special entrance; they actually exchanged vows with their guests gathered around them.\u201cWe wanted everyone to feel involved, so we had the ceremony during the cocktail hour,\u201d Paige says. \u201cEveryone gathered around us and we had a close friend officiate. It was very personal and intimate.\u201dEven the one customary portion of the ceremony became lighthearted and endearing when Paige\u2019s 9-year-old brother Wyatt, who was the ring boy, acted like he lost the rings.\u201cEveryone was laughing and it lightened the mood,\u201d Paige says. \u201cIt brought a great energy to the moment.\u201d But what Paige and Kim say was best part of the ceremony was how connected they felt to each person that attended.\u201cWhen we looked around us and saw the faces of our absolute closest friends and family, it made the ceremony extra special,\u201d Paige says.\u00a0\u2014 Sarah Gleim"},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Hot Air Balloon Proposal Followed by a NYC Wedding","item":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/real-weddings-paige-and-kim\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]