An Elegant, Glamorous Wedding at the Central Park Boathouse in New York City, New York

Alexandra Fishlinger (25 and a small-business owner) and Brian Calame (28 and works in sales) had known each other for as long as they could remember, since their fathers had worked together for over 35 years. While they were interning at their fathers’ office during college, Alexandra worked up the courage to ask Brian out on a date. After five years together, Brian decided to pop the question, enlisting the help of their dog, Jackson, to pull off the proposal. He presented Alexandra with a ring box with a customized dog tag inside, boasting the words “Will you marry me?” on it; after an enthusiastic yes, he instructed her to put the dog tag on Jackson’s collar. It was there that she found her engagement ring, an antique-inspired bauble whose center stone had once belonged to Brian’s great-grandmother. For their wedding, Alexandra and Brian planned an elegant, glamorous affair at the Central Park Boathouse in New York City. Working with Curtain Up Events, the couple designed a day that struck the right balance between classic and modern without compromising on fun. The day started with a traditional ceremony at Church of St. Ignatius Loyola, followed by a lively celebration at the Central Park Boathouse, where the couple and their guests enjoyed an evening of dinner and dancing under the twinkling New York skyline. Both venues were perfectly able to accommodate all 300 guests and offered both an indoor and outdoor space to host the affair. A color palette of neutral tones with hints of gold lent the evening a timeless, sophisticated feel, while pops of bright pink, purple and green in the form of towering garden-inspired flower arrangements infused the decor with a whimsical undertone. “We wanted something that was elegant, but not overdone, and would allow the natural beauty of the venue the Central Park Boathouse to be seen,” Alexandra says. A tip for the taking from Alexandra: “Enjoy every minute of planning your wedding. At the end of the day, it's just one day in the rest of your lives together. It can be stressful, and when you are in the process of planning, everything seems like a big deal, but at the end of the day you want to look back on your wedding day with a smile.”