Two of my best friends slept over the night before and I woke up to them jumping over me on the bed blasting "Going to the Chapel of Love" and singing along. It was truly the best wakeup I didn’t even know I needed.

Cassandra

Q1

When and how did the two of you meet?

Alex: We met on Hinge. It was the end of summer and Cass was out of town, but we happened to be up early on a Saturday at the same time and I remember thinking how happy I was to be chatting with her. When she got back to the city, I mustered the courage to ask her to “share foods” on a Thursday in August. We met at Acme and had dinner seated at the bar which at the time I thought was fun and casual. I learned later in our relationship that the bar seating almost ruined my chances altogether… but lucky for me Cass decided to stay. Dinner was fantastic and I remember feeling an odd combination of intense comfort and overwhelming excitement to be in the company of such a wonderful woman.

Q2

On your day, what was your first thought when you woke up in the morning?

Cassandra: Two of my best friends slept over the night before the wedding because Alex decided he wanted us to sleep separately. I woke up to the two jumping over me on the bed blasting Going to the Chapel of Love and singing along. It was truly the best wakeup I didn’t even know I needed. My very next thought after that was, “FINALLY!!!!” I was just so excited for every second of the day and I couldn’t believe it had finally arrived.

Q3

What did you base your choice of location on?

Alex: We both thought we wanted a classic and traditional New York wedding. But that was the most difficult decision, as a destination wedding really appealed to us as well. Once we had decided on New York City, The Pierre was the obvious choice for us. The grand spaces, the history of the venue and the incredible memories we have from the hotel truly sealed the deal.

Q4

What wedding planning decision was the easiest one to make? What was the most difficult?

Cassandra: A lot of the ‘big stuff” came very easily for us. We knew exactly what band and photographer we wanted to use, the venue and everything else just seemed to follow. Some of our most difficult decisions were really around the guest list. We love our friends and family so much and are blessed to have such incredible people in both of our lives – it was definitely hard not to be able to include absolutely everyone we love and adore.

I had one very strong and overarching idea of a winter wonderland. I wanted to really take it to the next level, and everyone involved seemed to understand my vision, even when I could not fully articulate how I envisioned it all coming together.

Cassandra

Q5

Did you plan the look of your wedding around a specific theme or color scheme?

Cassandra: I had one very strong and overarching idea of a winter wonderland. I wanted to really take it to the next level, and everyone involved seemed to understand my vision, even when I could not fully articulate how I envisioned it all coming together. For me, walking into that ballroom was like stepping into a dreamy, wintery universe where everything looked like it was kissed by ice and floating on a snowy floor.

Q6

What was the best planning advice you received?

Cassandra: : The best planning advice I received was that my mother is absolutely always right, and on the extremely rare occasion where she is not right, we still pretend that she is right. It seemed to work out pretty well! More than planning advice, the best advice that we collectively received was from a couple that had just gotten married – they told us that we would be whisked off and around our whole wedding day and so to try and hold hands as much as possible so we could really share in the experience together and create joint memories. It was really beautiful and helpful advice.

One of the best parts of our wedding day was being able to include our amazing Australian Shepherds! They were the perfect Ring Barkers and made quite the entrance down the aisle.

Cassandra & Alex

Q7

Did you have any surprises on your wedding day?

Cassandra: There is nothing I love more than a surprise, and my wedding really showed me how much my family and my husband understand me. At the end of our ceremony, as we were walking up the aisle, Bobby started singing the opening words to All You Need is Love. Various musicians started playing instruments in the midst our seated guests, and a choir eventually joined in. I truly could not believe that my mom had basically recreated my favorite scene from Love Actually. On top of that, as Alex and I were making our speeches, I went first (and distinctly remember thinking how much better mine was going to be), Alex got through most of his speech, and all of a sudden starting singing Your Song with the help of an a Capella group and he even made up his own verse! This is one of my absolute favorite songs, and the fact that Alex does NOT sing at all made it that much sweeter.

Q8

What is the most valuable thing that you have learned from each other?

Alex: I’ve learned so many things from Cass. I think the most valuable has been what it means and what it takes to be a partner. She’s so deeply caring beyond what I thought possible. She makes me feel special and loved and I strive to make sure she feels those things as well. She’s a partner to me in ways I didn’t even know I needed and I have learned from her how to be there when asked but also without asking.

Cassandra: Alex has taught me so much about love – what it means to be in love with someone and want to share your life with them. He has taught me how to be a true partner in life and love. More than anything, Alex has taught me the value of patience and helping each other grow into the best people we can be.

At the end of our ceremony Bobby Attiko started singing the opening words to All You Need is Love. Various musicians started playing instruments in the midst our seated guests, and a choir eventually joined in, I truly could not believe that my mom had basically recreated my favorite scene from Love Actually.

Cassandra

Walking into that ballroom was like stepping into a dreamy, wintery universe where everything looked like it was kissed by ice and floating on a snowy floor.

Cassandra

Q9

What do you hope your guests remember most about your wedding day?

Alex: How much fun they had and how everything perfectly fell into place! We have such an amazing group of friends and family that there was little doubt how much fun the evening would be. That said, Wendy, Cass, the team at Gourmet Advisory, the Pierre, and many others made sure that the evening would be the best night of our lives and frankly, the best night of everyone else’s life as well!

Cassandra: More than anything I want our guests to leave feeling the love that was present all weekend. I hope they remember how much fun it was and how everyone was on the dancefloor the whole night!

Alex got through most of his speech, and all of a sudden starting singing Your Song with the help of an a Capella group and he even made up his own verse! This is one of my absolute favorite songs, and the fact that Alex does NOT sing at all made it that much sweeter.

Cassandra

Q10

Anything we missed?

Cassandra & Alex: One of the best parts of our wedding day was being able to include our amazing Australian Shepherds, Skyy and Odie! They were the perfect Ring Barkers and made quite the entrance down the aisle escorted by Alex’s cousins Evan and Adam.

Cassandra: Another piece of great advice we received was to make sure we really loved and had a connection with our photographers because we would really be with them ALL day. It was a no-brainer going with Ira and Nathan after we became so close with them at my brother’s wedding a few years earlier. Working with them felt so natural and comfortable and they made everything so fun! I truly cannot imagine the day without them there – not only did they capture the most incredible photos, but we had a blast taking them.

Q11

Is there anything you would do differently?

Cassandra: Absolutely nothing.

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Launch

As the founder and creative force behind The Day, Ira Lippke brings 20-plus years of experience creating compelling images to every wedding he documents. “One of the best compliments I’ve ever received,” he says, “was from a planner who said I was the only photographer she knew who had so much experience but whose heart and soul was still so strongly in their work.”

Ira Lippke