“High Class”
Alexandra: Paul and I met in the fall on a blind date his cousin set up. She gave Paul my number and he invited me to dinner at Benito One in Little Italy. It went really well and we have been together ever since, traveling the world and pursuing our dreams. I am now a nurse and Paul is a personal trainer.
Paul: This relationship was 10 years in the making and I knew Alexandra wanted the proposal to be private with just us two. I made a photo book with our favorite pictures and song lyrics. At the end was a line from the movie, “Rocky” which I had her watch recently and repeated, “I was wondering what you were doing for the next 40 or 50 years,” and she realized I was wearing a “Rocky” shirt. I hadn’t told anyone, so afterwards we could enjoy sharing the good news together.
Alexandra: After attending Paul’s brother’s wedding at Glen Island Harbour Club, we knew we would have a high class, fantastic wedding there. The historic location has a sweeping view of the New York skyline, lush grounds, and a baroque stone castle, which offer endless unique backdrops. When we went to visit, we felt like family. Rocco Agostino, the general manager, was amazing and helped us the entire way. He gave helpful suggestions while always deferring to our preferences. Everyone there was professional and did everything to make us feel comfortable.
Paul: We were married at St. Margaret of Cortona Church and began our day at Glen Island for cocktail hour. The room we chose has windows to give a panoramic view of the Long Island Sound and we hired a singer to perform Frank Sinatra. The weather was beautiful and our guests could go outside on the patio. Everyone loved the martini bar and Asian station, and we still get compliments on the Italian station.
Alexandra: Our reception was in the ballroom, which also had windows showcasing the water and the sunset. The room looked romantic and classy, with low centerpieces creating an unobstructed view. We had long rectangular tables with trios of pillar candles surrounded by smaller tea light candles. On either side was a row of flowers in mauve and dusty rose laced with greenery. A memory table for my brother and father held their photos, and in lieu of a typical favor we placed a card letting each guest know we had made a donation in their name to Children’s Cancer Research, in honor of my brother. We also had a cigar bar after dinner to remember my dad, who loved enjoying a cigar.
Paul: Our guests had four entrée choices: steakhouse filet mignon, chicken mignon wrapped in prosciutto, mirin-glazed filet of salmon, and five-layer vegetable torte. Our wedding cake was our mutual favorite, strawberry shortcake. A cordial table with sambuca and coffee was brought out with dessert and we placed a bottle of Johnny Walker Blue and Remy XO to add our personal touch. The house band, which is actually my father’s band, was so impressive. They played an epic rendition of Bohemian Rhapsody that everyone was talking about the next day. Everything was on point. Our guests never had to leave the dance floor or their tables to order drinks. Alexandra’s bridal attendant, the maître d’, and the entire service staff were on top of everything.
Alexandra & Paul: We want to thank our parents for everything they’ve done for us. To Paul’s parents, thank you for making sure the music was top notch. To Alexandra’s mom, thank you for the endless help you provided. To Rocco, thank you for making us feel our wedding was the most important thing in the world to you. We had the best night of our lives!
Glen Island Harbour Club, New Rochelle, NY, 914.636.6500, www.gi-hc.com
“After attending Paul’s brother’s wedding at Glen Island Harbour Club, we knew we would have a high class, fantastic wedding there. The historic location has a sweeping view of the New York skyline, lush grounds, and a baroque stone castle, which offer endless unique backdrops.
