Allison & Brandon: A Candlelit Winter Wedding at Tribeca Rooftop

Allison and Brandon’s story began in July 2023 when they met for late-Saturday-afternoon drinks at Bondurants on the Upper East Side. “We talked about my new puppy, Cooper, and Brandon’s new apartment in the neighborhood,” Allison remembers. “We also spent quite a bit of time talking about travel, something we both did frequently in our professional lives.”

That shared schedule made the second date a feat of coordination. Fresh off a flight the night before, Brandon planned an early morning breakfast so they could see each other before Allison headed out again. “That’s when I knew he was special,” the bride says, noting “we connected over breakfast burritos at the local diner and had our first kiss before 10am on a Saturday morning.”

The couple has plenty in common, including “a love of good food, good humor, and our good boy, Cooper.” Yet Allison, a self-described type-A planner, and Brandon, who is known for winging it, prove that opposites attract. “We are complete complements to one another, and we respect and appreciate each other’s differences,” says Allison. “We are each other’s favorite person.”

When Brandon planned a nice dinner out to celebrate their two-year anniversary, Allison suspected he had more in mind than sharing a nice meal. “I got even more suspicious when he said we should get dressed up and that he was going to wear a blazer – I’ve never seen Brandon wear a jacket outside of a formal or business occasion. So I became convinced we were getting engaged on Tuesday, July 8, 2025.”

The Saturday before 4th of July weekend, the couple kept things low-key with a lunch date followed by an afternoon of napping and tinkering around the apartment. Before meeting up again for a casual dinner, they took Cooper for a walk. “We decided to go to Carl Schurz Park on the Upper East Side,” the bride shares. “Typically, we’ll sit on a specific bench, which we lovingly call ‘Cooper’s bench,’ and people-watch.” They were talking and before Allison knew it, Brandon was down on one knee and asking her to marry him. “Despite Cooper trying to eat the ring as Brandon was taking it out of his pocket, I can’t imagine a more perfect proposal, and three days before I expected it!” she says, adding that a friend of Brandon’s was nearby to photograph the special moment. “10/10. I wouldn’t change a thing!”

Despite being a professional event planner, Allison always joked that she would end up eloping. But when it came time to plan their own wedding, she and Brandon knew they wanted their friends and family there to celebrate. With a mid-winter date in mind, the couple began touring venues around NYC. “When we visited Tribeca Rooftop, we knew it was special,” Allison says of the downtown loft space. “From that point on, every venue and every idea we had was compared and referenced back to it. That’s how we knew we’d found our spot.” The exceptional food and drink also appealed to the foodie couple, and Allison noted that the blank-slate space would let them design an atmosphere and “really make it our own.”

While Allison didn’t have a perfect wedding dress in mind, she had a general idea of her favorite silhouette and had screenshotted images from Instagram. Only one person’s opinion mattered: her mother’s. “With limited time, I knew I had to get something pretty quickly,” she says. “We had a few appointments on back-to-back weekends, and it was just the two of us, which was really special.” After trying on numerous looks, the pair visited Designer Loft Bridal, where Allison finally found dresses with her envisioned silhouette. “Ultimately, it was a Rosa Clará lace gown that brought tears to my eyes (and my mom’s). Then, I knew I had found the one.” Her stunning choice by the Spanish bridal designer featured exquisite floral lace, a delicate V-neckline, intricate button detailing on the back, and a cascading train. For the ceremony, she wore a ballet-length chiffon veil.

The bride kept her beauty and accessories simple and polished. She wore a classic chignon, shimmery champagne eyeshadow, and a rose-pink lip, paired with floral diamond and pearl drop earrings and a diamond and sapphire tennis bracelet. “It was my grandmother’s, and my ‘something old’ and ‘something blue,’” Allison adds. She completed her look with a bouquet of roses, ranunculus, lisianthus, anemones, astilbe, astrantia, and scabiosa in shades of burgundy, blush, red, and white, accented with textured greenery. Brandon embraced a modern take on groom’s attire, wearing a blue suit, gray vest, and wine-colored satin tie from Grey Clothiers, finished with a boutonniere of anemone, astrantia, and hellebore.

Allison and Brandon married on a wintry March evening in an intimate ceremony surrounded by family and friends. Escorted by her parents down a candlelit aisle, the bride met the groom beneath a wooden chuppah adorned with lush, asymmetrical floral arrangements. “I screenshotted a few floral photos I was drawn to, which incorporated burgundy, dusty rose, and often white anemones,” Allison explains. “When I shared that inspiration with Rachel at Bride & Blossom, she immediately understood my vision and helped me choose the flowers.”

Shortly after saying “I do,” the couple’s day-of coordinator arranged a “room first look” at the reception. “As soon as I walked in, I had tears in my eyes,” remembers Allison. “It was everything I had imagined and more. A dream come true.” The moody, romantic palette blended burgundy, dusty rose, champagne, charcoal gray, and navy. Tables featured two centerpiece styles: glowing candelabras surrounded by petite arrangements of roses, tulips, ranunculus, lisianthus, anemones, astrantia, astilbe, hellebore, and soft greenery, and cluster arrangements illuminated by floating and pillar candles. “I was in love with the idea of a dark space dripping in candlelight and amber ambiance,” Allison says.

The couple incorporated personal details throughout the day that told their story and made guests feel especially welcome. Instead of traditional escort cards, the card table was lined with fun portraits of each guest. Their dog, Cooper, was honored with a signature cocktail, custom napkins, a cake topper, and a wall projection. “We wanted it to be playful and tastefully done,” says Allison. “Subtle touches, like the mirror cling of Cooper in the bathroom that said ‘You look great!’ in a speech bubble.”

As an event planner, Allison admits it was hard not being there for the set-up, but reflecting on the day, she wouldn’t change a thing. One of her favorite moments came right after the room reveal and just before dinner, when she and Brandon slipped away for a private dance. The couple made a conscious effort to experience their wedding together and stayed side by side throughout the celebration. Cuisine mattered to them, too, and Tribeca Rooftop went above and beyond with its catering. On the dance floor, the joy was unmistakable as guests and the couple danced to nostalgic hits from the 80s and 90s, played by the band 45 Riots. “It was just a ton of fun,” Allison finishes. “Looking back, that’s the best party I’ve ever gone to in my entire life.”

Congratulations Allison & Brandon! Thank you for sharing your Real BB Wedding story with us!

Couple’s Vendor List
Reception Venue: Tribeca Rooftop + 360º
Photographer: Jaymo Jaymes
Day-0f Coordinator: Events By Sheavonne
Videographer: Ivan Jay Yap Films
Bride’s Dress: Rosa Clara 
Groom’s Attire: Grey Clothiers
Hair: Mune Tran
Makeup: Amy Klewitz Beauty
Lighting: AV Workshop
Cake/Dessert: Tribeca Rooftop + 360º/Audrey’s Baked Goods
Band: 45 Riots