While preparing for a night out, a friend mentioned to David Weston that he would really like the girl they were meeting later that evening. At the time, David was unaware that this mysterious friend – Allyson Cherny – would someday become his wife. The night they met, David asked Ally what some of her favorite movies were. “When [I] answered one was Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter is Dead, he was confused, but intrigued,” Ally recalls. So intrigued, in fact, that he invited himself to her birthday party the very next day to get know this exciting girl a little better. Eventually, their mutual interest transformed into a romance.

When it came time for David to propose, he wanted to do something memorable and unique to him and his sweetheart. On May 1, 2014 – Ally’s birthday – David admitted that her present was going to be a little late. “After coming back from a birthday dinner, a new framed picture was hanging in [our] apartment. It was a large print out of Eater’s Heatmap, but rather than hot restaurants marked on the map, David had marked places of significance to our relationship,” gushes the bride. Following the extravagant buildup, David led his love to their room – filled with candles and rose petals – and got down on one knee. 

A little over a year later, on a gorgeous spring day, Ally and David prepared to say “I do” at The Plaza in New York – a dream location for the bride. Prior to the ceremony, the pair had a “first look” at each other, as well as a spirited photo shoot around various hot spots in Manhattan – including the famous toy store FAO Schwarz. Meanwhile, three hundred of the couple's family and friends gathered together in The Terrace Room of the hotel – simply decorated in order to capture the natural beauty of the space – for the traditional Jewish ceremony. 

Immediately following, attendees found their way into a grand ballroom. The opulent hall was bedecked in large, winding branches and bathed in splashes of light from every direction. Instead of the traditional centerpiece, the unconventional newlyweds chose to integrate “tablescapes.” “We had only long tables, and each table had two large canisters of cherry blossom flowers,” Ally says of the important aesthetic. “Scattered among the tables were smaller bouquets of roses, tulips, anemones, and ranunculus [blossoms], in addition to tall candelabra, light-reflecting boxes with tea lights, and porcelain skulls.” An extravagant, multi-layered wedding cake – inspired by the lace on the bride’s veil – drew everyone’s gaze. 

Guests were treated to a sit-down dinner service as well as an array of mouth-watering sweets for dessert – including cheesecake lollipops and miniature Rice Krispies treats. After the meal, it was time for the real fun to begin. Ally notes that they got everything they’d dreamed of during the reception: “It was one large, never-ending, happy, sweaty party!” 

The overall concept of the night was truly breathtaking. “[The floral and event designer] went above and beyond anything I could have ever imagined. She captured our personalities so well in the look and feel of the room,” muses the bride. According to her, every detail of her special day was executed perfectly, “down to the dessert cocktail napkins – which were so cute and said ‘Best. Night. Ever. Ally & Dave, May 30 2015.’”

The night came alive with a festive band, a libations bar made entirely of ice, playful party favors – plastic necklaces, light-up hats, and tiaras included – and an incredibly animated atmosphere on the dance floor. Guests did not exit the fête until three in the morning – just as Ally and David had hoped.