A Modern, Black-and-White-Inspired Wedding At Mandarin Oriental in New York, New York

Love was one of the last things on Cassaundra Vanegas’ or Alexander Karnal’s minds when they both found themselves in Las Vegas—she was celebrating a girlfriend’s 21st; he was helping a friend mend a broken heart.

Plans to help his buddy were halted when Alex spotted Cassaundra on the dance floor and just had to approach. They quickly left the club in search of a quieter spot and talked the entire night. “Everything we revealed drove our connection,” Cassaundra recalls.

More than 2,000 miles between them (Cassaundra in L.A., and Alex in New York) couldn’t stop the conversation they’d begun that night. And after several months of enduring a long-distance romance, Cassaundra moved in with her sister and brother-in-law in the city, before she and Alex finally moved in together towards the end of 2010.

Using his 30th birthday as an excuse to gather 100 family members and friends for brunch in November of 2011—“I knew she would never expect a proposal on that day”—Alex thanked everyone for coming and then turned to Cassaundra. “I simply cannot go another minute without knowing you will be by my side forever,” Alex said as he got down on one knee. 

Knowing that his bride-to-be wanted a summer wedding and that there was no place they would rather get married than New York City, he booked a date with the Mandarin Oriental before he proposed. “If you want a summer wedding here, you have to grab it,” Alex jokes.

The fun-loving couple adores the city and its nightlife and wanted their wedding day to reflect that. So they infused their traditional Catholic ceremony, held at The Church of Saint Francis Xavier, with modern touches.

 A string quartet performed contemporary songs by artists such as Coldplay and Alicia Keys and Cassaundra walked down the aisle to Lifehouse’s “You and Me.” “She starts walking down the aisle and I just lost it,” says Alex. “I looked in her eyes and knew this would be for life.”

To kick things up a notch, the couple’s 186 guests were taken from the church to the hotel by party buses. Once at the Mandarin, friends and family enjoyed two hours of cocktails and hors d’oeuvres before heading up to the 36th floor where a red carpet, faux paparazzi and bouncer greeted guests and helped create the “nightclub in the sky” vibe the couple had envisioned. Dances, dinner and speeches followed as the energy continued to build.

To kick the party into high gear, Cassaundra changed dresses and reentered carrying sparklers. Waitresses with trays of sparklers and shots were right behind as the cake, also ablaze, was presented. “It was a high-energy, love fest of fun,” says the bride. To keep the vibe going, something fun was brought out every 15 minutes: glow sticks, shots, sunglasses imprinted with the couple’s name and more. 

The celebration continued with an after-party at Avenue nightclub until 4 a.m. “The day was more than I wanted,” says Cassaundra. “I kept thinking this stuff only happens in fairy tales.”