The Church

Dust off your cocktail attire, set your TiVo, and join us at the church on Saturday, March 21, 2009 at 3:30pm sharp!

We will be married at the beautiful Saint Ignatius Loyola Church on Manhattan's Upper East Side. The church is located on Park Avenue at the corner of 84th Street.

Saint Ignatius Loyola Church
980 Park Avenue
New York, NY 10028 USA
Get Directions

The Reception

In true NYC fashion, the bride and groom will be swiping their MetroCards and taking the subway to the reception!

We encourage everyone to hop on our train — the 4 or 5 transferring to the 7 — but above ground transportation will be provided between the church and the reception as well.

The Metropolitan Building
44-01 11th Street
Long Island City, NY 11101 USA
Get Directions

Our Story

Chrystianne and Gavin are both native New Yorkers (shocked, I'm sure). Gavin was born and bred in Manhattan, and Chrys in Queens. But it was on Manhattan's Upper East Side where they met. In September of 1990, Chrys and Gavin enrolled at Loyola School, where they shared a first period classroom on their first day of high school.

The two stayed in touch, and upon returning to the City after college, they were inseparable — although "just friends" (aka. Gavin stalked Chrys all day, every day). The friendship grew closer, and one afternoon Gavin finally mustered the courage, and temporary removal of his restraining order, to give Chrys a kiss. The rest, as they say, is history.

So now, on March 21st, Chrys and Gavin will return to Loyola to exchange their vows, this time to the church where Father Katsouros, also from Loyola high school, will perform the ceremony.

Cue the violins.

Air Travel

For our guests traveling to either JFK International Airport or LaGuardia Airport, please let us know and we will try to arrange for transportation. However, if you are unsure of your plans or we can't get transportation set up for you, there are a number of options:

Both Airports

  • Yellow Cabs Both LaGuardia and JFK have numerous Yellow Cab stands. Most fares will be about $20 to $30 from LaGuardia and a flat fare of $45 from JFK.
  • Car Service You can avoid the cab lines and reserve a car service to pick you up at terminal. We suggest Dial 7 or Carmel.

From JFK

  • Air Train The trip from JFK to Manhattan can also be made very quickly and easily by taking the Air Train for just $5!

Hotel Stays

We have blocked preferred rate rooms at New York's famed Roosevelt Hotel for any guests who need accomodations. Reservations must be made by March 10th, and can be made by calling the hotel at 1-888-TEDDY-NY.

Make sure to mention you are guests of the De Almeida / Byrne Wedding to qualify for the proper rooms and rates. The following options are available:

  • Single / Double Room $179.00 per night
  • Deluxe Accommodations $199.00 per night
  • Hospitality Suite $349.00 for the high rollers

Check-in time for the hotel is 3:00PM or later, and check-out time is no later than 12:00 noon. Arrangements can be made for baggage storage with our Concierge.

Our Favorite Spots

Even though our wedding is clearly the event of the season, if you're coming from out of town you might want to see more of the city than just a church. So here are a few of our favorite places we recommend you check out:

  • Ess-A-Bagel The best bagels in NYC, period. They don't have a toaster, so don’t ask, but well worth the compromise. Gavin likes a "shmear" of lox spread on plain, and Chrys goes for vegetable cream cheese on multigrain.
  • Choshi Our favorite sushi spot, near Gramercy Park & Union Square. Gavin loves the dragon roll, and you've gotta love their ginger carrot salad dressing! If the weather is mild, they offer outdoor seating.
  • Tom & Jerry's 288 Bar An very laid-back atmosphere in our former neighborhood. It has become nearly impossible to find relaxed places in Manhattan where you can grab a cold one and hang with friends. This is the best of a dying breed.

Our Registry

You didn't think you were getting off without a gift did you? To avoid getting 18 blenders and a bunch of ugly candlesticks, we've registered at Williams Sonoma and Bloomingdales to make shopping a bit easier.

Charitable Donations

In light of our obvious love of New York, we'd be honored if you would make a small donation, in our name or yours, to Riverkeeper, a charitable organization committed to helping keep the Hudson River protected.

Thanks for stopping by. We'll see you in March!