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Alexis & Dan’s Wedding

Ever since Heather and I lived on the Upper West Side over five years ago, people have always talked about “the beer garden” in Astoria, Queens. For us, it was always too far to trek to from the UWS--kind of like Williamsburg or Bushwick in Brooklyn--but the thought of this little German-themed beer and brat oasis has never eluded me. I was so stoked to hear that Alexis and Dan planned to hold their wedding reception at Bohemian Hall because that’s where they had their informal first dates among friends.

We first met Alexis and Dan when we photographed their elopement in Gantry Plaza last year. It was a sweet, intimate outdoor ceremony with the skyline of Manhattan in the backdrop. Champagne was popped, cake cups were served, and smiles and giggles were seen and heard through cloth masks. It was evident that Alexis and Dan’s relationship is light and heartfelt, sincere and silly. They are so thoughtful that they gave us a thank you card with a typewriter print on the outside and a handwritten message on the inside--things like that go really far with us.

When we asked Alexis to compare Dan to an animal, inanimate object, scene, song, or movie in our questionnaire, she said “every entrance Kramer makes into Jerry’s apartment in Seinfeld,” and I can’t stop laughing. That is such a specific reference and vibe that I don’t think I know anyone else that can fit that description. Additionally, Alexis is as ruthless when playing games with Dan as Heather and I are and I love it. She made him spell an answer in Trivial Pursuit once and he said “Vellagio” instead of “Bellagio” and it makes me think of all of the times Heather used a bullshit word in Scrabble and I called her out on it. Relationships are all fun and games until you unfold the cardboard and put the pieces on the board.

Heather and I have always loved to play and bet on games like mini-golf, Scrabble, Patchwork, Tokaido, Sequence, and Rummy. Sometimes we make silly bets like you have to wear two different shoes on a date and other times it’s more serious like you’re picking up the tab at the brewery. There always has to be some element of embarrassment to the wager to really spice up the competition. I fondly remember one time where Heather had to wear her pants backwards at a dinner party we hosted. Somehow, people didn’t really notice--and the one person that did thought it was a style choice, lol.

It’s easy to get caught up with work and other responsibilities and forget to give your partner the same amount of attention that you did at the beginning of your relationship. Over time romance waxes and wanes and life inevitably becomes more complicated. Since having Capa Heather and I have barely played any board games and made any bets. We said we’d make a concerted effort to spend time with each other before he was born, but time management is really difficult with a little one. We both understand that we are doing all we can and before we know it we will be embarrassing one another. I just can’t wait to get Capa in on the action.