"John and I were married 16 years to the day we met. Back then we were at Boston University. I was a 17-year old freshman and he was 21 and graduating. He was 250 pounds and was introduced to me as ‘Bone Crusher Brady,’ a professional wrestler (not the kind of guy to bring home to your parents).

"But the name was misleading, and we forged a 16-year friendship. We stayed in touch over the years and then ran into each other at a coffee shop near where I was going to law school. He had turned into a startling, handsome, non-wrestler kind of guy. We started dating and were married three years and nine months later.

"John proposed to me in the corner of our favorite restaurant on my grandmother’s birthday. She had died years ago, but I had been very close to her. He had me thinking he had bought me a watch, and presented me with a watch box. When I opened the box there wasn’t a watch in there.

"We were having an interfaith wedding, so we needed a venue that could accommodate both the ceremony and the reception. We fell in love with the Lighthouse immediately!

"It was only the second place we looked at and we didn’t need to look any further. Two of the walls are all glass so you feel as if you are outside. The room is set up so the ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception flowed one into the next. Jeff Stillwell, our coordinator, was fabulous. We were in good hands and once we made the food, cake, and table decisions, Jeff did the rest.

"The morning of our wedding we made a pact to just enjoy ourselves. I didn’t want us to forget that all our hard work was worth it. We had too many mishaps along the way to count (my dress being lost in customs to be found seven days before the wedding, the tailor altering the tux pants up to John’s knees, one of my maid-of-honors stranded in Rio...)

"But I wouldn’t change a thing. Our day was magical. We were surrounded by our friends and family, and that is what it’s all about."

The Lighthouse at Chelsea Piers 212.336.6144, www.abigailkirsch.com