Chris and Tie are Meant to Bee!

Because of the size of our guest list, there is no need for a negative test result, proof of vaccination, or to fill out contact tracing forms. However, you will need to answer a few health screening questions and have your temperature taken upon entry into the wedding. Also, "dance zone" restrictions have been lifted so we are allowed to dance the night away! Though the CDC has lifted mask mandates for those who are fully vaccinated and Governor Cuomo will adopt the new guidance on Wednesday, May 19th, it WILL NOT AFFECT our wedding in the ways you may think. We will still maintain social distancing protocols when able and we require all of our guests to wear masks unless eating and drinking at their table or playing lawn games outside with those "in their bubble!" Please, be mindful of those who are not yet comfortable being around unmasked people--regardless of their vaccination status. We want everyone to be comfortable and enjoy their time at our celebration!

Please, click the "Schedule" tab and find our virtual wedding under, "The Castronova/Greff Wedding!" When you click, "Go to Virtual Event," it will take you to the live stream of our Ceremony! If you are required to put in a password, it is "honey"! You will be muted when you enter the video call and the meeting will be recorded for sentimental purposes! :)

Governor Cuomo announced starting March 15th, New York may allow weddings up to 150 people with negative rapid test results from guests and standard safety protocols in place. In light of this new update, Chris and I wanted to outline safety precautions for our wedding. We have made the difficult decision to limit our guest list to 50 people, regardless of NY state's allowances. We strongly believe 50 guests is a balance between risk and safety. 50 guests is what Chris and I are comfortable with at this time. It hasn't been easy revising our wedding plans, but the safety and comfort of the ones we love the most is our biggest priority. For the 50 guests we will invite, a negative rapid test will be required by state mandate. Masks will be worn at all times, except for when guests are eating at their seats. We will enforce social distancing between guests, as well as provide hand sanitizer and masks. There will be no dancing, only the First Dance and spotlight dances. The ceremony will occur outside and though the reception will take place indoors, guests are allowed and encouraged to use the outdoor amenities. All of the mentioned protocols are designed to ensure the comfort of all attendees. We completely understand any and all hesitations to attend. We empower all guests to decide what is best for them when considering attending. We fully SUPPORT those who opt out. We understand this is a difficult situation and we DO NOT want anyone to feel pressured to attend, as we know all of our guests will be there in spirit. Please feel free to reach out with any further questions. We know this will be a special day no matter what and we want to thank our guests for their continuous support. Stay safe and healthy! Chris and I are sending our love!

Today, we are 139 days away from tying the knot but the planning never stops! The best part of today was sitting down with our bakery to taste test our cake! The bakery was a cute little place right across the street from our venue so we got to pick out a cake and go for a stroll around the grounds. Christie and I had a general idea of what we were looking for when we scheduled the taste test but sitting down with all the options in front of us was still exciting. Trying each flavor of cake along with the various fillings was absolutely delicious, there were no wrong answers. We went through all of the options and were waiting to see who would give their opinion first. As with most things, Christie and I had the same thoughts and just further validated how "meant to bee" we are! We are getting closer to the wedding each day and today was a lovely day filled with cake, wedding planning and time spent together. We don't know exactly what the future holds in regards to our wedding but days like today always remind me how special it will be to marry the love of my life.

Within the past month, we officially booked our photographer (since we had only verbally booked her in March). We have our venue, photographer, florist, and DJ. We have our desired officiant, who we are 99% sure can perform our ceremony (we just need to call to make sure). We have been in communication with our venue and if everything remains this way until June, we will have to make some changes to our guest list. With the vaccine around the corner, we are hopeful we won't have to cut down our guest list or compromise our vision! We are going to keep you all updated the best we can!

Wedding plans have taken a bit of a back seat recently while Chris and Tie have been focusing building their future post-marriage. Chris is definitely being a worker bee and bringing home that honey while Tie works through her Master's program and trainings for her new job. Even though they are most certainly excited for their "toit nups," they have been chillin' out, maxin', relaxin' all cool because they can't really plan anything further due to the uncertainty of COVID-19. If you have any specific questions, reach out to Tie and she will clear the air!

Chris knows Tie is a planner by nature and he definitely knew what he was doing by proposing a year and a half before their desired wedding date. It has been a pretty stress-free experience so far, as they have the perfect venue and most of the other bigger details worked out. They are taking their time and enjoying the process of wedding planning because they have AMPLE time to shop around and truly find what fits THEM. They have a very specific vision in mind and really want everyone to feel that. Their vision is a comfortable, enjoyable, laid-back celebration. They want games, jokes, laughter, fun, and smiles--big smiles. So, because their vision is so experience-oriented, it's been easy to say "No" to the places or vendors or traditions they don't see matching the vibe of the day. This process has been incredibly enjoyable and they are truly having a blast!

A yearly tradition in Tie's family is going into the city New Year's Day. They usually go to Ellen's Stardust Diner, Radio City Music Hall, Times Square to catch confetti, the Lego store, the M&M store, the Disney store, Rockefeller Center, and really wherever they feel like popping in. Chris joined the family fun last year and battled the brutal cold of 2019 with Tie, her dad, and her sister, Riley. But, he had such a great time freezing off his extremities, he joined them for more excitement in 2020. However, he had big plans this time around. In front of the Rockefeller Tree, Chris got down on one knee! He proposed to Tie in front of her ENTIRE immediate family and a bunch of congratulating-bystanders, who became a big part of their day as the couple still quote them to this day. It was MAGICAL and Tie is truly blessed to have this moment. What a way to RING in the New Year!💍

In the modern age of technology, Chris and Tie searched for love the way any 20-something would--Bumble! The bees were looking out for them because Chris and Tie hit it off right away. Afraid of jinxing what could be a really good thing, Tie hid this Mystery Man from her parents until the day of their first date. On one seemingly random Sunday, Tie told her parents she had a date and her mom asked, "With who?" Tie said, "His name is Chris." After warning Tie of "Christopher's", Tie was sure Mama Noozer was going to give her a smirk for not heeding warning. But once Tie said, "I haven't told you because I don't want to jinx it," she responded with a simple say no more and Tie was out the door. They met at Bareburger in RVC. After 10 minutes of JUST trying to find the parking lot, Tie finally pulled into a spot (a little too far) and nearly ripped her bumper off while trying to reverse and readjust a bit. After a few deep breaths and an internal pep talk, Tie looked out of the driver's side window and sees her date, watching all of it happen. What a way to start off their first date. They walked to Bareburger and sat down at a cute wooden booth, big enough for a family of 5. After perusing the menu, they agreed to get two different burgers and split them. They shared genuine conversation, a delicious meal, and at one point, the same side of a booth. In one date, they went from complete strangers to same side sitters. After a successful date, Tie called her mom, hysterically crying about how well it went...and Chris saw this as well, as he waited like the gentleman he is for Tie to head home safely. In less than 72 hours of meeting him face to face, Tie said yes when Chris asked her to be his girlfriend. Because when you know, you know--and some things are just Meant to BEE!