From the moment Lyndsey Lostritto met Austin Laverty at a birthday party during college, she was smitten. The feeling was mutual. “I knew from the second we met that we would get married,” affirms the groom. “Lyndsey put my dreams and aspirations before her own and supported my entry into the United States Marine Corps," explains Austin. "Before I left, she told me that no matter how far away or how long I was gone, she would always be there."

The couple’s storybook romance required a venue that was filled with as much magic as their first meeting. Seeking a unique property with ample amounts of history, the pair selected the New York Public Library for their reception. "We wanted our night to feel magical and very memorable," notes the bride of their choice in location.

Prior to the reception, the couple exchanged vows at a Catholic Church on Manhattan's Upper East Side. Lyndsey was resplendent in a strapless white gown with floral appliqués. In her hands she carried a bouquet of creamy blooms wrapped in lace from her mother’s wedding veil. "When the doors opened for my father to walk me down the aisle and I saw Austin at the end," recalls the bride, "I knew that this was the moment I had been waiting for my entire life."

In his Marine Dress Blues uniform, Austin stood in awe of his bride. "From the second the church doors opened, she took my breath away,” he says, “and I didn’t get it back until we were in the car leaving the ceremony.” He was as equally moved by the vow exchange. “There is nothing more powerful than to vow yourselves and your lives to one another to in front of family and friends," he shares. At the conclusion of the ceremony, Marines whom the groom served with in Afghanistan created a sword arch at the entrance of the church, as everyone welcomed the newly married couple as husband and wife.

Following the ceremony, guests made their way to the New York Public Library, whose steps were romantically brightened with small candles. "It was the picture-perfect entrance to our first night as husband and wife," recalls Lyndsey. Cocktail hour took place in the main entrance hall of the library, with its epic, marble-lined entry replete with soaring pillars, double staircases, and timeless masonry that transported guests to another era.

Seating cards were housed in a wooden library-card catalog, which sat atop a table illuminated with tea light candles. Guests were led down a long, marble hallway to the ballroom for a seated dinner and dancing.

An elegant garden affair served as the inspiration for the floral design and purple was the chosen color to see the vision through to fruition. "We wanted everything to look very romantic," explains the bride. Shades of amethyst anchored the tables, with bountiful Dutch hydrangeas and lemon leaf topping tall, handblown glass vases. In contrast, single-note flowers in multiple shades of purple, including anemones, lisianthus, garden roses, and hyacinth, added texture and lushness to the tablescapes. Various orchids in lavender also filled the room. In the spirit of the fall season, baby pears were given an aubergine sheen and were arranged in bowls placed atop mirrored tabletops, which enhanced the beauty of the arrangements. Stemware and votives in violet jewel tones accented the floral design. "Our floral arrangements were absolutely breathtaking," remembers the bride.

The dance floor was bathed in lilac light and served as a dazzling backdrop for dancing into the night. "The band was unbelievable,” notes the groom who was heartily involved in music selection, “and there was not a person who was not dancing or singing for the entire night."

A snowy multi-tiered wedding cake decorated with the lace and appliqué detail from the bride's dress provided a sweet finish. The confection featured various flavors in each layer: Funfetti, red velvet and banana Nutella, among them. "I wanted the cake flavors to be fun and unique, just like Austin and me," notes the bride.

Is there anything the pair would change about their beautiful day? “Not a thing,” says the groom. Agrees his smiling bride: "Our wedding day was perfect from the second I woke up that morning until the minute I went to bed that night." A storybook ending indeed.