Real Wedding: Alexiana & Steven
Coordination: The Events Company Catering & Reception Site: Century Club Photography: Laure Lille
Almost everything about Alexiana Courtessis and Steven Wladis's marriage is unconventional-from their first encounter, to their engagement, to the seating chart at their reception.
They met when Steven tried to sell Alexiana life insurance. She was hardly interested in the policy, but very interested in Steven. She endured a few information sessions about the insurance, just to spend some time with Steven, ultimately initiating their ten-year courtship.
Because they dated for so long, all of their friends and family members had asked questions about a possible wedding. Steven's humorous Uncle Brad was possibly the most persistent, always encouraging Steven to "take the plunge." Sadly, Uncle Brad lost his battle with lymphoma in the fall of 2009. During that time he had written his own eulogy, but no one could have expected what he would express with his last words.
Alexiana and Steven attended Uncle Brad's funeral amongst seven hundred people. Uncle Brad's girlfriend Kathy read his self-written eulogy. It began by giving love to his immediate family, then cracked a few jokes for a few friends, and concluded with a message meant solely for Steven. Kathy read the message, which said, "Steven, you've really been more like a son to me than a nephew. I love you, admire you and think the world of you. I just have one piece of advice." Kathy paused, looked at Steven and Alexiana, shook her head, and continued, "Just marry the shiksa already!" Alexiana explains, "It was just what we needed to hear to stop wasting time." They set their wedding date for just three months later.
Alexiana describes herself as having a natural desire to be comfortable at all times, so everyone was surprised when she chose a strapless dress. The dress was beautiful, but Alexiana was concerned that she would be trying to pull it up all night. She applauds the owners of Melissa James Dress Salon for thinking quickly and working with her. They ruched some fabric to create a sleeve-like strap, and Alexiana was completely comfortable in the one-of-a-kind dress.
Because they had such little time to plan their wedding, Alexiana and Steven relied on professionals and vendors they knew they could trust. They decided the Century Club in Syracuse was the perfect location, because it allowed them to use the same venue for the ceremony and the reception. Instead of focusing on tons of small details with their vendors, they made sure to express the vision they were trying to achieve, and then allowed the vendors to interpret it in their own way.
They were married by a local judge, but offered a nod to Steven's Jewish heritage by incorporating a glass breaking. When Steven smashed the glass, the judge joked that it was the last time he would be putting his foot down.
Alexia and Steven wanted the evening to feel more like a party than a sit-down dinner, so they immediately eliminated the idea of using a seating chart. They offered five stations of gourmet food, placed in separate locations around the room, as well as an open bar the entire night. Guests enjoyed a selection of unique food combinations, in the form of hors d'oeuvres and tapas plates including salmon served with black bean ragu and Kobe beef seared on a salt stone and served with Asian slaw. The eclectic menu and fact that guests were not restricted to certain menus encouraged a very social atmosphere, which all of their guests seemed to enjoy.
They enhanced the party atmosphere by hiring a jazz band, BD Lenz, to entertain guests all night. The relaxed music provided guests with the opportunity to dance, but also created a nice supplement to conversations. According to their guests, the night was a huge success-and a miracle to have pulled off in just three months!