Photo credits: Joel Marion

Stef and Brian
September 29, 2001
St. Louis, Missouri

ABOUT THE BRIDE: Stefani works in Artist Training and Development for MAC Cosmetics in Chicago

ABOUT THE GROOM: Brian works at a fine dining restaurant in the heart of downtown Chicago

HOW WE MET: Eric Roach, who is one of Brian's best friends from high school, ended up becoming one of Stefani's best friends in college. They had heard about one another, but finally met through Eric at a wedding in July of 1999.

ENGAGEMENT: Stefani and Brian knew very soon after dating that marriage would be in their future. The "planning", however, began when Stefani's dad (wedding photographer Joel Marion) suggested that it would be wise to start thinking about dates as his calendar was booking up quickly! Brian proposed to Stefani (one year to the day they had met) while the two were vacationing in Jamaica. A September date was set.

PLANNING: Stefani had a lot of ideas of her own. Stef's moms Jayne Blue and Carol Marion, along with the help of Katie Fechter of Details Event Coordinators, helped those ideas become exactly what Stef and Brian had imagined. By the year's end, the two mothers had been re-named The Powermom!

ATTIRE: Stefani wore a strapless gown with a tulle skirt by Helen Morley from Neiman Marcus. The veil was ten feet of tulle jeweled with pearls and crystals. Her headpiece and bracelets were custom made by Kate McKinnon. The colorful beads were chosen to match the two-piece angora sweater and satin-skirt bridesmaids gowns by Nicole Miller. Brian wore a five button tuxedo with a silver tie and vest. His groomsmen wore the same with black ties and black vests.

THE CEREMONY: The 6:00 ceremony and reception took place at the Randall Gallery, a contemporary art gallery in downtown St. Louis. Randy Felke took Stefani and Brian's love of Gerbera Daisies and decorated the Chuppah until it looked like an indoor garden. Rabbi James Goodman joined the couple in marriage beneath the arch of flowers.

THE RECEPTION: After many toasts (and a rockin' Hava Nagila) Stefani, Brian, and their guests danced the night away to the Motown sounds of a local St. Louis band. The evening finished off as the couple was given a surprise send-off in a horse-drawn carriage.

HOW WE PERSONALIZED THE WEDDING: The couple's mantra throughout the planning process was "nothing too traditional". From the colorful flowers to the fishbowl "guestbook", they brought as much of their personalities into the wedding as possible. The cake was one of their favorite choices. Mark Brooks of Cakes, Confections, and Chocolates outdid himself with a three layer white cake in graduating shades of magenta with edible sugar Gerbera Daisies. They sent their guests off with a CD of some of the couple's favorite tunes.

THINGS WE LOVED: Everything about the wedding went off as perfectly as we could have hoped. Seeing all of our friends and family having so much fun, dancing with their shoes off, made it a night we will not soon forget!