The bride’s nephew, Harrison, was the ring bearer; her sister, Krissy, was her koumbara (maid of honor); and her father, David, walked her down the aisle. “One of my favorite parts of the ceremony is the stefana, which are the crowns joined by a ribbon and placed on our heads as a symbol of unity,” Ali explains. “It is a gesture that feels both ancient and deeply human, marking the joining of two lives in shared responsibility and intention.”
Ali and Brent’s crowns were also made by Gigi Burris, who created them with tiny flowers and mother-of-pearl details. “I did glance over at Brent and laugh a little at the sight of this very rugged man of the bush suddenly wearing a delicate flower crown in church,” Ali admits. “It felt like a clear sign that he truly loves me.”
During the ceremony, the bride and groom also drank from the traditional wedding cup. “This signifies the blending of lives and experiences ahead,” Ali says. “In our case, it carried an added layer of meaning as we used the same cup my parents used at their wedding.” Toward the end of the ceremony, the couple walked around the altar three times, led by the priest, in what is known as the “Dance of Isaiah.” It symbolizes eternity and the journey of life together, without beginning or end.
At the end of the service, the newlyweds exited the church to find their family and friends gathered outside waiting for them. “There is something so cinematic about that moment, stepping out of the quiet intimacy of the church and into a big celebration,” Ali recalls. “We climbed into a vintage car with a ‘Just Married’ sign on the back and escaped for a short drive through the city.”
After a few photographs and a quick wardrobe change, the couple made their way to Il Cantinori. “As we drove, people on the sidewalks would clap, wave, and call out congratulations whenever they spotted the sign on the car,” Ali says. “It felt like a quintessential New York moment, equal parts heartfelt and spontaneous.”
For dinner, Ali changed into a custom strapless corseted gown with a dropped waist lace skirt in a lattice pattern. She layered a chiffon and lace wrap over her shoulders and wore diamond, pearl, and opal earrings that she had made by Sauer. She finished the look with Alexander Birman satin platform heels.
At Il Cantinori, Ali’s sister had commissioned a custom café curtain for the restaurant entrance embroidered with the couple’s names, a detail that made one of their favorite places feel entirely transformed for the evening. Alimentari Flâneur created a spread for cocktail hour, while Mikey Putnam filled the restaurant with flowers, and James from Hessney and Co. ensured that every detail unfolded seamlessly.
Dinner felt exactly as they had hoped it would: warm and filled with conversation. “We ate some of our favorite foods, shared stories, and listened to speeches from my father, my sister, Brent’s best friend Richard, and finally Brent himself,” Ali says. “My sister, who also happens to be an exceptional writer, delivered a speech that left very few dry eyes in the room.”
After dinner, the newlyweds slipped away for one final outfit change before everyone made their way to People’s for cake and dancing. “I wanted something I could truly move in for the after-party,” Ali says. “So I designed a scalloped-sleeve bias-cut lace dress, hand-beaded with pearls in soft lilac, rose, and mint tones, scattered across a rose-motif lace base.” It was paired with ivory satin Manolo Blahnik heels that Ali could dance in.
The evening ended with a dance party led by DJ Kristine Barilli. “She somehow managed to make the room feel like the very best night at the Beatrice Inn,” Ali jokes. “Friends and family packed the floor, and for a few hours, everyone simply celebrated. It was joyful, energetic, and completely unfiltered in the way my favorite parties are. Looking back, it was the perfect ending to a weekend that was about being surrounded by the people we love most and sharing the beginning of our life together.”
