REAL WEDDING:: ALEX KASSAB + GREG BOESCH

THEIR STORY IN ALEX’S WORDS:

“Greg and I had our first date at Alamere Falls. We spent hours connecting on our core values while we walked the California coastline. It became our favorite hike. Two years later Greg arranged a surprise proposal with our friends and family. He proposed at the edge of a cliff overlooking the cascading waterfalls. His brother and sister in law hiked with us and took pictures – they were in on it the whole time. We climbed down to the beach where our friends were waiting to surprise us with champagne and a picnic.”

A NOLA TRADITION-FILLED EVENT

“My mom grew up in New Orleans,” shares Alex, “but for many of our guests our wedding was their first visit to the city. Greg and I wanted to introduce them to many of the beautiful New Orleans wedding traditions. We had our rehearsal dinner at the New Orleans School of Cooking. Our wedding party loved learning about the rich culinary history of New Orleans – and competing to see who could make the best gumbo! Our Welcome Party was at The Cornet where our guests threw beads and let loose to kick-off the weekend celebrations.”

Alex and Greg planned a "First Look" in Jackson Square and then spent time taking photos together with the St. Louis Cathedral as the backdrop.

The wedding ceremony took place in Il Mercato's courtyard under a clear tent.

"Greg's mom grew up in Tokyo. We incorporated Japanese themes in our decor throughout the ceremony and second line. Our bridesmaids carried geometric cranes symbolizing the Japanese art of origami."

Alex and Greg planted a Japanese Maple Bonsai with dirt their parents brought from their childhood homes.

"I thought about wearing my mothers wedding dress but when I tried it on it we both knew it wasn't right. Since I'm the only girl in my family, we decided to up-cycle it into something we knew could be reused for generations - a parasol! Stella Umbrella Parasols transformed my mother's wedding dress into the parasols my mom and I carried in the Second Line." - Alex

“Greg and I couldn’t wait for the Second Line, and we knew our friends and family were going to love it. Leading our guests through the beautiful garden district was incredible. I purchased sparkly sneakers for my bridesmaids and myself so we could sashay comfortably. Everyone had so much fun dancing in the street to music performed by Kinfolk Brass Band – with us in the lead. Our guests waved tenugui, Japanese cloths Greg’s mom brought from Japan, during our Second Line.”

The wedding cake, designed by Chasing Wang, featured six tiers covered with marbled fondant and accented with fresh flowers and geometric decorations. Photo: Studio Tran

“Another incredible moment was a total surprise to us.” says Alex. “Our guests coordinated a flash mob with our band, The Phunky Monkeys, and our incredible wedding planner, Rena Sweeney from Alchemy Events. It ended up being one of our favorite memories from the entire weekend.”

Alex and Greg's wedding rings on a slice of king cake

“Greg knew I wanted a ring that was conflict free, and he had worked with our jewelers to find the perfect ring. It is an antique round cut diamond with a halo setting. The setting also has fleur de lis on either side highlighted with accent diamonds. Our jewelers worked with us to custom design the wedding band to fit perfectly with my engagement ring.”