A Bruno Mars Proposal, a Black-Tie Reception, and the First Wedding Held at Raffles Boston

Photo by Brit Perkins Photography

The Story

Love comes when you least expect it—or so the saying goes—and for Ciara Dimou and Gabrielle Russo, the age-old adage rang true. While out to dinner with a mutual friend, the pair felt a spark they couldn’t ignore. “That night, there was just a connection. We locked eyes and, I’m not exaggerating, I was like, ‘You’re going to turn my life upside down—but really right side up,’” Gabrielle remembers. “When you’re not looking for love, it literally slaps you across the face.” But despite the signs of love at first sight, their relationship started slowly, and the two didn’t begin officially dating until months later. “At six months, I said, ‘I’m going to marry you one day,’” Ciara remembers.

Fast-forward a year and a half, and Ciara proposed to Gabrielle on a four-day trip to Aspen over New Year’s. She asked the live band at the restaurant to play Bruno Mars’s “Marry You” before she popped the question, and, of course, Gabrielle said yes. But when it came time to plan their wedding with the help of Boston-based event planner Kristyn Kerkorian, the pair’s venue-related indecisiveness slowed the process. They considered destinations like Las Vegas, Hawaii, Florida, and even a courthouse ceremony, but “nothing felt right,” Gabrielle says. That is, until they walked into the newly built Raffles Boston last September and instantly knew it was the spot they’d say “I do.” With the locale set and the couple’s permission to fully take the reins, Kerkorian jumped into action and planned the couple’s wedding—the hotel’s first—in just three months.

Now, half a year after their ceremony, the spark Ciara and Gabrielle felt the moment they met is still going strong. “As much as I want to say [our relationship] was a slow burn, it wasn’t. Our flame just kind of took off,” Gabrielle says. “I think the best part is that it still feels like it’s burning every day, just getting bigger and brighter.”

Photo by Brit Perkins Photography

The Details

The Décor

With the couple’s desire to make a statement in mind, Kerkorian crafted a subtle holiday theme for the wedding, which took place on December 23 (with an encouraged dress code of red and green). That translated to the 19th-floor Raffles Ballroom bedecked in a palette of red, white, and gold, with roses and elegant taper candles that perfectly complemented the glittering Christmas trees throughout the hotel.

Photo by Brit Perkins Photography

Photo by Brit Perkins Photography

The Ceremony

After Gabrielle walked down the aisle arm-in-arm with her dad, and Ciara with her mom, Ciara’s stepdad officiated the ceremony in front of an elaborate floral display that emulated a snow-dusted winter forest. “The vows and the ceremony were our favorite part,” Gabrielle says. “We truly spoke from the heart.”

The Reception

Intentionally veering away from traditional wedding details for their black-tie fete, the couple swapped a sit-down dinner for a cocktail-style reception, trading formal dinner tables and assigned seating for a buffet dinner that spanned the entire night. “We wanted to emphasize the celebration, dancing, and socializing,” Gabrielle says. A DJ and live band also helped with that.

Photo by Brit Perkins Photography

The Food and Drinks

Gourmet food from the Raffles culinary team (delicious enough to earn the approval of the couple’s Greek and Italian families) and a four-tier strawberry cream cake from Love & Flour provided fuel for the fun-filled evening.

Photo by Brit Perkins Photography

“There’s nothing I love more than pants and a crop top, and there’s nothing Cici loves more than a little mini dress,” says Russo, left. / Photo by Brit Perkins Photography

The Party Outfits

At the reception, the couple changed into matching sequin- and bead-embellished outfits from their favorite designer, Nadine Merabi (who also made the getting-ready outfits for the brides, their family, and friends). “They showed our personality,” Gabrielle says. “There’s nothing I love more than pants and a crop top, and there’s nothing Cici loves more than a little mini dress.”

Photo by Brit Perkins Photography

Photo by Brit Perkins Photography

The File

CAKE
Love & Flour

DESIGNER AND EVENT PLANNER
K. Kerkorian Events

DRESSES
Grace Loves Lace (Ciara); Made with Love Bridal, Vows Bridal (Gabrielle)

FLOWERS
JNG Event Consulting

HAIR
Nichole Swain, Show Salons

LIGHTING
Elevated Production Services

MAKEUP
Janna Wojtas, JW Artistry

MUSIC
Dan Sky, Sky Music Entertainment; AP and the Groove

RENTALS
Peak Event Services

STATIONERY
Minted

VIDEOGRAPHY
StopGoLove

First published in the print edition of the August 2024 issue with the headline, “Just One Look.”

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