WHIRL Weddings /

Tiffany Gaetano & Jonathan Whaley

 

“It was a very long time ago” that Tiffany Gaetano and Jonathan Whaley first met. She was 14, he was 15, and they worked together at baseball school. But she, a softball pitcher and he, a baseball catcher, were quite a few years away from starting a serious relationship. Though they began dating during Tiffany’s senior year of high school, a break of several years (some might liken it to the seventh-inning stretch) took place before their reunion and engagement.

For her 25th birthday, the couple shared dinner at the Georgetown Inn, where Jonathan swung for the fences. Hiding an engagement ring inside a very large box, he took Tiffany completely by surprise.


Signature Desserts created the “enormous” strawberry-and-cream filled, four-tier cake.

The Facts
The Ceremony
Before slipping into her diamond-white, Swarovski crystal-bedazzled gown from Bridal Beginning, Tiffany and her five bridesmaids, mom, and mother-in-law gathered for hairdos at Geno Levi Spirit of Style Salon. While getting ready, they were visited by the staff of Posh Salon for a makeup session. The Whaleys’ early afternoon, traditional Catholic ceremony at Heinz Memorial Chapel was infused with the sounds of Christina Chirumbolo’s Italian vocals. In honor of Tiffany’s grandfather, all of the groomsmen wore pocket squares — hot pink to coordinate with their pink patterned ties.

 

 

 

 

 

 



 
Left: Common Plea Catering  and Table Attire set the dinner scene.
Right: Pretty handsome in pink!

The Reception
Nick Fiasco crooned in the style of Frank Sinatra as the couple’s more than 300 guests celebrated outside during cocktail hour at Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall & Museum. After the Whaleys’ choreographed first dance to Tim McGraw’s “My Best Friend,” Entertainment Unlimited’s PJ the DJ worked the dance floor. Their videographer, Gordon Schu Video Productions, captured it all on film. Reed and Petals Florist created a “bright and fresh” aura in the room with martini glass centerpieces of fuchsia gerbera daisies, pink roses, and leafy green beads. The celebration was a sort of double-header — it also served as a birthday party for Tiffany’s mom, Christina. Most memorable were the speeches, during which, Tiffany’s father Sal, who is a pharmacist, presented the pair with “a prescription plaque for a successful marriage.” A honeymoon to Riviera Maya, Mexico, was just what the doctor ordered.

Photography by Studio Bash Photography