Gretchen Brizendine and Alex Sianni

Written by: Lisa Dukart
Photography by Joe del Tufo and Jim Coarse of Moonloop Photography

How they met

A meet-cute straight out of the movies, a chance encounter at Brew HaHa! in Trolley Square brought Gretchen Brizendine and Alex Sianni together. On Gretchen’s first day as a barista, Alex, who worked next door at Moore Brothers, walked in, as he normally did. “I asked him for his name to write on the cup and he said, ‘My name’s Alex, what’s yours?’” Gretchen recalls. “My caffeine intake probably tripled,” jokes Alex.

How he proposed

After dating for about two years, Alex and Gretchen opened their Wilmington restaurant, De La Coeur Café et Pâtisserie in October 2015. The couple had originally considered opening a cidery, and took many road trips throughout New England hopping from cidery to cidery. On Nov. 26, 2015 (Thanksgiving Day), the pair went for a walk in nearby Alapocas Run State Park where Alex popped the question. They went to Gretchen’s family’s house afterward, where they made their first announcement. Later that day, among Alex’s family, Gretchen’s new ring gave away the surprise. “We walked in and not everyone’s there, so we didn’t say anything. We made it all the way through dinner and right when dessert was happening, I guess I reached up to touch his face and somebody saw the ring,” Gretchen says.

RELATED: Read more about Gretchen and Alex’s culinary ventures on our sister site, Delaware Today

The big day

On a crisp New Year’s Eve day in 2016, Alex and Gretchen tied the knot at the Delaware Art Museum. “What was important to us was having a party with our friends and family,” says Gretchen. Like their restaurant, the couple took a laid-back and handcrafted approach, taking care of many aspects themselves, including the centerpieces they made with pine from their Christmas tree. The couple’s 14-person bridal party included friends from as far as Germany and Seattle who helped them celebrate among the colorful art displays. The evening concluded in a way befitting of the holiday—with a sparkler send-off.

DETAILS

Ceremony and Reception: Delaware Art Museum
Dress: Allure Bridals from Claire’s Fashions
Bridesmaids’ dresses: Azazie
Suit: Gray three-piece suit from Indochino
Groomsmen: Green ties from The Tie Bar
Hair: Lila Kinney, Currie Hair, Skin & Nails, West Chester, Pa.
Makeup: Liz Martin, Noche Azul Spa
Florist: Boyd’s Flowers
Wedding ceremony song: Landon Pigg’s “Falling in Love at a Coffee Shop” performed by Sharon Sable and Nick Bucci
Music: DJ BIS
First dance song: “Let It Be Me” by Ray LaMontagne
Cake: Devil’s food cake filled with chocolate mousse and covered with espresso buttercream made by Gretchen Brizendine
Catering: Toscana Catering