Madeline Krontiras and Noah Bader
May 7, 2011
Ceremony: Reid Chapel, Samford University
Reception: The Club
Photos by: Arden Photography
People always say when you least expect it, the person you are meant to be with just shows up and the fireworks go off. Well, on the night undergrad student Madeline Krontiras and her friend went out to celebrate Stephanie’s last day in Birmingham at a favorite bar, the very last thing either one of them expected was fireworks, especially in January. And when a group of guys, including Noah Bader asked if they could sit at their table, (the only available seats in the bar) they certainly didn™t expect a life-altering experience. But after four hours of non-stop talking, both Madeline and Noah and their friends saw the fireworks between the two. Six years and two law degrees later, the couple celebrated their marriage with family and friends on a gorgeous day overlooking the city”¦ and much to their surprise, once again, there were fireworks. Major fireworks, in fact, courtesy of Madeline’s father, John.
Here’s their wedding story:
The Back Story
After that initial meeting at The Blue Monkey in Birmingham, the couple planned their first official date at Davenport’s Pizza in Mountain Brook Village, and then they planned to study at the Starbuck’s across the street. Madeline says that it was not a good plan; neither could focus on their work; they were so distracted. They continued dating as Noah worked on his law degree, and Madeline finished her undergraduate degree. After Noah graduated from Cumberland School of Law, he moved to Atlanta and Madeline started law school. They dated long distance over the years, often spending weekends and holidays in Birmingham. Madeline’s family is steeped in Greek tradition on her dad’s side and Italian heritage on her mother’s side. Her family owns Nabeel’s Restaurant in Homewood and the couple spent many happy occasions there. Madeline and Noah talked about marriage but felt it should wait until she graduated from law school.
The Proposal
While Madeline knew she and Noah were going to get engaged at some point, she had no idea about the timing of when it might happen. Since she was in her last year of school, she thought a proposal might be imminent but what Madeline did not know was that Noah had been planning to pop the question and had stopped by Nabeel’s to talk to her father about proposing. John Krontiras ushered Noah to the exact same booth that was used when Madeline’s brother-in-law asked to marry her sister. That booth is now known as the “proposal booth” in the Krontiras family! Madeline’s dad was so excited that he called Madeline with Noah sitting there to tell her the happy news. That left Noah with a surprise proposal to plan.
The couple arranged for Noah to come over to Birmingham for the Christmas holidays on Christmas Eve, December 24, 2009. Some other family and friends were coming to town, so Madeline was busy catching up with everyone in the days leading up to Christmas. Her best friend Stephanie was in town with her husband, and Madeline wanted to see them so they planned to get together for dinner on December 23rd, Stephanie called Madeline to tell her they™d already eaten but to meet for drinks instead at The Blue Monkey. Madeline, totally unsuspecting, arrived at the bar without makeup and dressed very casually. As she wandered through the little rooms of the bar looking for Stephanie, she noticed that it seemed people were looking at her. She walked into the back room and heard romantic music playing. Suddenly, she figured it out when she saw Noah standing there in a suit. Noah took her hand, knelt down on one knee and told her how much she meant to him as Madeline cried. With his grandmother’s ring, Noah asked Madeline to be his wife”¦ and he had to ask her for a response but through her tears, Madeline said yes!
The Wedding & Reception
Since the couple is interfaith- Noah is Jewish and Madeline is Catholic- it was very important to both of them to incorporate the traditions of both faiths into their marriage ceremony and reception. Reid Chapel at Samford University, the campus of Cumberland School of Law where both had attended law school was the perfect location for the wedding. The couple had a rabbi as well as a deacon from the Catholic Church preside over the ceremony. They included significant elements following Catholic and Jewish traditions including a Huppah, the Jewish wedding canopy and the signing of the Ketubah, the traditional Jewish marriage contract which is now framed and hanging in their home. Madeline carried her Grandmother’s rosary with her bouquet as she walked down the aisle, a time honored Catholic tradition.
Madeline also knew she wanted to have their wedding reception at Birmingham’s legendary The Club, which hangs over the top of Red Mountain. She had many family memories tied to it and had always wanted to have her wedding there. Once that was secured, she went about the task of hiring the other vendors they would need. Arden Photography and Cam Video were hired first since the couple felt that capturing all of the memories and details they were planning was a priority.
The next decision was the wedding gown. Madeline, her sister Helen and friend Veronica all fell in love with the first gown she tried on at Ivory & White Bridal Salon, a gorgeous Junko Yoshioka couture gown featuring a beaded waistline, pleated crumbcatcher top, and trumpet silhouette.
During a trip to France, Noah and Madeline had fallen in love with everything French: the food, the culture, and the region. They wanted to include elements of France, Italy, and Greece into as many of the wedding details as they could. The wedding cake from Olexa’s Cakes & Catering featured elegant gold columns and gold trim reminiscent of Greece. A signature cocktail that is well known to anyone who has ever traveled to France, Kir Royale, was served to guests as they arrived. Made from Chambord, the French black raspberry liqueur and Champagne, it was the perfect color to compliment the décor and the beautiful sunset that day. Madeline felt that Mandy Majerick of Hot House Design Studio really understood her inspiration and created a beautiful modern French style for the décor including pale green and coral pink blooms showcased by the bridesmaids™ raspberry colored gowns from Bella Bridesmaids in Homewood. Favors for the guests were traditional Italian candy coated almonds called bomboniere which were assembled by three generations; Madeline, her mother, and her grandmother. The five almonds represent five wishes for the couple: health, wealth, happiness, fertility, and longevity.
Keeping with tradition, Madeline and Noah did not see each other on the day of the wedding; they wanted the moment they saw one another at the church to be genuine. Madeline remembers the moment she finally saw Noah as one of her favorite moments of the entire wedding. “I felt at ease, at peace, and finally, not nervous at all once I was able to stand with him at the altar” Madeline said.
Another favorite moment was the surprise fireworks display that her father was determined to give her as a special gift. During his toast to the couple, he wished them a life of joy, harmony, and happiness and raised his glass to the couple as an incredible fireworks display began. Watch their fireworks video!
After their honeymoon trip to Spain, Madeline and Noah have settled into married life in Atlanta and are enjoying some of their Bromberg’s wedding gifts.
Madeline and Noah’s Bromberg’s Wedding Registry includes: