Holy Trinity - St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church

Wedding Day

Wedding

Reception

Reception - Greek Dancing

Our Wedding

Our Story

Details

Photos

While I would like to start this by saying that Didi is the Edelman to my Gronk, I’m not sure if that’s complementary of either of us...&nbsp; I met Didi during our freshman year at Case Western, where we became close friends after joining and living together in Kappa Alpha Theta.&nbsp; Our friendship grew through surviving years of sorority recruitment, attending more acapella concerts than I’d care to admit to and arguably spending too much time at our campus bar, the Jolly Scholar.&nbsp; Following college, we continued to live together (and continued to hang out at the Jolly Scholar) until we were both eventually lured to the west coast.&nbsp; I’m so glad I have Didi in my life to share my love of ski trips, fantasy football, PJ Vogt and decorative gourd season.&nbsp; [Rachel specifically requested the photo to the left.]

Rachel Siegfried Du

Taylor and Michael are Siamese twins who were surgically separated at birth. They once shared a torso, which fortunately contained fully functioning pairs of each essential organ.&nbsp; They were successfully divided through nine surgeries, covering 38 hours on the operating table.&nbsp; While Taylor spent the first few months of his independent life in an incubator at the Sisters of Charity Hospital in Buffalo, Michael lived on the outside with their parents.&nbsp; Taylor was eventually released to join his brother in August 1987, although under modified circumstances due to his weak immune system.&nbsp; After departing Sisters of Charity Hospital, Taylor lived his first six years in a plastic bubble, which shielded him from many of the world's germs.&nbsp; From 1991-1993, Michael progressively joined him in the bubble for up to eight hours a day in order to introduce Taylor's body to foreign microorganisms and allow him to build a stronger immune system.&nbsp; Finally in November 1993, Taylor left the bubble for the first time to join his brother and family.&nbsp; To this day, you can see where Michael and Taylor's torsos were fused down the center of the sternum.&nbsp; In March 2019 they will come together once again, this time to fuse Michael's heart with Didi's.

Taylor Reed

I get by with a little help from my friend, Didi. I met Didi in high school at Seven Hills – I was new to the school and she was a year above me. Accepting of all my idiosyncrasies, Didi and I became fast friends. Hey remember that time...that we decided to sing Beatles songs inside my car? (all the best memories with Didi include singing Beatles and Regina Spektor while driving around). We went through all those really fun high school growing pain life experiences together and I wouldn't change it for the world. After college, our relationship evolved to trips to Cleveland (where I finally met Mike!), included sailing and adventures to the Cleveland Flea Market (Have you seen it? It's great, they got stuff!). Didi’s like the sister I never had and I can’t imagine life without her blunt sage wisdom and friendship. I love you yeah, yeah, yeah and I don’t see what anyone can see in anyone else but you.&nbsp;

Chelsea Zesch

Mike and I met as roommates in college our freshman year and continued sharing rooms, dorms, and houses throughout and after college. As friends do, we shared common interests and also new ideas, interests, and experiences with each other. I shared with him my habit of leaving lights on and water glasses on all open surfaces. He shared with me a great guacamole recipe and how to paint a house. We both love skiing and often helped each other make risky decisions on the ski slopes, or even off the trails altogether. I love Mike’s genuineness and independent thinking and I look forward to seeing him&nbsp;and Didi start a life together, filled with genuine kindness, shared values and interests, and thoughtful conversations. On the wedding night you can find me cutting up the dance floor.

Ben Egel

Ever drink Bailey’s from a shoe? Didi and I are opposites but nothing brings us together like Old Greg, Supermac18's really good (really&nbsp;bad)&nbsp;YouTube videos, and the Patriots. You may have heard I’m the selfish sister&hellip; and you’d&nbsp;be correct! Didi writes all&nbsp;my essays (I’m even going to make her edit this), does my homework, and buys me presents when I don’t buy her any. My specialty was getting her in trouble when she didn’t do anything wrong and throwing temper tantrums if I didn’t get my way&hellip; but hey, what’re sisters for? Now, Didi helps me make it in the real world, like the first time I used my fake ID&nbsp;(who knew you didn’t have to lie about where you’re from once you’re actually IN&nbsp;the bar?).&nbsp;There are many more things I’m sure I’ll learn from her in the future, but for now, I’m counting down the days until she gets married so&nbsp;I can&nbsp;finally&nbsp;become&nbsp;an only child!!!

Jamie Mamaligas

I’ve been fortunate enough to know Mike for the better part of the last 20 years. We met during our years at Benjamin Franklin Middle School in the Town of Tonawanda where we both grew up. Mike had some classes (GT classes aka. “Gifted and Talented” to which I was not invited :P) with my best friend Andrew Shaffer and through him we started hanging out at school a little and then eventually at each other’s houses and so on.The three of us and a few other friends went on to spend a LOT of time and many years hanging out and growing up together. When I think about “the good old days” I think back to many summer evenings in Mike’s swimming pool playing silent Marco Polo and our outrageous all-day turn sleepover Nerf wars that transformed Bob and Diane’s entire living room into a battle zone complete with couch cushion barricades and blanket shields. We’d also go bowling, to Mighty Taco (more times than I can remember), skiing, camping, and our families even went in on some joint trips to the Adirondacks, which were amazing.Along with all the fun and and laughter, we also shared many of life’s growing pains including all of the awkward moments kids in middle school and high school go through figuring out who they are, paving the way to young adulthood, as well as life’s most painful and saddening experience, the loss of a loved one, when my dad passed away in 2001.Before that time, a friend to me meant someone who I got along with, had a connection to and did fun things with. Mike taught me that a true friend is so much more than that. He taught me that a friend is someone who will stick with you through the darkest and most difficult of times.Mike and his family’s endless love and support during the rough years that followed helped me more than I can even quantify or try to explain at this time. Mike friendship was a rare source of light in a very dark time through which a life long bond and friendship had been made.Fast forward to 2019, and we’re on the doorstep of another one of life’s great milestones. Mike has gone on to kick some serious ass after moving to Cleveland (now doing it again in San Francisco) and has fallen in love with the most incredible woman in Didi, who is a fiery mix of intelligence, wit, sass, sweetness, generosity and beauty. I’m glad that Mike knows enough to marry her and I couldn’t be happier for these two people who I deeply respect and admire.&nbsp;&nbsp;It’s an honor to be joining them both on their wedding day as they tie the knot and step into the next phase of their lives together.

Bill Todd

Wedding Party

Q + A

Registry

Please call the number above or <a href="tel:(513)%20771-5601" value="+15137715601" target="_blank">(513) 771-5601</a> to book a hotel room with a discounted rate. When calling to reserve, please use code&nbsp;2358823 or mention the Mamaligas/Werneiwski Wedding. The link provided below ("Visit Website") also&nbsp;allows online booking for our hotel block.Free hot breakfast, evening happy hours with food &&nbsp;drinks,&nbsp;WiFi, and popcorn &&nbsp;soda are included in your stay.Please be sure to reserve your room by Friday, February 8, 2019, to receive the group rate.

Drury Inn & Suites Cincinnati Sharonville

Travel

The Cincinnati Art Museum is located in beautiful Eden&nbsp;Park, which has a fantastic&nbsp;overlook for&nbsp;the Ohio River. The museum is home to&nbsp;Didi's favorite&nbsp;Chihuly chandelier, and they also have a pretty fantastic gift shop tbh.

Cincinnati Art Museum

If this photo doesn't make you want to go to this museum, I'm not sure what will. This Art Deco building,&nbsp;iconic in Cincinnati,&nbsp;was built as&nbsp;a passenger-rail&nbsp;train station. In the 1980s, after several rounds of abandonment (I know-- crazy), Union Terminal was converted to a&nbsp;museum of natural history. The building is just as beautiful inside as it is out, and it was Didi's favorite place to spend time as a child (also a solid gift shop).

Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal

If you're looking for something less educational&nbsp;but also pretty, Mount Adams is a great option. There are some fun bars and restaurants, and the view of the city from the top of the hill is awesome.

Mount Adams, Cincinnati, OH, USA

Smale Riverfront Park is, unsurprisingly, a cute park by the riverfront. It is nearby plenty of restaurants and bars in an area called The&nbsp;Banks. The Bengals' stadium (Paul&nbsp;Brown&nbsp;Stadium) and the Great American Ballpark flank the park. Sadly, Cincinnati will be in between sports&nbsp;seasons the weekend of March 9.

Smale Riverfront Park/The Banks

Newport on the Levee&nbsp;is located on the southern bank of the Ohio River, in Kentucky. Newport is a family friendly area with shopping, a movie theater, and an aquarium (with an insanely good jellyfish collection-- seriously it's worth checking out), as well as good restaurants and views of the river and downtown Cincinnati (are we tired of the "views of the river" yet?).

Newport on the Levee

If you're a little too cool and edgy for the previous suggestions, OTR is the right place for you. This is Cincinnati's gentrifying&nbsp;hipster paradise. A stop at Rhinegeist brewery is highly recommended (but please don't walk there-- the neighborhood can get a little dicey). Also, The Eagle has the best chicken sandwich either of us has ever had. There are plenty of shops, restaurants, and bars to occupy those with a love of flat whites, fancy cocktails, and the phrase&nbsp;"for the 'gram."

Over-The-Rhine, Cincinnati, OH, USA

This museum has come highly recommended for those interested in the history of the Big Boy restaurant franchise. As the name suggests, this museum focuses on the history of signs and sign making across the US. Check out the website to see what goodies are in store.&nbsp;We're told that the gift shop isn't too bad either.

Didi & Michael

Didi & Michael

Photos