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Our Bride of the Year ties the knot with her groom. Follow their adventure, and pick up some ideas for your own celebration.

It goes without saying that two New York actors would pull off nothing less than a dramatic wedding. Back in January, Erika La Vonn and Kaleo Griffith wowed us with their entry to our Bride of the Year and Her Dream Home™ contest - a storybook tale, complete with photographs, of their at-times-long-distance romance and Kaleo’s down-on-one-knee proposal at the Rockefeller Center ice-skating rink.

Since then, they’ve graced the pages of Bridal Guide magazine through each step of their exciting engagement: selecting their wedding attire and filling their home with new appliances, china, crystal and furniture - all part of their contest winnings. Now, take a front-and-center seat at their four-star celebration.

This time, with some help from our contest sponsors, Erika and Kaleo wowed their guests, many in town from afar for a Big Apple weekend. Guests from across the country spent a couple of days taking in the city’s offerings - shopping, restaurants, sightseeing and, of course, the theater! Erika arranged for family and friends to see the Broadway hit, The Lion King, in which she performs. 'The night we were there, Erika played several roles - I was so proud of her,' says her aunt, Evelyn Kelley. 'Afterward, we went backstage, and I was able to tell her so, right then. Even though it was almost her wedding day, she did an outstanding job.' But at the end of the weekend came the real showstopper: a heartfelt ceremony and a hearty celebration.

Park Avenue Wedding

Act One began on a chilly Sunday evening in February at the Central Presbyterian Church on Park Avenue, originally built in 1921. While New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani waited at the front of the church to officiate, and an all-smiles Kaleo anticipated his bride’s arrival, Leonard Woolridge - a fellow Lion King cast member - boomed out a soulful 'Ave Maria' that echoed up to the church’s rafters. Then, 90 heads turned as a beaming Erika walked down the aisle on her father’s arm, a scallop-edged floor-length veil trailing gracefully behind.

As Erika and Kaleo lit their unity candle, Mayor Giuliani read an adapted Irish blessing that closed with, 'And may the sun shine upon you and warm your hearts until it glows like a great fire, so that others may feel the warmth of your love for one another.' Several sniffles rose softly from the pews. As in the theatre, a few tears of joy at a wedding are always a good sign! At ceremony’s end, a trio sang a sweet rendition of the Indigo Girls’ folksy 'Power of Two': 'Adding up the total of a love that’s true; Multiply life by the power of two.'

Eat, Drink and Be Married

Act Two opened with jazzy live music by Tavern’s in-house piano player, while guests helped themselves at cocktail and hors d’oeuvres stations. The favorites: chicken satay with spicy peanut sauce and Maryland crab cakes with mustard-seed dip. Susan Palmarini, Tavern’s assistant director of private dining and resident wedding expert, had taken on the role of director, attending to every last detail. In fact, Palmarini was our busy couple’s lifesaver during the planning: After a few initial consultations on decor and menu preferences, all they had to do was show up, and voilá - instant success.

'I’ll never forget the moment we walked into the reception,' Erika says. 'The room was just beautiful. Everywhere I looked I saw the faces of my family and friends. I’d never seen so much love and support in one place.'

Tavern on the Green’s floral designer, Paul Brummer, set a festive stage, matching off-white and blush floral decorations with the newlyweds’ bouquet and boutonniere. Vine- and orchid-covered candelabras, surrounded by fragrant winter-white flowers, stood tall on the tables - each named after a different Broadway theater - giving the room a warm, inviting glow.

'When a bride and groom come to Tavern on the Green they’re given the chance to help design the whole event,' says Palmarini. 'Not only do they choose the flowers, but also the linens on the tables, the menu and the beverages, from start to finish.' Palmarini helped our winners coordinate with executive chef Gary Coyle and banquet chef Thomas Cizak to orchestrate a fabulous four-course dinner that featured sautéed Chilean sea bass. For the grand finale, pastry chef Bruce Wynn introduced an elegant three-tier, rose-petal-covered wedding cake worthy of a standing ovation. White chocolate buttercream icing covered white cake filled with seedless raspberry jam and white chocolate mousse. Encore, encore!

Entertainment Tonight

The first dance is always a reception highlight, and guests at the wedding of our two theatrically-inclined winners surely expected something grand. But no one, including Kaleo, knew what a treat was in store when the music - a romantic Hawaiian ballad called 'E Ku’u Lei' by Brothers Cazimero - started. Erika knocked her Hawaiian-bred groom off his feet by performing a solo hula dance!

'I had been secretly taking hula lessons for a year to surprise him,' Erika says. But as the wedding day approached, the busy bride-to-be found fewer and fewer opportunities to practice. On the morning of the wedding, she got up early to squeeze in a final rehearsal. 'When the time came, I surprised myself that I went through with it. But Kaleo was shocked - he had no idea I’d learned to hula. The expression on his face, and his tears, made it all worth it.'

The dance ended with an embrace - lots of guests grabbed for the Kodak disposable cameras, scattered on tables, to capture the hug on film - and led into a slow dance to Celine Dion’s 'The Color of Love,' during which the couple’s parents were invited to join them on the dance floor.

In the Mix provided the night’s music - its DJ worked the crowd with dance hits and classic favorites, while his assistant scurried about photographing guests with a digital camera. The pictures were instantly displayed on a prominent dance-floor screen. What a great way for guests to feel included - everyone was a star!

But Kaleo announced that the digital slide show wasn’t the only interactive aspect of the evening. He proposed that guests wanting to see a nuptial kiss should brave the spotlight and take the microphone. Poetry, songs, stories and speeches were all welcome - and rewarded. Erika’s father made a speech filled with childhood anecdotes, Kaleo read a poem and one of his friends wrote a verse on the spot in homage to the occasion.

'The whole weekend was so much fun that it made us really excited for our own wedding in May,' says Kaleo’s cousin, Manu Goold, who attended with her fiancé. 'Kaleo and Erika’s wedding was so beautiful - I was really emotional the whole time.'

When the evening came to an end - the flower girl was sleepy, the cake had been eaten and the couple had visited with all of their guests - Erika and Kaleo gratefully retired to their suite at the New York Marriott Downtown Hotel for some peace and quiet. After all, even the stars of the show need to relax when the curtain goes down - if only for a brief while. The next day, the lovebirds would be up and at ’em, bags packed for a sunny Jamaica honeymoon.