Wedding Wednesday:
Gisella & Chris — A Love Story Made for the Stage

Some love stories feel like they were written for the stage.

For Gisella “Gigi” and Chris, that is almost literally true.

The two first met in high school while performing in West Side Story. Chris was a senior with one of the leads, and Gigi was a freshman in the ensemble. Gigi had grown up around classical music, theater and the arts, and she was immediately captivated by Chris’s voice. She developed a huge crush on him.

What she didn’t know at the time was that Chris thought she was pretty cute too.

Then life moved forward. Chris graduated, Gigi still had three years of high school ahead of her, and their paths went in different directions.

But years later, theater found a way to bring them back together.

The Stage Brings Them Back

Gigi’s father had encouraged her to participate in a community theater production. One night, while she was performing, she looked out into the audience and noticed someone familiar sitting in the front row.

Chris.

Later backstage, Gigi was talking with her castmates and discovered that Chris’s sister was performing in the show with her. Her number eventually made its way to him, and after all those years, the two finally went on their first date.

Chris picked Gigi up at her parents’ house, they grabbed coffee at Dunkin’, and went for a walk by the beach.

As they walked and talked, Gigi reached over and linked her arm through his.

Chris immediately started blushing.

No one had ever done that to him before.

The conversation came easily, and they both realized there was much more they wanted to know about each other. Chris even tried to go in for a kiss.

Gigi stopped him sweetly.

“I don’t kiss on the first date.”

She made up for it on the second.

Knowing They Had Found Their Person

The moments when they each realized the relationship was something special were simple ones.

For Chris, it was a quiet night at home. Gigi fell asleep in his arms while they were watching a movie, and he knew she was the one.

For Gigi, it happened during a trip to New York City. They spent what she remembers as a perfect day together, and somewhere in that day, she knew too.

Years later, Chris planned a proposal that was full of the people Gigi loved most.

The couple had just returned from a cruise, and Gigi believed they were simply getting ready to go to brunch with her parents and sisters. Chris had been encouraging her to get her nails done, but never explained why.

She didn’t question it.

After her nail appointment, Chris brought her to her parents’ house and asked her to put on a blindfold because he had a surprise.

Gigi had absolutely no idea what was happening.

Chris led her into the backyard and removed the blindfold. She found herself surrounded by roses, family and friends.

Then Chris got down on one knee.

Gigi was so overwhelmed with happy tears that it took her about 30 seconds to answer.

It became one of the happiest days of her life.

Creating a First Dance That Felt Like Them

When it came time to plan their wedding, Gigi and Chris knew they wanted more than simply swaying back and forth for their first dance.

Both had danced in musical theater during their school years, but ballroom and partner dancing were something different.

They wanted a dance that felt like a production — something emotional, theatrical and completely their own.

They chose a song that had already been part of their love story: “I Do Believe in Fairies” from the 2003 film Peter Pan.

The movie has always held a special place in both of their hearts, and the song had been chosen since the time of their proposal.

Still, before their first lesson, they were nervous.

Their biggest concern was whether they would be able to keep up with the choreography.

That fear disappeared quickly.

They were surprised by how naturally they began picking things up and, even more, by how much creativity and excitement their instructors brought to the process.

“It truly felt like they were building a masterpiece.”

A Little Wedding Magic at Fred Astaire Shelton

Gigi and Chris originally chose Fred Astaire Dance Studios of Shelton because it was close to the apartment where they were living at the time.

What they found once they arrived became one of their favorite parts of the entire experience.

They loved getting to know the instructors, meeting other students and seeing the different talents everyone brought into the studio.

“The magic the Shelton studio creates is unmatched,” they said.

Their lessons also made wedding planning more enjoyable.

With every new step they learned, they felt more excited to check another item off the wedding-planning list. It became something they could look forward to together rather than another obligation.

They even noticed themselves moving differently outside the studio and said the lessons gave them another way to keep learning about each other.

For Gigi and Chris, one person in particular became closely tied to the experience.

“Amanda was our Fairy Godmother,” they said. “She brought so much magic to this dance for us.”

They loved that the instructors were genuinely excited about creating the dance with them. Every time they performed it in the studio, they said they could see everyone’s “inner child smile happily” for them.

Learning to Fly

Their favorite part of the routine was also one of its biggest moments: the lift.

Gigi would throw her head back while Chris picked her up, creating the feeling that they were flying together.

It was the perfect moment for a couple dancing to music from Peter Pan.

By the time the wedding arrived, both of them felt a mix of nerves and excitement.

They were thinking about their steps, hoping they wouldn’t slip, and wondering how everything would feel once the music actually started.

Then the song began.

Their favorite memories from the wedding day are still difficult for them to choose between: Gigi’s entrance, their first kiss, and their first dance.

The dance, however, definitely made an impression on their guests.

Family and friends could not stop talking about it afterward. People watched the video for days.

Gigi and Chris had been telling everyone all along that their first dance was going to be a full production.

Apparently, no one quite believed them until they saw it.

Bringing Their Love to Life

Looking back, Gigi and Chris describe their first dance in a way that captures exactly what made it so meaningful.

“Our first dance was so special because it came from our hearts. You could see our inner child dancing with each other on that floor that night.”

That is also why they so strongly recommend wedding dance lessons to other couples.

In their words, unless you are already a professional dancer, why settle for simply swaying back and forth when your first dance can become a way to bring your love to life?

For Gigi and Chris, that is exactly what happened.

From West Side Story to Peter Pan, from a high school crush to a chance reunion years later, and from a walk by the beach to husband and wife flying together across the dance floor, their story has always had a little bit of stage magic in it.

Their favorite memory together so far may be their honeymoon in Italy, but married life is just beginning.

What are they looking forward to most?

“The adventure of every day. Loving each other and guiding each other.”

We are so grateful Fred Astaire Dance Studios of Shelton got to play a small part in such a joyful chapter of their story.

Congratulations, Gigi and Chris!

Whether you’re dreaming of a romantic first dance, a mother/son or father/daughter dance, a bridal party routine, or something completely unique, we love helping couples create a dance that feels like their story — and bring their love to life on the dance floor.