Category Archives: Culture

Not Just Any Gay Wedding…

October 25, 2020 romicortier@yahoo.com 4 Comments

When is a gay wedding more than just a gay wedding? When your husband to be has had a 30 year dream of getting married in Venice, Italy since the age of 11. Love means you’ll do just about anything to make it happen. After all, isn’t that what love is about, making your fiancés dreams come true. Our worldly guest list included friends from Chicago, Texas, Washington, California, Fiji and Australia. Yes our peeps flew half way around the world for us. #Blessed

After our glorious nuptials under the baroque fresco, we wanted to give our guests a fun photo op while the Ridotto Ballroom was being redressed for dinner. We’d designed our own step and repeat and had it installed in the adjoining Crozzola room. We added a prop table that included an assortment of Venetian masks and Chinese fans. ‘Dynasty poses’ are something we adore doing in our photo ops. Strike a pose, throw in a little attitude, and viola!

Step and Repeat — David Stanko and Ms. Ibay, Hotel Monaco & Grand Canal, Venice, Italy #RomiAndReciosVenetianWedding

First Lady of Fiji Natalie Marletta and Husband Ben Tedrick, Hotel Monaco & Grand Canal, Venice, Italy #RomiAndReciosVenetianWedding

The Taylors — Mr. & Mrs. Taylor, Ridotto Ballroom, Venice, Italy #RomiAndReciosVenetianWedding

Once the Ridotto was reset, our guests flooded back in, found their tables, and prepared for the continuation of the festivities. Recio and I burst into spontaneous dance as we re- entered the ballroom and made our way to our table. Recio decided to throw in a little twerking, and our guests went wild.

As the evening progressed We had many of the traditional moments. Our first dance, speeches from our best men, our personal speeches, a champagne toast, and the cutting of the cake.

First Date — Romi Cortier, Recio Young, Ridotto Ballroom, Venice, Italy #RomiAndReciosVenetianWedding

Best Man — Isaiah Young, Romi Cortier, Recio Young, Ridotto Ballroom, Venice, Italy #RomiAndReciosVenetianWedding

The Best Man — Best man David Stanko, Ridotto Ballroom, Venice, Italy, #RomiAndReciosVenetianWedding

The cutting of the cake was a moment that we couldn’t wait to share with our guests, because we had a little surprise in store for them. We, yes Recio and I, were the cake topper. My best man David Stanko had taken us to Doob 3D as a wedding gift. In their photo studio we held a pose in a round room, filled with 75 cameras. A single flash gave them a digital 3D file. Six weeks later we received our little statue in the mail. It was a total show stopper!! After the big reveal our guests were jockeying to take photos of it, especially with the two of us standing behind it. Even the Hotel staff lost their minds when they pulled it out of the box… I’d forgotten to mention that it was literally ‘us’ as the cake topper. Thank you David for one of the best moments of the evening, and for helping us make this a spectacular gay wedding.

Cake Topper — Recio Young, Romi Cortier, Ridotto Ballroom, Venice, Italy #RomiAndReciosVenetianWedding

Hotel Monaco & Grand Canal

Here’s the moment we danced into the ballroom. A huge thank you to our camera man Andrea Rizzo for creating this fantastic video.

Culture, Travel

Our Marriage in the Ridotto Ballroom

October 18, 2020 romicortier@yahoo.com 2 Comments

Well… our moment has arrived. After nine months of planning, it’s finally time to enter the Ridotto Ballroom and join our hands in marriage. We ascend the stairs and join our families. Pachelbel’s Canon in D Major plays, as we’re escorted to the stage, me by my aunt and Recio by his mom.

Making an Entrance — Romi Cortier and Recio Young, Hotel Monaco and Grand Canal, Venice, Italy, #RomiAndReciosVenetianWedding

Walking — Ms.Bigelow and Romi Cortier, Ridotto Ballroom, Venice, Italy, #RomiAndReciosVenetianWedding

Recio's Mom — Ms. Young and Recio Young, Ridotto Ballroom, Venice, Italy #RomiAndReciosVenetianWedding

We join our guests under the baroque fresco with our celebrant, Fabio Moresco. We’re joined on stage by my two sisters, and my best man, David Stanko. Recio’s son Isaiah is his best man, and his brothers Evan, Dillan and Jonathan are his groomsmen.

Fabio greets our guests and begins our ceremony: This meeting and this love are what bring us together today. The uniting of these two friends to establish a new family is an important and memorable event. It brings together two separate families and backgrounds and creates a union that is a sign of hope in the midst of a troubled society.

Celebrant Fabio Moresco, Recio Young and Romi Cortier, Ridotto Ballroom, Venice, Italy #RomiAndReciosVenetianWedding

Traditionally, the passage to the status of married couple is marked by the exchange of rings. These rings are symbols of the unbroken circle of love. Love freely given has no beginning and no end, no giver and no receiver for each is the giver and each is the receiver.

The Ring — Romi Cortier and Recio Young, Ridotto Ballroom, Venice, Italy #RomiAndReciosVenetianWedding

And now, Romi and Recio have declared before all of us that they will live together in marriage. They have made special promises to each other. They have symbolized it by joining hands, taking vows, exchanging rings and by signing their wedding certificate.

Handshake — Romi Cortier and Recio Young, Ridotto Ballroom, Venice, Italy #RomiAndReciosVenetianWedding

By the authority vested in me by the State of ITALY, I now pronounce that you are HUSBAND and HUSBAND. You may kiss each other!

The Kiss — Recio Young and Romi Cortier, Ridotto Ballroom, Venice, Italy #RomiAndReciosVenetianWedding

The room explodes in applause and we exit the stage to our favorite song… the DYNASTY theme song. There may have been a few laughs too.

Victorious — Romi Cortier and Recio Young, Ridotto Ballroom, Venice, Italy #RomiAndReciosVenetianWedding

We are so grateful to all of our friends and family who traveled half way around the world to join us, bearing witness to our nuptials. As it turns out, our wedding was the first gay wedding held in the Ridotto Ballroom. As I mentioned earlier, this was the first casino in all of Europe where famed ladies man Casanova gambled and smoked opium with courtesans, before being tossed into jail for not paying his gambling debts. It was was also the seat of the French embassy after being conquered by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1797, and lastly a glamorous ballroom during the Austrian Empire. Therefore, we were a historic wedding, in a historic space. Love wins is not just a hashtag, but a way of being. Thank you Venice for treating us so beautifully and making us feel like family. You will forever be in our hearts.

Wedding Party — Ms. Bigelow, Ms. Puckett, David Stanko, Romi Cortier, Fabio Moresco, Recio Young, Isaiah Young, Evan Beyne, Dillan Beyne and Jonathan Brewster, Ridotto Ballroom, Venice, Italy #RomiAndReciosVenetianWedding

Satin Dresses — Romi Cortier and Recio Young, Ridotto Ballroom, Venice, Italy #RomiAndReciosVenetianWedding

Hotel Monaco and Grand Canal

Culture, Travel

Our Wedding Photos at Piazza San Marco

October 11, 2020 romicortier@yahoo.com 2 Comments

Our 8 hour wedding event began with a 30 minute gondola ride before arriving in Piazza San Marco. Our gondolier took us out into the Grand Canal, passing by the Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute, a masterpiece of Baroque architecture built in 1687. We turned onto a smaller canal enjoying the tranquility of the nearly empty canals before arriving back at the Hotel Monaco and Grand Canal. It was our private time to reconnect, to get centered, and to remind ourselves to stay in the moment. We wanted to be present and take in all of the beauty that was about to unfold.

Romi Cortier and Recio Young, Venice Canal, Italy, #RomiAndReciosVenetianWedding

Gondola — Romi Cortier and Recio, Grand Canal, Venice, Italy, #RomiAndReciosVenetianWedding

Once on solid ground we walked over to the Piazza San Marco, mixing with the tourists on the street. Everyone around us could feel the excitement and the magic… because these bespoke chinoiserie tuxedos weren’t about to be ignored.

Venice Stroll — Recio Young and Romi Cortier, Venice, Italy, #RomiAndReciosVenetianWedding

We stopped in front of the Good Luck Centurion… because it’s good luck to touch his belly.

Romi Cortier and Recio Young, Venetian Crest, Venice, Italy, #RomiAndReciosVenetianWedding

From there we entered the famed Piazza. Walking hand in hand took on a new meaning as we passed by tourists. Some smiled and waved, some took photos, and some seemed a bit startled. This little square draws people from all around the world… I had to wonder, was gay marriage legal where they were from? In that moment, I realized that we were making a political statement. A huge statement. So much larger than I’d ever imagined. I wasn’t trying to be a political activist, just a guy marrying the guy he loves. So I held his hand a little tighter, and was grateful for this extraordinary opportunity.

Recio Young and Romi Cortier, Piazza San Marco, Venice, Italy #RomiAndReciosVenetianWedding

We paused in front of the Doge’s Palace to take in the beautiful views of the Lagoon. It was the perfect mid September day, not to hot and not to cold. The iconic gothic details date back to 1340 and are recognized around the world. I feel so lucky that we could have this beautiful moment in front of it, becoming apart of its nearly 700 years of history.

The Hug — Romi Cortier and Recio Young, Piazza San Marco, Venice, Italy, #RomiAndReciosVenetianWedding

We stole a kiss in front St. Mark’s Basilica, the Italio-Byzantine church we’d visited months earlier for Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve. The gold mosaic ceilings inside are beyond breathtaking.

The opulent lace like arches with their gold hues, look a bit like a crown in this photo. I know we certainly felt like royalty on this day. Once we were finished in Piazza San Marco, we headed over to the Ridotto Ballroom to begin our fairytale wedding…

Saint Mark's Basilica — Romi Cortier and Recio Young, Piazza San Marco, Venice, Italy, Photo: Wladimiro Speranzoni #RomiAndReciosVenetianWedding

One of our wedding photographers, Andrea Rizzo, created this stunning video of the empty streets and canals of Venice, during initial lockdown due to Covid19. We hope you’ll watch it, it’s breathtakingly beautiful.

Architecture, Culture, Interior Design, Travel

Designing my Venetian Wedding

October 4, 2020 romicortier@yahoo.com Leave a comment

Designing a Venetian Wedding is no small task, especially when you’re doing it from half way around the world. Since there’s no room for error, everything must be thought through as completely as possible.

Begin with a solid floor plan. You’ll need to be clear on how you want to move through the space. Where will you sit? How do you want your guests to see you? What will be behind you? A mirror, a draped window, a baroque water fountain? Think about what will happen when the camera’s flash. Will your photo white out because of the glass window or mirror behind you reflecting the flash? You’ve only got one chance to get it right, so it’s important to minimize the possibility of mistakes. These drawings were my springboard for the event. They helped me decide on things like lighting, fabrics, candelabras and even camera angles.

Wedding Drawings — Design drawings and floor plans

Our wedding took place in a renowned historic space in Venice, Italy, the Ridotto Ballroom. Located in the Hotel Monaco and Grand Canal, it sits on the edge of the famed lagoon and faces the Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute. Built in 1638 by the Dandolo family, the public gaming room was Europes first casino and was frequented by famed ladies man Casanova. We love this space, and what makes it special to us is the authentic Baroque ceiling fresco. It’s very similar to one that hangs over the shampoo bowl of my hair salon in the Hancock Park neighborhood of LA.

Ceiling Mural — Ridotto Ballroom, 1638, Hotel Monaco and Grand Canal, Venice, Italy

The wedding decor was guided by the two color palettes in the room: The warm tones of the terrazzo floors, peach walls and gold trim, and the cool tones of the ceiling fresco. The ceiling fresco is the focal point of the room, and I wanted to bring that color down to eye level by covering the table tops in an iridescent ice blue fabric. After weeks and weeks of clipping fabric samples from nearly every fabric store in Los Angeles, I created these sample boards of colors.

Blue Color Palette — Venetian Wedding Fabric Samples in Blue

Gold Table Swag — Gold Table swag prototype, designed by Romi Cortier, for his Venetian Wedding

Warm Toned Fabrics — Host table fabrics for Romi’s Venetian Wedding

I wanted a little something ‘extra’ for the guest tables. So I chose one of my original floral paintings and had it printed onto fabric. After finding the right fabric that wouldn’t wrinkle or curl up, it was cut it into a circle and trimmed with gold fringe. I chose tall candelabras for the tables because of the ceiling height. I had the flowers arranged not at the base, but up towards the top by the candles. This allowed the guests to be able to see across the table and again helped add volume higher up in the room.

Table Centerpiece, Designed by Romi Cortier for his Venetian Wedding

I also created accent pillows from my original bird paintings, trimmed them in fringe, and then tossed them around the room for added color. I wanted to capture the feeling of an imaginary Venetian garden with birds, butterflies, and flowers.

Blue Jay Pillow — Blue Jay pillow for Romi Cortier’s Venetian Wedding

Construction of all of these items took far longer to complete than I expected. My seamstress was working at her own pace… perfection takes time. I’m so glad that I gave myself extra time for these bespoke items. Ultimately it was worth the wait.

Tablecloths with Tassels — Bespoke tablecloths designed by Romi Cortier, for his Venetian Wedding

I chose Venetian masks and Chinese fans as party favors. I knew the room might be hot… and it was. The fans were a life saver for this elegant soiree.

The final factor for the wedding was the lighting. As you can see above, the marble columns and inset panels are very grey during the day. Because our event was going to be 8 hours long, we needed to create a continuous mood throughout the event. I wanted it to glow with warm pink tones late into the evening. Thanks to digital lighting effects, we had exceptional mood lighting for the entire evening.

Ridotto Ballroom, Hotel Monaco and Grand Canal — Romi and Recio’s Venetian Wedding, Hotel Monaco and Grand Canal, Venice, Italy

Ridotto Ballroom, Venice, Italy — Romi and Recio’s Venetian Wedding, Hotel Monaco and Grand Canal, Venice, Italy

Architecture, Art, Culture

The Artistry Inside Notre Dame

May 5, 2019 romicortier@yahoo.com Leave a comment

Artistry inside Notre Dame, Paris, December 2018, Photo Romi Cortier — The artistry inside Notre Dame, Paris, December 2018, Photo Romi Cortier

The artistry inside of Notre Dame was something that I’d pretty much taken for granted, until the recent fire on April 15, 2019. In fact, I’m sure most of us took it for granted up until that day. To quote my friend Leigh Bardugo, author of Shadow & Bone, Six of Crows, and King of Scars: You leave a place, certain you will return, certain it will outlive you, reassured by the permanence of stone. I didn’t realize this was a friend I would never meet again.

When my sister texted me about the fire on the morning of the 15th, I reassured her that it probably wasn’t that big of deal, because the cathedral was made of stone. I didn’t understand that the roof was made from 800 year old trees, and that the framing supporting the stone was also made from wood.

As I looked back over the photos that I’d taken on December 28th, 2018, I began to notice something telling… red fire extinguishers. They’re so easy to miss when you’re being wowed by stained glass windows and hand painted walls and ceilings. But there they were, hiding in plain sight. As it turns out, it was a well known fact that fire was a huge threat to the structure. No electrical apparatus were allowed near the roof, for fear that any spark could easily set the structure ablaze.

As I’m sure you know, money has poured in for the rebuilding of Notre Dame, totaling over $1 billion within the first week. Now the conversation has begun about how long it will take to rebuild, what the new spire should look like, and of course who should design it. I’ve seen articles online exploring high concept ideas such as repurposing the roof with a greenhouse for growing food and educating students. The previous spire was a 19th century add on, however to the untrained eye, it also appeared to be centuries old like the rest of the cathedral.

I know how progressive the French are when it comes to their architecture, particularly when viewed through the lense of history. The Eiffel Tower, completed in 1889, was built for the 1889 Worlds Fair and was not meant to be a permanent structure. It was intended to be dismantled after 20 years in 1909, when its ownership reverted back to the City of Paris. If I also remember my history correctly, it was also the first ‘undraped metal building’. Prior to this, metal only served as a support system for concrete or brick buildings. Therefore, it was quite controversial in its day, and was boycotted my many prior to its completion.

Another example of French craftsmanship is the Statue of Liberty, designed by Frederic Auguste Bartholdi in 1886. The original stands on Liberty Island Manhattan, in New York, and its metal framework was also built by Gustave Eiffel. Three years later in 1889, a smaller replica was given to France, by American citizens living in France, to commemorate the 100 year anniversary of the French Revolution.

Statue of Liberty and Eiffel Tower, seen from the Seine River, Photo Romi Cortier — Statue of Liberty and Eiffel Tower, seen from the Seine River, Paris, France, Photo Romi Cortier

I go down this rabbit hole to make a point. These structures all look very old to our modern day eye, but during the time of their construction, they were forward thinking and quite avant garde. Every generation has its construction techniques and tools, as well as its favored building materials. Over the last 20 years or so, our generations biggest design tool is the computer. It will be very interesting to observe how the French choose to move forward with this process of redesign. The modernity of the I.M. Pei Pyramid certainly works in the midst of the Baroque buildings that it marries together. I can only say that I hope I live long enough to see how the story of Notre Dame turns out.

Where Art Inspires Beauty