Annapolis couple's wedding filmed for WE TV show

Cupid has been busy around town lately.

Just days after contest voters sent a couple from New York to Annapolis for their honeymoon, camera crews from WE TV were filming Saturday's wedding of Annapolis residents Maria Piazzola and Tom Bowman for the next season of "Platinum Weddings."

"(Annapolis) is just such a great location," said Sean Boyriven, who works with "Platinum Weddings" to pick the nuptials to be featured. "It's beautiful, it's historic. I think that really decided it for us. We like to find places that are unique, not just Los Angeles, New York or Miami. When we find a place like Annapolis, we go the extra mile."

Now in its third season, "Platinum Weddings" airs Sunday nights as part of the WE Go Bridal night, and features weddings that go above and beyond in elegance and extravagance.

"I was excited about the prospect for sure," said Ms. Piazzola. "I didn't think we had a good chance of being chosen, though, so I was surprised."

She said she enjoyed watching previous episodes of the show and didn't think her wedding was extravagant enough.

"I think we were chosen more for our personality, our cute town and our theme," she said.

What really set them apart was the old-world, Celtic theme, according to wedding coordinator Raquel Shutt of Wedding Savvy Inc.

"We had a location to transform," she said.

The wedding ceremony was held on the veranda at the Annapolis Marriott facing the Naval Academy dome, under a tent and enclosed with elegant drapings. The veranda was floored with black carpet, and faux crystal chandeliers gave the lighting.

The Celtic theme came through in the colors - mahogany chairs and purple linens - and a Celtic knot was stamped on the invitations and hand-painted on the custom dance floor.

"I love Irish music. I remember looking at different venues and dreaming about getting married in an Irish or Scottish castle," Ms. Piazzola said. "I made up something original, and it ended up being beautiful."

It was Ms. Shutt's idea to send in the application for "Platinum Weddings." A co-worker mentioned the show, and she immediately thought of Ms. Piazzola and Mr. Bowman. The couple had already participated in photo shoots for a bridal fair, and both had participated in stage productions.

Ms. Shutt used her home video camera and filmed the couple telling their love story and describing the wedding plans. One week before the wedding, they learned they had been selected.

"I think the most amazing part of this whole thing is that we only found out (Aug. 29)," Ms. Shutt said. "Everyone had to completely drop everything to make this happen. It's been a lot of fun."

A "Platinum Wedding" camera crew arrived on Sept. 2. They interviewed Ms. Piazzola and Mr. Bowman separately and together; they filmed a dress fitting, cake tasting and a walk-through of the Marriott. They filmed Ms. Piazzola picking jewelry with her mother and a design meeting, and spent a whole day filming historic Annapolis.

Three camera crews filmed the wedding.

"I found out, and thought wow, I better find some new outfits," Ms. Piazzola said. "I was quite nervous. I woke up at 3 a.m. the first day of taping; I was so nervous."

But she quickly got used to it.

"As soon as they were gone I kind of missed them," she said.

Ms. Piazzola has lived in Annapolis for five years and met Mr. Bowman at the Ebb Tide Tavern. He was living in Chestertown at the time.

"It was love at first sight," she said.

Mr. Bowman took her back to the Ebb Tide when he proposed, taking her on stage to sing a karaoke duet, staging a "technical malfunction" and taking the opportunity to publicly sing of his love for her.

"We had a karaoke romance, and we sang our first dance," Ms. Piazzola said.

The Piazzola-Bowman episode of "Platinum Weddings" is scheduled to run next season, probably in July, and Ms. Piazzola thinks she'll have a party to watch it.

"It was something extra-special to remember the wedding festivities by," she said.