Alex & Ed in Pleasant Valley, NY
The bride's family's apple orchards provided the perfect cozy atmosphere for Alex and Ed's autumn affair. The Bride Alexandra (Alex) Vanikiotis , 29, pharmaceutical data manager The Groom Edward (Ed) Moussouris, 36, account executive and recruiter The Date October 9 Marathon aficionado Ed took the phrase “racing to the altar” a bit more seriously than most. He’d been dating Alex for more than five years when he decided it was time to speed things up a bit. After asking her father for permission (her father joked that it was about time), Ed dropped to one knee in front of a cheering Alex at the 26th mile marker while running the Boston Marathon. Momentarily overwhelmed, he found it hard to get the words out. But a simple, “Will you marry me? I love you,” was all Alex needed to hear and she tearfully accepted. With thousands of fans cheering with approval, they shared a Hollywood kiss before Ed took off to finish the race. “I ran away with an empty box and a full heart,” he says. “I ran faster than I ever had on the final stretch.”