Just Married: Hayley Wielgus and Max Winitz

How the couple met
In spring 2011, Hayley Wielgus was interviewing for the morning anchor position at ABC 7. Max Winitz was the only person who approached her to talk about the station. Hayley left shortly after to fly back to Texas, and by the time she got to the Sarasota airport, Max had already added her as a friend on Facebook. They stayed in touch and the two became friendly at work once she took the job. Two weeks later, Max asked Hayley to dinner. He says it wasn’t a date, but they went to a nice Italian restaurant on a Saturday night, so to Hayley, that was a date.

The proposal
On Oct. 19, 2013, Max asked Hayley to come over to watch a movie at 5 p.m. on a Saturday. It was a Texas A&M game day, so Hayley was dressed in Aggie gear and didn’t have on any makeup. She even brought over some laundry to do while they were watching the movie. Much to her surprise, she opened the door to the sound of a camera flashing. Max had asked Cliff Roles to capture the proposal. He ordered several dozen red roses and compiled a video of some of the movies that were special to them as a couple. At the end of the video, Max had a friend shoot video of him in the newsroom referencing the spot where they first met. Then Max took Hayley into his study where there were even more roses, a bottle of Dom Perignon and an engagement ring, and he got down on one knee.

The wedding
The couple was married March 7 in an outdoor ceremony at Sarasota Yacht Club. The interfaith ceremony was officiated by Pastor Joe Davis and Rabbi Harold Caminker. The reception — featuring colors of coral, seafoam green and champagne — followed inside the yacht club where the bride wanted the 110 guests to feel like they were attending an upscale party. The bride had been amassing a collection of decorations and special touches over the past year, but also felt Sarasota Yacht Club is breathtaking and didn’t need too much extra. The couple honeymooned at the Four Seasons Resort The Biltmore in Santa Barbara, Calif. following the wedding.

THE DETAILS
First dance “The Way You Look Tonight” by Frank Sinatra
Photography Naomi Chokr Photography
Dress Winnie Couture
Hair Cutting Loose Salon
Makeup Makeup Artistry by Corinne
Floral design Beneva Flowers
Cake The Short Giraffe