The St Regis Hotel

“She couldn’t stop
jumping up and down. We were so excited
about the next phase of our lives.”
>
YELENA CHZHAN
AND ANDREW KANTARZHI
APRIL 18, ‘13
MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA
feature wedding :
Fresh out of college in May 2006, Andrew
Kantarzhi was not looking for love. A contractor working at the time in Almaty, Kazakhstan,
a former province of the Soviet Union, he was far
from his hometown of San Francisco and admits he didn’t think
much about the double date his friends had planned for him. But
everything changed when he met native, Yelena Chzhan.
“We were from different cultures,” Andrew, who is fluent in Russian,
recalls of their first meeting. “Still, we had so much in common.”
In 2010, when Andrew was transferred to Moscow, Yelena joined
him. Yet, it wouldn’t be until 2012 that he would officially make his
move toward marriage.
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Upon the breaking of the glass, at the conclusion of their vows, fireworks kicked off
the after party.
A quintet greeted the couple’s two hundred guests during cocktail hour overlooking
the Miami skyline. The Astor Ballroom later
served as the space for a decadent seven-course
dinner followed by late night munchies.
Not ones to stay on the sidelines, the
bride and groom relished in numerous opportunities to join the twelve-piece band
onstage throughout the evening.
“We were blessed that everything went so
well,” Andrew says. “Virtually everyone we
“It wasn’t something we had talked about
initially,” he says. “But, as we grew older,
we knew we wanted to be together.”
Determined to make the proposal a surprise, Andrew plotted with Yelena’s cousin
to get all the logistics right in preparation
for a family celebration taking place back
in Almaty. Andrew revealed his intention at
the end of dinner on Yelena’s birthday on
bended knee.
“She couldn’t stop jumping up and down,”
he laughs. “We were so excited about the next
phase of our lives.”
Tasked with planning a wedding event for
guests from around the world, Andrew and
Yelena soon agreed on hosting their event in
Bal Harbour, Florida, a locale roughly midway between California and Kazakhstan.
The St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort, a luxurious oceanfront property brimming with Art
love from around the world made such
efforts to be with us on our day.”
For their honeymoon, the couple spent
two weeks enjoying Playa del Carmen in
Cancun, Mexico.
> Written by Dina M. Cortez
For more feature weddings and resources visit
WeddingStyleMagazine.com
Location, Caterer and Cake: The St. Regis Bal
Harbour Resort Bal Harbour, FL; Event Design and
Planner: Nelya Srulovich, FloralArt + Décor
Burlingame, CA; Floral Design: Absolute Flowers
Miami, FL; Linen: Over The Top Fort Lauderdale,
FL; Rentals: Bubble Miami Hollywood, FL; Lighting:
ARPI Events Miami, FL; Wedding Dress and Veil:
Lazaro; Bride’s Shoes: Badgley Mischka; Groom’s
Tuxedo: Ermenegildo Zegna; Groom’s Shoes:
Salvatore Ferragamo; Cinematography: Diego
Pocoví Event Cinematographer Miami, FL;
Photography: Haring Photography Miami, FL
Deco décor and modern design elements,
was chosen as the backdrop for their formal
event plans.
It was a cool spring evening when Yelena
made her bridal debut amongst a spray of
sparklers on an elevated wedding runway
wearing a gown by Lazaro. She had tracked
down the dress in Tampa after initial
searches left her wanting something more
complementary to her petite frame.
“It was not the first dress I tried on,” she
admits. “But, I always knew it was ‘the one’
when I saw it in a magazine.”
White orchids, roses and peonies bundled in
acrylic containers lined the path. Andrew awaited his bride under the custom-made chuppah.
“We both appreciated the tradition and
the beauty of the customs that were part of
our ceremony,” says the groom.
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