November 19, 2022

by Michelle Boudin  |  photographs by Dawn Marie Photography

Chloe (Leshner) Camisa was feeling pretty stressed out in the months leading up to her November 2022 wedding — and with good reason. This was not your typical bride-to-be butterflies; this was something bigger: The couple’s chosen venue, The Ruth, was still under construction. “I was pretty nervous,” the 29-year-old says.

George Camisa, her now-husband, was too. “The biggest thing that scared us was hearing about product shortages and shipping delays,” George says. “They kept telling us it would be done on time, but then we’d go by and look at it and it looked far from finished. It was just an empty, old warehouse.”

Their fears dissolved when The Ruth opened in September. The newlyweds were only the 12th couple to be married at the new Wesley Heights space from Beau Monde Venues. They booked it in December 2021 based on a mood board, a great rate and a promise that construction would be complete on time.

“We’ve been to a lot of weddings in Charlotte and wanted something that wasn’t one of the typical places,” Chloe says. “The mood board just had this cool boho, garden vibe. It seemed like it would be simple and elegant.”

George moved to the Queen City in 2017 to work with Pulte Homes, and Chloe arrived in 2019 to take a job as a reporter for WCNC-TV. Each of them originally planned to stay in Charlotte for only a few years. “But we both fell in love with Charlotte — and then each other,” Chloe says. The two met through mutual friends, one of whom ended up marrying them. 

“We weren’t going to go the religious route, so we wanted somebody who knew us both well. I loved the idea of Hunter [Saenz], because he was instrumental in us getting together,” Chloe says. Saenz, who met Chloe when both worked at the same TV station, began the ceremony with some levity, joking, “Who better to marry a Jew and a Catholic than a gay?” 

The ceremony took place outside in late November — another risky choice — but the chilly temperatures didn’t dampen the affair.

The bride wore a stunning beaded sleeveless dress from Anjolique Bridal in Cornelius, but she wasn’t sure it would arrive in time for the big day. The dress was a Ukrainian brand, and a few weeks after Chloe placed her order, Russia invaded the eastern European nation. The company was forced to halt production and move operations to Poland, Chloe says. In the end, her dress arrived earlier than expected. “There was a little Ukrainian flag sewn in, and that became my something blue.”

That was just one of many special details at the wedding. The couple had cocktail napkins designed with their beloved rescue pup, Otto, on them that read, “Drinks on me, Love, Otto.” A friend brought the Rottweiler mix dressed in a specialty tux to Romare Bearden Park for a quick photo shoot before the ceremony.

Despite all the uncertainty leading up to the big day, Chloe says it was everything she’d hoped for. “It was truly my vision come to life,” she says.

“It was the best night of my life,” George adds. “I didn’t expect it to be that awesome and fun. If it was up to me, I would get married in the backyard with our closest friends and family… I was blown away.”

Chloe agrees. “We had all of our favorite people in one room, and it was just the coolest.”  SP

We do! Love weddings, that is. Want to see your wedding featured in the pages of SouthPark or our special Weddings by SouthPark publication? Email weddings@southparkmagazine.com with an event description and photos for consideration.