OMG has it been a week already since my girl Maria Papadakis got married to the guy she’s been looking for all her life, Chris Konopka, it has. What an amazing wedding; and very intimate with only 65 people invited. What an honor to witness their special day, and to re-connect with old mutual friends and make a few new ones.

Welcome to Naples!
Maria and Christopher get married weekend
Mike and I arrived at our hotel, Inn of Naples, on Thursday and was greeted at the desk with two
lovely gift bags from the intended couple. The bag included personalized M&M’s with the initials of Chris and Maria (they were so good I ate Mike’s too), gifts, snacks, and towels for the beach party.

Come enjoy a beautiful dinner with us outside on the bay into the Gulf to get our wedding weekend started Thursday night!

Friday – Cocktails, Ceremony, & Reception at The Ritz-Carlton Naples Florida

Dress was beach chic and well Chris’ uncle wins

Folks came from all over, even from Dubai and as close as Miami, where Michael Lahoud, who met Chris Konopka when they both played for the Phila Union 2012 – 2013 travelled from. He now plays on the Miami team; Director/Producer Clayton Hansler traveled from Toronto, where Chris played for Toronto FC for a few years.

The Konopka Family

Antonis Papadourakis and Grigorios Papadourakis

John and Rachel Paz

after the ceremony and cocktail party we headed to that cute little event space on the beach, that looks like a house

For dinner

Eliana Papadakis and Maria Konopka
Katie Jelen

Mike Toub is learning to dance, thanks Jenna E. Moore, Hair Stylist at Moore is More

Marisa Magnatta, Maria and Vasiliki Tsouris

Then the groom got up to serenade his bride, and he’s a darn good singer. Sometimes he joins his brother – Ned Ryerson (r) and his band The Groundhogs at the gigs they play in South Jersey. Chris Konopka was on stage with their wedding band  Land Shark Band and Ned Ryerson on singing and on lead guitar. That’s Chris & Ned’s dad on keyboard and mom on tamburine

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Posted by Gary Roland on Saturday, January 21, 2017

OMG so glad someone had a clip of this, I accidentally deleted mine grabbing the turbulence vids on Monday and ran out of phone space & deleted previous videos including this clip of Chris’ rapping.

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Saturday – Brunch, Brews, & Beach – Pelican Bay Pool & Beach
Sunday Chris and Maria hosted 11 of us, who were still in town, on a tour of the Everglades, and Wooten’s Animal Sanctuary

Penny from Eviama Spa in Midtown Village

So fun

Congrats Mr. and Mrs. Chris and Maria Konopka.
(this last photo was taken by their photographer)