THE owners of Langley Castle Hotel married in the 'magnificent setting' of the castle grounds.
Dr Mariann Drago became the newest Baroness of Langley on December 3 2023 when she married Dr Stuart Madnick, the owner of the 14th-century luxury wedding venue, Langley Castle Hotel and Restaurant in Langley-on-Tyne, Hexham.
The last two Barons of Langley were Edward Radcliffe and James Radcliffe, beheaded in 1705 and 1716, respectively, following their support for the Jacobite cause, and their properties and titles were seized by the Crown.
Dr Stuart Madnick, 79, received the title of Baron of Langley from the Crown, almost 300 years later, in 2007. Upon their wedding, Dr Mariann Madnick, 74, became the most recent Baroness of Langley.
Mariann, a neuropsychologist, luxury real estate developer and superintendent of schools in the United States of America, met Stuart, a professor of information technology and cybersecurity and entrepreneur, at an exhibit of artefacts from Machu Picchu at the Boca Raton Museum in Florida, USA.
Stuart proposed during dinner at the Tavern restaurant at The Wick Theatre in Boca Raton, before the performance of the musical Cinderella.
The singer performing the Fairy Godmother role started the proposal by singing "At Last."
The magic of the castle on the wedding day's snowy morning provided a magnificent setting for the wedding ceremony and events.
The bride and groom had two sets of outfits for their wedding day. For the ceremony and wedding breakfast, Mariann wore a Mikado silk dress with a cathedral-length mantilla and silk and satin cape, made and sewn by Atelier Eme from Rome, Italy.
Her groom wore Cinque Pezzi, a white formal morning attire, made by Carnevali Spose, also from Rome.
Mariann's second outfit for the evening soiree was a modernization of the Royal Stuart ballgown made of silk, designed and made by the bride, to match Stuart, who wore a formal Prince Charlie jacket and Royal Stuart tartan kilt.
Stuart's best men were Howard Madnick, one of his sons, and Dr Kyle Berliner, son of the bride. Groomsmen were Stuart's son Michael Madnick and Benjamin Madnick, his grandson.
Maids of honour were Dr Aria Berliner, daughter of the bride and Lynne Madnick, daughter of the groom. Bridesmaids were Kathleen Connolly, Mariann's best friend, while the junior bridesmaid was Alexandra Poczak, granddaughter of the groom.
The dresses of all black silk were consistent with a black-tie wedding. The flower girl was Freida Drago, niece of the bride, wearing a white dress.
Silk flowers were crafted by Fiona Winn, creative director of Great British Bash. Fresh flowers were from Catherine at Green and Gathered.
The reception was held in Langley Castle's drawing room, while the wedding breakfast and evening soiree was held in the Stuart Suite.
Eighty-four guests attended, of which 68 travelled from America or Canada.
Guests received wedding favours of specially crafted shortbread, with the hand-painted family crest, by Sandy Young of the Cake Garden, presented in window boxes with satin ribbon.
Two wedding cakes were created for the occasion. The cake for the wedding breakfast was a three-tiered fondant wedding cake with hand-made sugar orchids by Sandy Young of the Cake Garden.
The cake for the evening soiree was a model of Langley Castle, made by Graham Venus of Sticky Sponge Cake Studio.
During the evening soiree, guests were asked to proceed outside, to witness a tremendous firework display, with music, which lit the skies over Langley Castle.
The couple's first dance was "The Wonder of You" sung by an Elvis Presley impersonator. He sang several songs before the band started and handed out red roses to the women.
Guests were greeted by Stevie the Bagpiper, whose music could be heard throughout the castle grounds. Meanwhile, the music for the ceremony, wedding breakfast, and evening soiree was provided by the Aptitude six-piece band.
As a special attraction, the bride's brother, Bud Drago's band, played several songs.
Mariann and Stuart's honeymoon was on the Palace on Wheels, a luxury train travelling through northern India with stops at important places, such as the Taj Mahal.
The wedding videographer was One Digital Image Ltd. Chris and Janet Hughes are award-winning wedding filmmakers from Hexham.
The photographer was Alan Mason of Allan Mason Photography.
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