Gretchen Goldman ’06 and Tom Di Liberto ’06 enter married life on two wheels. (Michael Grace-Martin). Alumni Wed Red: Celebrating the Joys of Getting Hitched on the Hill Stories You May Like Wine Program Offers Limited-Edition Red, White to Alumni Oenophiles Alum’s Brand Offers Tasty Treats—Safe from Common Allergens Meet Some of the (Many!) Cornellians Who’ve Won the Nobel We introduce you to some of the many alums who’ve tied the knot at their alma mater—plus the basics of planning your own nuptials Editor's note: This story originally appeared in Cornell Alumni Magazine, our predecessor publication, in July / August 2016. In advance of this update, we reached out to the couples who'd been featured in it (or in a few cases, their survivors) and every single one who could be contacted via email replied that they're still together and would be happy to again share their stories and photos. The following also incorporates the Big Red love stories of some more recent grads, as well as current info on the logistics of on-campus weddings. By Beth Saulnier Classmates Alicia Duran ’21, MHA ’21, and Connor Gerlach ’21 started dating their first year on the Hill, after meeting through mutual friends. “Over the years, we spent lots of time exploring both campus and Ithaca, going to hockey games, listening to Chimes concerts, and generally doing the things that undergraduates do,” Gerlach recalls. “As soon as the topic of marriage came up, we knew that our wedding had to be at Cornell.” Anna SimonakDuran and Gerlach on their wedding day. The pair got engaged during a trip back to the Hill in 2024—they celebrated by watching the Big Red beat Princeton 5-0 in Lynah Rink—and started planning their nuptials, which were held in June 2026. They tied the knot in Sage Chapel, with the Chimes playing as they exited. After a cocktail hour on Willard Straight’s Ivy Terrace, their reception—featuring food by Cornell Catering—was held in the Memorial Room, complete with appearances by the Pep Band and East Hill’s ursine celebrity, Touchdown the Big Red Bear. “Our wedding had Cornell written all over it from start to finish,” Gerlach says, “and we would certainly not have had it any other way.” Each year, between a dozen and two dozen couples choose the Hill as their spot to tie the knot—launching their married lives from a place that’s often deeply meaningful to at least one (and often both) parties. Their celebrations often feature Cornellian touches large and small, from Chimes concerts to Cornell Dairy ice cream to photo sessions amid the elegant ironwork of Uris Library’s A.D. White Reading Room. providedThe midcentury nuptials of Shirley Dusinberre Durham ’48 and George Durham ’44, BME ’43, in Sage. While most on-campus weddings take place in one of the two chapels—the stately Sage and the more intimate and informal Anabel Taylor—couples can exchange vows at other venues, including the A.D. White House, the Big Red Barn, and even the Arts Quad. Our wedding had Cornell written all over it from start to finish, and we would certainly not have had it any other way. Connor Gerlach ’21 “To start your adult life at the University and then have this major milestone also take place there had a lot more meaning than if we just rented a hall downtown,” observes Randy Heffernan ’94, MBA ’10. In June 2015, Heffernan—then living in Ithaca—exchanged vows in Sage with Robert Redman, his partner of 18 years, as their two children looked on. Brett CarlsenHeffernan (left) and new husband Redman. They then strolled to the Johnson Museum for the reception. “My experiences at Cornell—both degrees—were major growth periods in my life, and I came out of it a bit of a different person each time,” Heffernan says. “Getting married is a major transition, too. I’d walked across the Arts Quad twice to graduate—and I crossed it again, as part of a married couple for the first time.” For many Cornellians who get hitched on the Hill, the big day means a short commute from Sage—the premier spot for vow-swapping—to a reception at the Statler. That’s what Niyati Shah, MEng ’09, did when she and her now-husband, Shane Feely, tied the knot in October 2014. “I grew up a lot at Cornell and learned a lot about myself,” says Shah, a biomedical engineering alum. “To me it was natural to get married on campus, because Cornell shaped me into the person that Shane fell in love with.” During the ceremony in Sage, the couple sealed letters from their parents, and notes to each other, inside a Cornell coffee can that they’d bought on their first trip to campus together. Lindsey LeeShah and Feely in the A.D. White Reading Room. The Chimes played a custom concert as they left the chapel, and they posed for photos at her favorite campus spots including the A.D. White Reading Room, McGraw Tower, and the West Campus arches. Says Shah: “I was showing off the campus that I fell in love with to my guests.” I’d walked across the Arts Quad twice to graduate—and I crossed it again, as part of a married couple for the first time. Randy Heffernan ’94, MBA ’10 Alexandra Wolfe ’18, BS ’17, MEng ’17, recalls admiring Sage even before she matriculated, during a tour of campus as a high schooler. And as it turned out, the Hill was where she’d find her soulmate: she and Alberto Lopez Delgado ’20 fell in love after meeting at a salsa dance at Agava, then a popular local eatery. Part of the reason they chose to wed at their alma mater, Wolfe says, is that since both are immigrants—she from Romania, he from Cuba—“Ithaca was our first home together.” Like many Sage brides, Wolfe and her attendants awaited the ceremony in the crypt where the University founders are interred, and she fondly cites a version of the chapel’s nuptial myth. “Legend has it that if the bride gets cold feet, Ezra and Andrew will climb out of their coffins and give her a push down the aisle—because if she’s marrying a Cornellian, she’s probably making a good choice,” Wolfe says. “I know I did!” jen peckaWolfe and Delgado outside Sage Chapel. So what are the logistics of getting married on the Hill? First off, at least one member of the couple must have a tie to the University—be it as an alum, trustee, faculty member, staffer, or current student. I was showing off the campus that I fell in love with to my guests. Niyati Shah, MEng ’09 Happily for today’s crop of affianced, gone are the days when snagging a spot meant dialing and redialing the phone the moment that season’s crop of reservations opened up. Now, it just involves emailing weddings@cornell.edu, and a staff member from Conference and Event Services will get the ball rolling. Fausel ImageryErica Sylvan Lill ’11, BS ’10 & Lucas Lill ’10, BS ’11, with their "big, red" bridal party. “We really try to get to know the couple and understand what they love, what makes Cornell a special place for them,” says Arts & Sciences alum and current Brooks School grad student Max Mandeville ’23, a senior conference and event planner who heads up the Hill’s wedding services. “I always remind our staff: for us it’s just another day at work, but for them it’s one of the most important days of their life. Let’s really try to celebrate, have fun, and make it an exciting and fabulous day.” We really try to get to know the couple and understand what they love, what makes Cornell a special place for them. Max Mandeville ’23, senior conference and event planner In other good news for aspiring brides and grooms: these days, there’s no reservation crunch for on-campus ceremonies. While there was a bump in demand after the end of COVID restrictions, Mandeville says, now it’s generally possible to get your favored date without much stress. providedJolanda Pandin, a senior lecturer in Asian studies, on the Arts Quad with Matt Connolly ’99, MEng ’00. Barring major events like Reunion and Commencement, both Sage and Anabel Taylor offer three dedicated ceremony slots each Saturday—at 11 a.m., 1:30 p.m., and 4 p.m.—with other venues and days also available. Reservations can be made a maximum of two years in advance, but (the event’s other logistics aside) ceremony slots can often be had with much less notice. And if the couple wants their big day to be relatively tiny? The office has provisions for “small weddings and elopements” comprising fewer than 30 guests, ceremonies less than half an hour, and no catering, among other guidelines. “There have been so many fun weddings,” Mandeville observes, when asked to share some of his fondest nuptial memories. “One of my favorites was two years ago. As the couple was exiting Sage Chapel, they were showered with rose petals. They had a speaker playing really exciting music, and instead of walking to the reception, their wedding party carried them to the Statler. All of the guests were following behind dancing, and we had staff there to stop traffic.” Saying 'I Do': A Big Red Wedding Album (Story continues below.) Anthony TiballiJennifer D’Amato-Anderson ’07 and Andrew Anderson. providedStella Xu ’98 and Brad Phinney ’99. Spencer LumMorgan Dickens ’08 (left) and Michelle Moyal, DVM ’07, with the Pep Band. providedMelanie Acostavalle West ’99 and Douglas West ’98. Stories You May Like Wine Program Offers Limited-Edition Red, White to Alumni Oenophiles Alum’s Brand Offers Tasty Treats—Safe from Common Allergens provided provided Catherine Hren Whalen ’70 and Michael Whalen ’69; Cathy Kullman Paddock ’78 and Ken Paddock ’77. Allison UsavageKathryn Blackley ’12 and Michael Tomaine ’12. kevin ableAlissa Bovee Terry ’02 and Stephen Terry ’02 with their bridal party. Heather AinsworthKristi Snyder ’97, BA ’98, relaxes in Anabel Taylor’s Founder’s Room before meeting John Baust ’97 at the altar. Andrew Meyn provided Sandy Schorr ’70 and Charles Breckheimer, MAT ’69, MS ’69; Carolyn Chauncey Neuman ’64 and John Neuman ’62, BEE ’63. Robert KaussnerJaime Wasserstrom Novikoff ’03 and Joshua Novikoff ’03 get a lift in the Willard Straight Memorial Room. providedPam Lein ’81 and Rick Meigs ’80 depart their ceremony in style. providedElizabeth Hoover ’13 and Marcus Cerroni ’10, MPA ’13. Robert KaussnerNicole Manning Hart ’03 in the Sage crypt before her wedding to Phillip Hart ’03. providedNicole Neroulias Gupte ’01 in the Statler, preparing to wed Salil Gupte ’01. provided provided Patti Miller Ross ’72 and David Ross ’73; Deirdre Courtney-Batson ’72, MA ’75, and Philip Batson ’70, PhD ’76. Jimmy Brosius / Jon Reis PhotographyAlison Brunger ’01 and Jeff Hardgrove ’01 in Anabel Taylor Chapel. Megan SchleyErin McGonegle Crespi ’06 & Brian Crespi ’06 at the War Memorial with their bridal party. providedKara Tappen Barry ’07 and Jordan Barry ’06, BS ’07. In terms of reception comestibles, Mandeville explains, while certain facilities such as the Straight require the use of Cornell Catering, others allow for outside caterers, of which the University maintains an approved list. (Alums aiming to plan a campus wedding should be aware that some popular past venues, including the Johnson Museum and the Botanic Gardens, are not currently available for receptions or ceremonies—though if arrangements are made, they can be used for photo sessions.) If the couple wants their big day to be relatively tiny, the events office has provisions for “small weddings and elopements” comprising fewer than 30 guests. Conference and Event Services also maintains a list of preferred vendors for photography, flowers, cakes, live music, DJs, and more, plus a roster of local officiants. providedShweta Modi ’19 and Neil Shah ’19. “Because we shared so many foundational memories with each other and our friends at Cornell, hosting our wedding on campus was incredibly meaningful,” says Big Red bride Shweta Modi ’19. Modi and now-husband Neil Shah ’19 met as juniors. They had their first date—dinner on the Commons, followed by a movie—on a snow day, when classes were canceled. “Cornell Conference and Event Services, Cornell Catering, and the Statler Hotel were phenomenal to work with,” Modi says. “They were exceptionally accommodating of our traditional Indian wedding—seamlessly executing our pre-wedding dance night at Willard Straight Hall, our ceremony at Sage Chapel, and our reception at the Statler.” Another Cornellian bride, Jennifer Fang ’03, recalls that her non-alumni guests were particularly awed by the Straight, marveling: “It’s like you’re getting married at Hogwarts!” Because we shared so many foundational memories with each other and our friends at Cornell, hosting our wedding on campus was incredibly meaningful. Shweta Modi ’19 Fang and James Lamb ’03 had met in August 1999, at a ballroom dancing class held on the second day of freshman orientation. That encounter, she says, is a long story involving “Legos, Collegetown, and the world’s worst pick-up line.” Their first official date came a day or two later, in the Straight. “We went to an orientation event at the Memorial Room, but ended up spending the entire night sitting on the Ivy Terrace talking, and watching the sun set over West Campus, and then rise again,” says Fang. “From that night onward, we were inseparable throughout our years as undergraduates.” When the two decided to marry, the venue was obvious. In August 2015, less than a week shy of their 16th anniversary as a couple, they exchanged vows on the Straight terrace, “on the very spot where we had first shared a night looking over Cayuga Lake and fallen in love.” providedKaren Jewett-Bennett ’79 battles "Ithacation" in Big Red fashion en route to her wedding to Hal Bennett. They held their rehearsal dinner at the Statler, the site of their first Valentine’s Day dinner. The reception was in the Memorial Room, where Lamb had spent countless hours in the Student Assembly. In August 2015, Jennifer Fang ’03 and James Lamb ’03 exchanged vows on the Straight terrace, “on the very spot where we had first shared a night looking over Cayuga Lake and fallen in love.” Fang chalked a celebratory message on Ho Plaza, and the couple posed for portraits overlooking Libe Slope. The wedding’s official accent color, naturally, was carnelian red. “We never even considered getting married anywhere else,” Fang admits. “We were so fortunate that not only was our Cornell wedding hugely symbolic for us, but it was also an incredible wedding venue in its own right.” providedFang and Lamb on Ho Plaza. And does Mandeville—who has worked to create memorable Big Red weddings for many dozens of his fellow alumni over the past six years—envision Cornellian nuptials for himself one day? “I’m sure my partner would not let me,” Mandeville says with a laugh. “He’s over at Ithaca College—so we’ll have to find something between the hills.” Top: Gretchen Goldman ’06 and Tom Di Liberto ’06 enter married life on two wheels (Michael Grace-Martin). Published August 3, 2026 Did you get married on the Hill? Share your memories! Comments Susan Labarthe, Class of 1964 11 Aug, 2026 I was married in Sage Chapel May 25, 1968 when my fiance’ was back on the hill after Army service to complete his interrupted degree. The very small ceremony (about 40 people including wedding party) had been scheduled for Anabel Taylor Chapel, which burned in April & was moved to Sage. We walked to our reception at Statler. It’s lovely that the featured couples are still together; we are not, divorced in 1987. 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