Gretchen Goldman ’06 and Tom Di Liberto ’06 enter married life on two wheels. (Michael Grace-Martin).

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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.”

Alicia Duran ’21, MHA ’21 & Connor Gerlach ’21 in Sage Chapel on their wedding day — Anna Simonak

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.

Shirley Dusinberre Durham ’48 & George Durham ’44, BME ’43 on their wedding day — provided

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.

Randy Heffernan ’94, MBA ’10 & Robert Redman kiss in Sage Chapel — Brett Carlsen

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.

Niyati Shah, MEng’09 & Shane Feely in the AD White Reading Room — Lindsey Lee

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!”

Alexandra Wolfe ’18, BS ’17, MEng ’17 & Alberto Lopez Delgado ’20 outside Sage Chapel — jen pecka

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.

Erica Sylvan Lill ’11, BS ’10 & Lucas Lill ’10, BS ’11 and their bridal party outside McGraw Tower — Fausel Imagery

“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.

Jolanda Pandin, a senior lecturer in Asian studies, and Matt Connolly ’99, MEng ’00 — provided

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.)

Jennifer D’Amato-Anderson ’07 & Andrew Anderson light candles in Sage Chapel — Anthony Tiballi

Stella Xu ’98 & Brad Phinney ’99 outside Sage Chapel — provided

Morgan Dickens ’08 (left) and Michelle Moyal, DVM ’07, with the Pep Band — Spencer Lum

Melanie Acostavalle West ’99 & Douglas West ’98 on their wedding day — provided

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Catherine Hren Whalen ’70 & Michael Whalen ’69 on their wedding day — provided

Cathy Kullman Paddock ’78 & Ken Paddock ‘77 cut their wedding cake — provided

Kathryn Blackley ’12 & Michael Tomaine ’12 outside the Big Red Barn — Allison Usavage

Alissa Bovee Terry ’02 & Stephen Terry ’02 above the Uris Fishbowl with their bridal party — kevin able

Kristi Snyder ’97, BA ’98 (right) awaits her nuptials in Anabel Taylor’s Founder’s Room — Heather Ainsworth

Sandy Schorr ’70 & Charles Breckheimer, MAT ’69, MS ’69 outside sage chapel — Andrew Meyn

Carolyn Chauncey Neuman ’64 & John Neuman ’62, BEE ’63 — Andrew Meyn

Jaime Wasserstrom Novikoff ’03 and Joshua Novikoff ’03 are carried on chairs in the WSH Memorial Room — Robert Kaussner

Pam Lein ’81 & Rick Meigs ’80 depart their wedding ceremony in a carriage that says 'Just Married' on the back — provided

Marcus Cerroni ’10, MPA ’13 & Elizabeth Hoover ’13 — provided

Nicole Manning Hart ’03 in the Sage crypt before her wedding — Robert Kaussner

Nicole Neroulias Gupte ’01 in Statler Hotel getting ready for her wedding — provided

Patti Miller Ross ’72 & David Ross ’73 in Anabel Taylor chapel — provided

Deirdre Courtney-Batson ’72, MA ’75 & Philip Batson ’70, PhD ’76 in Sage Chapel on their wedding day — provided

Alison Brunger ’01 & Jeff Hardgrove ’01 in Anabel Taylor chapel — Jimmy Brosius / Jon Reis Photography

Erin McGonegle Crespi ’06 & Brian Crespi ’06 at the war memorial with their bridal party — Megan Schley

Kara Tappen Barry ’07 & Jordan Barry ’06, BS ’07 at the alter on their wedding day — provided

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.

Shweta Modi ’19 & Neil Shah ’19 in traditional Indian wedding attire — provided

“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.”

Karen Jewett-Bennett ’79 holding a Cornell umbrella on her way to her nuptials — provided

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.”

Jennifer Fang ’03 & James Lamb ’03 on Ho Plaza — provided

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.

Reply
Sue Furry-Irish, Class of 1976
16 Aug, 2026

Paul Irish’75 & I (Sue Furry-Irish’76) married on August 18,1974 while still undergraduates. His grandfather performed the ceremony in Sage Chapel, one of the most beautiful chapels on Earth. We are still married & best friends 52 years later! Thanks for the timely article.

Reply
Kim Thorpe, Class of 1985
16 Aug, 2026

I married the love of my life April 16 2005 in Sage Chapel. My father, a retired professor of Chemical Engineering at Olin Hall, walked me down the aisle wearing the same naval uniform he wore in 1942 to marry my mother. He was a tad disappointed he had to have the pants let out one inch. I dressed in the crypt, the chimes played as we exited, and we told everyone to go change into casual attire for a pig roast at our reception. That was still the best day of my life.

Reply
David Doupe, Class of 1978
16 Aug, 2026

My wife, Beth Kelsey (Ithaca College ’80), and I were married on June 28, 1980 in Anabel Taylor Chapel. We had originally chosen Sage Chapel, but when Beth’s mom came down from Buffalo to check it out, she took one look and said, “You need something more low‑key.” Anabel Taylor turned out to be perfect for us.
Our son, Tom Doupe ’12, grew up hearing the story—and when he became a Cornell student himself, he had to endure a stop at Anabel Taylor Chapel every time we visited campus. He always humored us with a smile.

Reply
Marilyn Trautfield Sugarman, Class of 1981
16 Aug, 2026

I worked as a manager of the Big Red Barn back in ‘79-‘81 when it was an event space. On one occasion, I was working a wedding that was booked at the barn. I spoke with the mother of the bride in advance, and that day helped them with the set up and everything. Right before the ceremony, I turned to the mother of the bride to ask if there was anything else she needed. She handed me a camera and said, “can you please take pictures?”

Reply
Margaret Raskopf Dodd, Class of 1979
16 Aug, 2026

💕 I married my guy at Anabel Taylor on December 17th, 1978. We visited the chapel in June during the reunion weekend and a passerby with a Big Red heart offered to take our picture on the altar. Sweet memories!

Reply
Jane Ellen Saler Miller, Class of 1977
16 Aug, 2026

We just had our 50th anniversary. We were married in the Lutheran church near the pig farm and had our reception at the James Baker Institute for Animal Health Aug. 7th, 1976

Reply
Richard Gibson, Class of 1968
16 Aug, 2026

Margaret Holland 68 and Richard Gibson 68 were married a week before the June 1st graduation which was the 100th Cornell Class graduation. We had two problems first I found that I had a final exam scheduled for the exact same time as the wedding! Professor gave me a choice skip the wedding or take the exam early. Guess which one I took. The second problem was that Anabel Talyor Chapel had been firebombed and was unusable. We were switched to Sage Chapel, but weddings were rescheduled for one every 30 minutes!! Small group in a big chapel! Honeymooned in Tidewater Virginia looking for an apartment as I had a job there. We recently celebrated our 58th wedding anniversary.

Reply
Luna, Class of 2016
16 Aug, 2026

Married at Cornell! What a special and beautiful celebration.
I wonder if anyone else welcomed a baby while at school? My husband and I graduated from the same college on the same day. Right before graduation, we found out I was pregnant, so my husband, me, and our baby (still in my belly!) attended the commencement together. It was such a magical experience!

Reply
Ken Kupchak, Class of 1964
16 Aug, 2026

Not quite on the Hill.. wife to be, Patty “Geer” Kupchak, ‘67, took the Greyhound from Ithaca to NYC, where I, then a 1st Lt in USAF, out of ROTC, Then the Chief Weather Forecaster at Suffolk County. AFB, picked her up, dinned at Cattleman’s , where best man to be, Dave Slepyan, my Chem Lab Partner( AB ‘64) joined us after which we drove to East Quogue , my place for the next morning’s Wedding before a State Supreme Court Justice at Riverhead Court house. Enjoyed the weekend and drove them back to City, where Patty caught the bus back to Cornell and her Tuesday Classes. She had arranged all classes for T, W, T to enable every weekend in the Hamptons until I shipped out to Vietnam. That was January 1967– 60 years ago this January!

Reply
Shelley Winkler, Class of 1976
16 Aug, 2026

What a fun read! Thanks!

Reply
Joseph Lupica, Class of 1976
16 Aug, 2026

My husband, Joseph Lupica. was Cornell Arts and Scences Class Marshall of 1976 which was the same year I graduated from Vassar College. We dated as undergraduates and then both graduated from Cornell Law School in 1979. Two days later we married at Sage Chapel and had our reception at Myron Taylor Hall.We have since made many trips back to Cornell to celebrate our wonderful years there. When Joe asked me to marry him on a September 1978 date at Taughannock Farms Inn I said yes. When he said he wanted our wedding to be at Cornell, I replied that I had aleardy reserved the chapel and Myron Taylor hall back in the spring of 1978.

Reply
- Sue Furry-Irish, Class of 1976
  17 Aug, 2026
  
  Yours is the best story of them all!
  -Sue Furry-Irish ’76
  
  Reply
- Lois Lupica, Class of 1971
  27 Aug, 2026
  
  Hi Joe. I didn’t know you got married at Cornell. Hope all is well.
  
  Lois Lupica
  Denver, CO
  
  Reply
Linda Harris Crovella, Class of 1982
17 Aug, 2026

My wedding was on July 17, 1982, about two months after graduation. The non-denominational ceremony officiated by a Cornell minister was at Sage Chapel, and we walked to the Memorial Room, where the reception was held. It was a brutally hot day, but my parents loved the venue because they only had to show up and pay Cornell Catering (very reasonable at the time), and the band we found when we were out one night during our senior year. As two Cornellians who met at Noyes Lodge, the long defunct Pancake House, a Cornell wedding shortly after graduation was the only option we considered. With the exception of foreshadowing created by the band’s poor choice of a song to play at a wedding (we walked into the reception to the Eagles’ “You Can’t Hide Your Lying Eyes”), the wedding and reception were perfect and by many metrics, the marriage was successful, lasting 27 years. Our oldest son was Commissioned as a Marine at Cornell and then graduated from Cornell the next day, and happily, he is on the same reunion cycle as me!

Reply
James Morrow, Class of 1964
17 Aug, 2026

The weather was miserable,but January 9, 1960 was the planned wedding day, so it went on..
Ms. Faith Hauser ( home economics’58) and me, Lt. Jim Morrow ( BS Agric.. ‘57).
Both mothers were there, along with lots of our friends. I was an active lieutenant
Via Cornell Air Force ROTC, with 30 days leave, based in Armstrong, Canada at a USA radar site. After the honeymoon, Faith went home to Rochester NY and I back to Canada. Once I was done with the Air Force, it was back to Cornell for 2 more years, where I graduated from the MBA school in 1964. We eventually moved to Southern California, and raised a family of 3 children.

Reply
Kirsti Wastrom, Class of 1980
18 Aug, 2026

Best wishes to Karen Jewett-Bennett! As Cornell Catering employees, we worked together at many weddings on campus and experienced the joy. I later worked as a wedding coordinator in some lovely locales. Not there is something so special about a Cornell wedding. Thanks for this lovely story.
Kirsti Wastrom 1980

Reply
Ilana Cohen, Class of 1995
19 Aug, 2026

I met my husband Craig Bierle ’06 at freshman orientation. We were married in Sage Chapel and had our reception on the other hill at La Tourelle. We just celebrated 20 years!

Reply
Karen Viglione Lauterwasser, Class of 1976
27 Aug, 2026

I attended a wedding of a friend in the chapel at Annabel Taylor in 1978 (I think). After the wedding the guests were led by a bagpiper across campus to a reception in Balch Hall’s dining hall. My son is getting married in a few months at a church just a short walk away from the reception venue, but so far I haven’t been able to convince him that he needs a bagpiper to lead everyone there.

Reply

Wed Red: Celebrating the Joys of Getting Hitched on the Hill

Stories You May Like

Saying 'I Do': A Big Red Wedding Album

Stories You May Like

Did you get married on the Hill? Share your memories!

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