Couple engaged after front-page proposal tie the knot,
He proposed in the Star and she said yes. Saturday night, Ben and Emma tied the knot
Emma Grosberg and Ben Rogul — the Toronto couple engaged after a front-page Star proposal last Valentine’s Day — tied the knot on Saturday night.
Under a chuppah, a traditional Jewish bridal canopy, overlooking Lake Ontario, Grosberg and Rogul said their vows in an evening ceremony filled with laughter and love.
Before joining their 150 guests to kick off the reception, the couple reflected on their experience saying “I do” before their family, friends, and the whole city through another story in the Star.
“It’s something for us to save for our children and our family and look back on in 20 years and say, ‘Oh, remember when we were young and cute and we were in the paper?’ ” says Grosberg, 29, a fashion buyer.
“And then we’ll be old and cute, right?” interjects Rogul, 29, an account director with a staffing agency.
Grosberg wore a sleek, strapless gown with a sparkling waistband, while Rogul looked smart in a black tux, complete with a pocket square and bow tie.
The classic black-and-white wedding at a banquet hall near Ontario Place, complete with a few heartwarming stumbles during the vows — Rogul said his “I do” far too early, prompting a “Slow down!” from the officiant — was a celebration that could rival the finale of any romantic comedy.
And indeed, the couple’s whole relationship seems like scenes from a Nora Ephron film.
Their wedding planning started with the Star, after the paper offered one reader the opportunity to make last Valentine’s Day even more special with a front-page video proposal. Rogul jumped at the chance. “I’m a ‘go big or go home’ kind of guy,” he says.
On-camera, Rogul shared the couple’s love story. First was their meetcute 17 years ago during a Grade 8 production of Les Misérables.
Grosberg was popular and outgoing; Rogul was shy and nerdy — and smitten with the girl he’d one day call his wife.
The two lost touch over the years, until Rogul organized a reunion of the Grade 8 cast when the musical’s movie version hit theatres. It didn’t take him long to ask Grosberg out on a date. Soon enough, the two were in love. “I love you to the moon and back, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. So, Emma, will you marry me?” Rogul said at the end of the one-minute video.
The Star has followed the couple since then, with a story about the newly engaged couple shortly after Rogul popped the question, and another follow-up story in December as they geared up for their big day.
Fast forward to Saturday night, as guests applauded Rogul and Grosberg when they became husband and wife, then danced the hora against the backdrop of Toronto’s dazzling skyline.
The evening’s MC, Rogul’s new brother-in-law, also teased Rogul for his bold proposal tactics. “Welcome to the family, and thanks for making me look bad, bro.”
After that front-page proposal and followup stories from the Star, could Rogul outdo himself again?
Early in the evening, he told the Star he had one more surprise up his sleeve: A serenade for his new bride. Rogul planned to sing “Home” by Phillip Phillips.
“Hold on to me as we go, as we roll down this unfamiliar road . . . Just know you’re not alone, ’cause I’m going to make this place your home,” hFe planned on singing later in the evening — a fitting song for their new life together, not to mention the daunting task of house hunting in Toronto.
During a quiet moment amid the celebrations, the two were asked if they ever could have imagined having their engagement and wedding shared with the whole city. With big smiles, both say no.
“Nor could I have pictured Grade 7 or Grade 8 Ben marrying Emma Grosberg,” Rogul says, looking lovingly at his new bride.
“I could have imagined it,” whispers Grosberg.