Miss Marika Lee Lendl Weds Mr. Stephen Hunter Rome
We are pleased to announce the marriage of Stephen Hunter Rome and Marika Lee Lendl. Hunter and Marika were married on Saturday, July 22, 2017 in an intimate evening ceremony at the Lendl family home in Litchfield County, Connecticut. The double ring ceremony was officiated by Reverend Doctor Mark Heilshorn, a close family friend. Readings were done by Noemi Frankel, cousin of the bride, and Hayden Rome, sister of the groom. A seated dinner reception was held immediately following in a beautiful tent in the orchard with music by Silver Arrow Band of Brooklyn, New York. At the end of the evening of love and celebration, the new Mr. and Mrs. Hunter Rome departed through an archway of sparklers held by friends and family. On the eve before the wedding, a rehearsal dinner was hosted by the groom’s parents at Lake Waramaug Country Club in New Preston, Connecticut.
Marika is the eldest daughter of Ivan and Samantha Lendl of Litchfield County, Connecticut and Vero Beach, and granddaughter of Evelyn Weber and Olga Lendlova and the late Jiri Lendl, James Frankel and Nicole Praloran.
Hunter is the older son of Mike and Merrill Rome of Houston, Texas. He is the grandson of the late Eben and Lin Locher and the late Clarence and Dee Rome.
Given in marriage by her parents and escorted by her father, the bride wore a white taffeta gown with a floral lace bodice and fleur sequin embroidered tulle overlay by Oscar de la Renta. Marika carried a garden-inspired bouquet of peonies, hydrangeas, roses, eucalyptus and ferns.
Her bridesmaids were Caroline Elizabeth Lendl of Boston, Maid of Honor and sister of the bride; three sisters including Isabelle Lendl Pollock of Vero Beach, Daniela Alexandra Lendl of Allentown, Nikola Antonia Lendl of Miami; Clare Hayden Rome of Houston, sister of the groom; Ella Greenberg Rash of Washington, DC, Paige Alexandra Greenberg of Washington, DC, and Bryce Holloway Alley of Tampa. The bridesmaids wore hydrangea blue dresses by Monique Lhuillier.
Groomsmen included Harris Rome of Houston, Best Man and brother of the groom; David Paschal of Charlotte; Scott Gunn of Raleigh; John Banks Powell of New York City; Douglas McConn, Stephen Reckling, John Kerns, Gage Mooring, all of Houston; and Ward Minton of Washington, DC. The groomsmen wore navy suits with Carolina blue bow ties and socks.
The flower girl was Maya Rafalko, a beloved friend of the Lendl family; Maya wore a cherished white dress which had been worn by the bride and all of her sisters as flower girls at family weddings.
Hunter attended The Kinkaid School for many years and graduated from Memorial High School in Houston. He is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where he was a member of the Tar Heels baseball team and Phi Delta Theta.
Marika is a graduate of the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida and received her degree in Public Relations from the University of Florida where she was a member of the Florida Gators golf team.
Hunter is a financial analyst with WestEnd Advisors in Charlotte, and Marika is a corporate event planner with Dimensional Fund Advisors.
They enjoyed a honeymoon to St. Barth’s and are at home in Charlotte with their beloved dog, Otto.
Marika and Hunter wish to add: Thank you to our parents, families and friends for their infinite love and for all that they did to make our wedding day magical. We love you so much and are so blessed to have each and every one of you in our lives.