He was a running back. She was a cheerleader. They met at a campus party at Wittenberg University.
She needed a beer-pong partner, after all. “I was available,” Jim laughs. “Now, here we are eight years later.”
Alexis remembers the first time Jim took her to Gervasi Vineyard in Canton for a special birthday dinner. “He was showing me around the grounds, and we saw the pavilion and I thought, ‘Oh my gosh, this is where I want to get married,’” she says.
Of course, this was well before those conversations began percolating.
The winery resort became a favorite special occasion destination for the couple for monthly dinners — and eventually, the venue they selected for their wedding. But the decision wasn’t so simple even if it seemed like fate.
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But the deacon asked her, “What’s really important? Make it about the love. God is everywhere.”
So, they did, booking the venue 15 months in advance and cost engineering some aspects of the event so they could have the wedding of their dreams at the location they desired while delivering a type of Tuscan winery getaway experience to guests.
“We told our florist and planner at Gervasi we were looking for Tuscan vibes, and we even had our DJ play instrumental Italian music during dinner,” Alexis says, adding that she’s Greek and Jim is of German descent. No Italian blood, but the mood-setting worked. “Guests told us, ‘We feel like we are on a trip in Italy,’” she says.
Some strategies to keep costs in line included limiting the variety of appetizers, selecting standard chairs rather than premium and minding the wine offerings. Alexis loved that they could serve Gervasi wines, Malbec her preference, which was featured at the wedding.
Plated entrees were a priority, and so was the tablescape with gold chargers and an overall scheme of neutrals, golds and hints of rose. “It was a classic, timeless white wedding,” Alexis says. The menu included lemon chicken Milanese, Tuscan beef short rib with balsamic glaze and cheese ravioli.
The couple reserved the pavilion they walked around hand in hand years ago. “We maximized the areas of the venue and could be down by the water, access the Bistro and the vineyards were right there,” she says. “We wanted our friends and family who had never been there to experience as much of Gervasi as they could.”
The couple arranged for guest accommodations in downtown Canton, where they held their rehearsal dinner at the Pro Football Hall of Fame on the Sky Level Terrace. Shuttle service transported everyone to Gervasi.
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Some advice from the Denhkes: Pay vendors as you sign the contracts. “That way you are not hit with the 30- day invoices right before the wedding all at once,” Jim says. “And don’t assume a venue is beyond your price point. “We were able to save on certain aspects while focusing on what was most important to us.”
Alexis adds, “It’s definitely surreal that we had our wedding there and I remember sitting at the table, turning to Jim and thinking, ‘Can you believe this is actually happening?’ It was the best day ever.’”
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