a recipe for love

It all started with Giuseppe’s family restaurant, Mom and Dad’s Italian Restaurant, when Laura walked in and sat at Table 53, and the rest is history. Giuseppe and Laura have been inseparable ever since! Laura came from England in 2014 after gaining a golf scholarship in Oklahoma. She then transferred to Thomas University in Thomasville, Georgia in 2017 to gain her Bachelor’s Degree and then her Master’s Degree in Business in 2021. In May of 2018, Laura and Guiseppe met at the restaurant, which has a rich family history that they now continue together.

“HAVING THE WEDDING IN VALDOSTA WAS SPECIAL BECAUSE IT IS THE PLACE WHERE WE MET. WE BOTH HAVE LOTS OF LOVING FAMILY AND FRIENDS HERE AND, IT'S WHERE WE WANT TO START OUR OWN FAMILY SOON. WE WERE ALSO ABLE TO CHOOSE LOCAL VENDORS WHO SUPPORT OUR FAMILY BUSINESS.”

Giuseppe is the fourth generation general manager of the business, and the history includes four generations and several families. His parents, Massimo and Cynthia, married on July 4th, 1983 and became partners with Massimo’s parents at the Thomasville Mom and Dad’s Italian Restaurant. In 1986, two years after the birth of their first son, Giuseppe, and two years before the birth of their second son, Vito, Massimo and Cynthia moved to Valdosta to open their own restaurant. Since then, Mom and Dad’s Italian Restaurant has been serving Lowndes County and the surrounding area, and Laura and Guiseppe are proud to continue the traditions started so long ago.

Giuseppe proposed in his parents’ home on Christmas day in 2021, with his grandmother's engagement ring. Giuseppe and Laura were officially married in January of 2022 by Honorable Judge Arthur McLane, with a phenomenal reception, complete with New Year’s Eve fireworks, on December 31, 2022! Laura’s parents, John and Cath Alexander, hosted the event at Fox Hill in Valdosta to include all of their family members and friends in the celebration. Laura shares, “Fox Hill did an amazing job and has first class facilities for a perfect wedding venue. Having the wedding in Valdosta was special because it is the place where we met, and we were able to choose local vendors who also support our family business.”

The couple describes their wedding day as magical with many special moments for everyone to be together before the big day started! Laura loved time with her bridesmaids in the bridal suite, and she cherishes having her mother by her side while getting ready. She says of that time with her mother, “I can't thank her enough!” Looking back on the pictures, her favorite part of the day was the first looks with her father, John, and most of all, with her new husband, Giuseppe. Their reactions were priceless, and those memories will never fade.

Laura’s family traveled from England, including Laura’s paternal and maternal grandparents, alongside Giuseppe’s grandmother, and they are so thankful that they were in attendance for the special day. To have Laura’s brother, Jack, be one of Giuseppe’s groomsmen and Laura’s sister, Zara, as her maid of honor was such a special blessing. Giuseppe's mother, Cindy, created the most spectacular wedding cake with 240 handmade sugar roses. Special traditions at the event included the bagpipes for Laura’s family that were played in the ceremony, their first dances, and traditional Italian and Greek favors! Guests were given bombonieres, which are candy-coated almonds, while Eddy Castellanos, the violinist, serenaded family and friends throughout dinner.

Laura and Guiseppe have traveled abroad together visiting their families, to England to see Laura’s family and to Italy to visit Giuseppe’s family. Their hobbies include hunting, fishing, golf and fine dining, of course, which they love to do together. Their family ties run deep, and Laura looks to the future in the community, saying, “Valdosta is special to us both with lots of loving family and friends, and it's where we want to start our own family soon.” It sounds like the perfect recipe for many more generations to come! | VM