Laura Fagan-Ward ’90 and Robert Ward were married Aug. 3, 2001, in St. James, Long Island. Oswego alumni in attendance included (back row from left) Tracy Kadziolka Sutherland ’90, Robert Ward; (third row from left) Lisa Dujat Cuozzi ’92, Lisa Mariano ’92, Mary Regan Fagan ’91, Caryn Sherer ’91, Laura Fagan Ward ’90, Lisa Marinucci ’90, Sue O’Connell ’90; (second row from left) Brenda Fredericks Marino ’90, Marc Secchi ’93, Tony Grillo ’92, Kathleen Collins ’91, Blase Cannavale ’93, Gina Hausman ’91; (front row from left) Kim Fisher Tocci ’90, Bennett Tocci ’91. The couple resides in Coram.
Alumni Couple Wed on Live TV very wedding must have two witnesses, but thousands witnessed the wedding of two Oswego graduates. LaRae Martin ’99 and Zaire Coore ’98, MSED ’00 were married in a live broadcast on Syracuse’s WTVH Channel 5 July 20. The pair were the winners of a contest. The station paid for their wedding and honeymoon, and viewers chose everything from the flowers, dress and rings to the honeymoon destination. To enter, LaRae made a tape, unbeknownst to her fiancé, featuring a song she would sing at the wedding “One day I looked at the commercial and saw my face on the commercial!” she said. The couple was one of five finalist pairs, and had people sending in votes from all over. They were voting on the Internet and when the site crashed, Zaire, a residence hall director at SUNY Cortland, and LaRae, a third-grade teacher in Syracuse, organized a postcard campaign. With over 2,000 postcards sent in by students, friends and other viewers, they won. Viewers then got to vote on everything from Zaire’s tuxedo to the flowers in LaRae’s bouquet The wedding couple chose three dresses, rings and tuxes they would be happy with for people to vote on, but ultimately had to go with the viewers’ choice. Cameras followed them everywhere, from the bridal and tux stores to the florist’s shop. Asked if she minded, LaRae replied with a laugh, “I’m not shy.” After the wedding ceremony in the chapel at LeMoyne College, where LaRae earned her master’s degree, the station treated the couple to a three-week honeymoon (no cameras there). They spent two weeks in Florida before leaving on a cruise. The two graduated from SUNY Morrisville before coming to Oswego to earn their bachelor’s degrees. Both were active in the Gospel Choir, Black Student Union and intramural sports. Zaire was an RA under Tony Henderson and lists the hall director among his biggest influences, along with the LEAD Center’s Roosevelt Mohammed, Dr. Eugenio Basualdo of vocational teacher preparation, and Chuck Weeks and Marie Shuman of the Residence Life Office. His biggest memory is being a founding member of Pi Gamma Theta Fraternity Inc. with Nathaniel Brookings ’01 and Aunree Houston ’00. Brookings was part of the wedding party and so was freshman Uriah Coore, Zaire’s brother. Also representing Oswego alumni was Erica Lovette ’01. Contacted after the honeymoon, Zaire had only one complaint following the “perfect, flawless” experience. “We didn’t want to come back,” he said.
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Rebecca Love ‘98 married Robert Picarillo ‘97 on June 1, 2002, at Alwyngton Manor in Warrenton, Va. Other Oswego alumni in attendance include from the left, Mike Ryan ‘98, Jaime Palzer ‘99, Christine McAfee ‘98, Hewan Fraser ‘00, Chris Mazzurco ‘98, Rebecca Love Picarillo ‘98, Robert Picarillo ‘97, Kelly Kinirons ‘98, Katie Stout ‘98, Kathleen McKenna ‘98, Dan Kobel ‘97, Sue Kobel ‘00 and Jaime Besio ‘98.
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