page 118 X metropolitan weddings X Summer / fall 2021
written by | Mary Sue Hoban photographed by | adam + Dawn Photography
�magical connection�
It took time for two Harry Potter fans to find each other and the magic of love . More than a wand was required to gather loved ones to celebrate during a pandemic . However , persistence and plenty of imagination finally did the trick for Tasia Easlon and Matt Meglio .
Let ’ s peer through our omnioculars and look back to March , 2018 . After a year ignoring friends who insisted they ’ d make a perfect pair , Tasia and Matt found themselves together in Paris , Texas . Neither of them lived there . Tasia ( a recent graduate of law school , but not yet a lawyer ) was living in Fort Worth . Matt ( a chemical engineer ) was based in Texarkana . After an awkward pause and a text message to verify that he was in fact on a blind date , the pair clicked . “ I showed pictures of my dogs . That was our breakthrough .” They talked through the wee hours of the morning . Their getting-to-know-you included Matt being “ sorted ” into his Hogwarts house , at Tasia ’ s powerful urging . Happily , his Gryffindor was a perfect complement to her Hufflepuff .
As if they ’ d uttered “ Lumos !,” the couple saw the light . Matt told his parents he knew she was the one . It was an unanticipated turn for him , a man with a timeline for his lifepath . But as good things often do , love had arrived a little early . Their charmed connection grew as they dated and commuted through the next 18 months .
In November 2019 , the couple traveled to Italy – the homeland of the Meglio family . Matt , who had shortened his allotted five years for dating , brought an engagement ring in his pocket and was ready to propose . After calculating and re-calculating the perfect time and place , near Florence he asked and she accepted .
Their first thought was to be married in autumn of 2020 , but where ? Tasia now was living in Paris , Texas , her family ’ s homebase . Matt ’ s large clan is concentrated around St . Louis . The couple looked for a midpoint and found Springfield , Missouri .
Now to plan their “ destination ” wedding . Wanting an outdoor feel without being outdoors , they were delighted to find Greenhouse Two Rivers venue just outside Springfield . After booking , the Covid-19 pandemic struck causing the couple to rethink their original plan . What other time would be magical ? They landed on March , 2021 , to mark three years from when they met . They found their wedding planner and started bringing alive their enchanted day .
Some choices were easy . The officiant would be her brother and only sibling who is a pastor . Her something old , the bride ’ s Bible that has been in her mother ’ s family since the 1800s . His sisters and brothers would join the couple ’ s close friends in the wedding party . The theme would be " the world of Harry Potter " with a formal flare .
The wizardly adventure started with invitations , some featuring a Golden Snitch and others Deathly Hallows . “ It worked out . If we had married in October , it would have been hard to have anything but Deathly Hallows ,” Tasia laughed . The ceremony blended tradition and imagination . The bridal attendants , five bridesmaids and one bridesman , wore gold . The ringbearer delivered a Golden Snitch that opened to reveal the wedding bands . Two junior groomsmen accompanied Tasia ’ s canine attendants down the aisle . There was much laughter when one of the crups bolted for the groom .
The reception area was a scene out of Hogwarts . Tables were arranged by house – Gryffindor , Hufflepuff , Ravenclaw and Slytherin – plus Hogsmeade and the Forbidden Forest . For protection and fun – the wedding cake was decorated with a fox and St . Bernard patronus , one each for bride and groom . Golden Snitch chocolates , handmade by Tasia , were on the tables .
Dinner included a nod to both families combining Italian flavors and a taste of the South . Tasia enjoyed planning the menu . “ I ’ m a foodie . The tastings were worth the drive to Springfield .” Heartfelt speeches and the company of 150 beloved friends and relatives completed their enchanted evening .
After honeymooning in St . Lucia , the Meglios are relocating from Texas to St . Louis where Matt has accepted a new job and Tasia will enter the Missouri bar . All the driving back and forth has them wishing it was possible to apparate , but they ’ re happy with the magic they have already found . XmW