Markarian Founder Ali O’Neill Designed 4 Custom Dresses for Her New York City Wedding Weekend

Alexandra “Ali” O’Neill, the founder and creative designer of the New York-based fashion house Markarian, and wildlife guide, photographer, and filmmaker Brent Leo-Smith have her mom to thank for their meeting. During the pandemic, Alexandra’s mother and grandmother became devoted viewers of Brent’s live safari broadcasts through PaintedDog TV, eventually traveling to Africa with him when travel resumed. “My parents returned completely captivated, not only by the experience itself,” Alexandra remembers. “But by the conservation work and deep connection to the natural world that underpin everything Brent does.”

In 2023, Alexandra’s mother organized a second safari with a group of friends. “On a whim, I decided to join them, never imagining that I was essentially crashing my mother’s vacation only to meet my future husband,” Alexandra says. “Amid early mornings in the bush and endless horizons, Brent and I met. The setting felt impossibly cinematic, and it became the beginning of our story.”

Since that trip, they have been splitting their time between New York City and the African bush. Then, in 2025, they got engaged on Christmas morning, just the two of them at home in South Africa with their Jack Russell nestled between them. “There was no elaborate plan, no grand gesture, and no audience,” Alexandra says. “Just the quiet comfort of a morning spent together. When we woke up, Brent rolled over and asked if I would marry him. It was simple, sincere, and completely us in the most wonderful way.”

The wedding took place four months later in New York City. “The planning process was collaborative and very personal,” Alexandra says. “My sister planned the entire wedding weekend, keeping me closely involved at every stage. She has the most beautiful and impeccable taste and immediately jumped in.”

The couple also brought in support from event planner Chris Hessney of Hessney and Co. and Mikey Putnam from Rosendich, who designed the flowers for the weekend. “Having people whose taste I deeply trust, and who are also among the very best in their respective fields, brought a real sense of ease to the process,” Alexandra explains. “They are all a part of my dream team! It felt like being surrounded by my own extended creative family.”

Similarly, Alexandra has known Frank at the Greenwich Village Italian institution Il Cantinori—where she held her wedding dinner—since she was 18, and Frankie at members’ club People’s—where she held her after-party—for years, so having them involved made everything feel even more personal. “There was something incredibly reassuring about being surrounded by people I know and love,” Alexandra says. “They also all happen to be the best in the business.”

The celebrations began the evening before the wedding with a dinner at Wild Cherry in the West Village. “Given that Brent’s friends and family had traveled from South Africa, I wanted their first encounter with New York to feel like a slightly tongue-in-cheek welcome to the reality of the city,” Alexandra says. “Guests were served popcorn at the bar during cocktail hour, followed by Wild Cherry’s playful take on hot dogs and burgers reimagined with a distinctly New York sensibility. It set the tone for the rest of the weekend.”

Alexandra’s sister set the table with white napkins with red Swiss dots and made custom menus with everyone’s names. “Wild Cherry was the perfect place for everyone to settle in and get to know each other,” the bride notes. “We heard speeches from my mother Connie, Brent’s father Kevin, and my best friend Savannah Engel, who had everyone laughing hysterically.”

The couple was married in the city the next day on May 30th in a small Greek Orthodox ceremony. On the morning of the wedding, both the bride and groom got ready in separate rooms at the Twenty Two hotel in Union Square.

“I always knew I was going to design my own dresses,” Alexandra says. “How fun to be able to make exactly what you want and show what you can do! As the designer and founder of Markarian, the weekend was about refining and inhabiting the world of Markarian more intimately. Each piece in my wedding wardrobe was created by me and made in our atelier in New York City, and they felt like a natural extension of the language of the brand, which is romantic, textural, and rooted in craftsmanship.”

Alexandra ultimately created four distinct looks: one for the rehearsal dinner and three for the wedding day itself. “I wanted each piece to feel like part of a single narrative,” she says. “Evolving from one moment to the next across the weekend, while still feeling effortless.”

For the ceremony, Alexandra created an off-the-shoulder long-sleeve skirt suit in Italian floral lace from Como. The silhouette was inspired by Renaissance portraiture, with a structured bodice defined by boning across and up and down the bust and waist. A soft tulle was gathered around the shoulders and neckline, and covered satin buttons ran down the front. The bride’s friend, milliner Gigi Burris, created a custom veil, and Alexandra wore her grandmother’s engagement ring on her right hand and diamond drop earrings, along with Manolo Blahnik ivory satin kitten heels with a pleated wrap detail. Meanwhile, the bride’s bouquet was designed by Mikey Putnam using leopard orchids—her favorite South African flowers—tied with a silk satin ribbon.

Christyna Kay did Alexandra’s hair and make-up for the night. “Christyna is another friend and collaborator that I have been working with for years, and I knew immediately that I wanted her to be with me for my wedding,” Alexandra says. “We chose something classic that could last through the night.”

The ceremony took place at the Saint John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church in Gramercy Park. “The Greek Orthodox ceremony has always felt beautiful and deeply spiritual,” Alexandra explains. “I had long imagined being married there, and it felt particularly special as I was very close with my grandmother, Gigi, who was Greek. It felt as though she was present in every detail.”

Brent walked down the aisle to Nick Cave’s “Into My Arms.” “We listened to this song constantly when we first started dating, and it has remained one of our favorites,” Alexandra says. “And it was a small surprise for him from me.”

The bride’s nephew, Harrison, was the ring bearer; her sister, Krissy, was her koumbara (maid of honor); and her father, David, walked her down the aisle. “One of my favorite parts of the ceremony is the stefana, which are the crowns joined by a ribbon and placed on our heads as a symbol of unity,” Alexandra explains. “It is a gesture that feels both ancient and deeply human, marking the joining of two lives in shared responsibility and intention.”

Alexandra and Brent’s crowns were also made by Gigi Burris, who created them with tiny flowers and mother-of-pearl details. “I did glance over at Brent and laugh a little at the sight of this very rugged man of the bush suddenly wearing a delicate flower crown in church,” Alexandra admits. “It felt like a clear sign that he truly loves me.”

During the ceremony, the bride and groom also drank from the traditional wedding cup. “This signifies the blending of lives and experiences ahead,” Alexandra says. “In our case, it carried an added layer of meaning as we used the same cup my parents used at their wedding.” Toward the end of the ceremony, the couple walked around the altar three times, led by the priest, in what is known as the “Dance of Isaiah.” It symbolizes eternity and the journey of life together, without beginning or end.

At the end of the service, the newlyweds exited the church to find their family and friends gathered outside waiting for them. “There is something so cinematic about that moment, stepping out of the quiet intimacy of the church and into a big celebration,” Alexandra recalls. “We climbed into a vintage car with a ‘Just Married’ sign on the back and escaped for a short drive through the city.”

After a few photographs and a quick wardrobe change, the couple made their way to Il Cantinori. “As we drove, people on the sidewalks would clap, wave, and call out congratulations whenever they spotted the sign on the car,” Alexandra says. “It felt like a quintessential New York moment, equal parts heartfelt and spontaneous.”

For dinner, Alexandra changed into a custom strapless corseted gown with a dropped waist lace skirt in a lattice pattern. She layered a chiffon and lace wrap over her shoulders and wore diamond, pearl, and opal earrings that she had made by Sauer. She finished the look with Alexander Birman satin platform heels.

At Il Cantinori, Alexandra’s sister had commissioned a custom café curtain for the restaurant entrance embroidered with the couple’s names, a detail that made one of their favorite places feel entirely transformed for the evening. Alimentari Flâneur created a spread for cocktail hour, while Mikey Putnam filled the restaurant with flowers, and James from Hessney and Co. ensured that every detail unfolded seamlessly.