Eyes on the aisle
(http://www.suntimes.com/lifestyles/170232,cst-ftr-mamma13.article)
December 13, 2006
BY MISHA DAVENPORT Staff Reporter

Life seems to be imitating art, as two members of the "Mamma Mia" touring company are now planning their own trips down the aisle.

Laurie Wells has the lead role of Donna, the single mom in the show. Like her character, she wants a nontraditional wedding.

Stephanie Youell has understudied the role of Sophie, the rebellious daughter who desires a traditional wedding. Youell, too, envisions a more traditional ceremony. She'll marry in St. Charles later this year. Indeed, wedding fever is spreading among the cast.

"There are a lot of bridal magazines backstage and they aren't all mine," Youell says with a laugh. We chatted with both actresses about their upcoming nuptials.

The traditional wedding ceremony

The couple: Stephanie Youell is a member of the ensemble and understudies the role of Sophie. Youell's fiance, Michael Binetti, is a native of the Chicago suburb of St. Charles. The couple plan to marry there in the fall. The pair met in New York, where Binetti is a financial analyst. It is the first marriage for both.

The proposal: Binetti surprised Youell with a last-minute trip to Barcelona. "The first day we were in Barcelona, he told me he strongly wanted to see the sunset off the Mediterranean, which was strange because he's usually not too adamant about sunsets," Youell recalls. "As we were walking on the beach and the sun was setting, he turned me around, got down on his knees and asked me to marry him."

The ring: Classy, but with a big rock. Youell's fellow cast member Wells says,"I took one look at the size of the diamond and told her it was obvious she wasn't marrying an actor."
The bridal registry: Though she has her days free to compile a wish list, it has been a challenge with Youell currently on a national tour and her fiancee in New York. The couple's solution? Register at stores located in New York and nationally. Youell will send suggestions to Binetti, who will check out the items and then add them to the list.

The dress: Youell plans to finalize her pick while here on the tour. "I'm staying with Michael's mom in St. Charles while here. Michael's sister recently got married and sent me all of the stores in the area and I'll be shopping for a dress with Michael's mom."

The ceremony: A traditional wedding in St. Charles.

The groom's role in the planning: Binetti says a guy friend told him the best advice would be to keep his role to a limited one. "He told me to let the bride put together her dream wedding and only step in on an occasion as a consultant," Binetti says. "That seems to be working out pretty well."

ABBA's role in the wedding: The one thing both Youell and Wells agree on. Youell plans to play one song, but more for cast members at the reception than for sentimental reasons. "Michael isn't really a fan of ABBA," she says. "He loves the show, but we both want to keep the ABBA to a minimum."

The nontraditional wedding ceremony

The couple: Laurie Wells, who plays the lead role of Donna, the independent single mom in the production, met her fiance Don Noble when he was starring opposite her in the hit musical. It is the first marriage for both.

The proposal: Noble met up with Wells while the show was in Mexico City. He popped the question while the pair were scaling the pyramids outside the city. "I was tired and complaining because we're hiking up this pyramid and I realized I had to do five shows that weekend," Wells recalls. "I stopped to rest and asked for a Clif bar and he put the ring in my hand. I didn't even realize it was a diamond and asked him again for the Clif bar," she adds with a laugh.

The engagement ring: Simple, but elegant. Her fiance is a working actor, after all.

The bridal registry: Don't count on it. Noble is 42 and Wells is "somewhere around there" and neither really needs anything. And most of the wedding party will be actors. "It's enough to have them spring for the plane tickets and just come to the wedding; we don't expect anybody to bring gifts," Wells says.

The bridal shower: Wells says the cast needn't throw her one. "I would be gracious, of course. I never expected to marry, so bridal planning and a shower still seem kind of foreign to me."

The dress: Wells plans to forgo the pricey bridal gown for something she might wear again.

The ceremony: The couple has yet to set a date. Wells says they'll probably make that decision a month or two before the wedding. They plan to exchange vows on a beach in California. "I see the bridal mags all over the counter backstage and think ￃﾫOh, my God, this is what I'm supposed to be doing. I'm supposed to be talking about and planning all this stuff." Wells says. "But I am exactly like my character Donna."

The groom's role in the planning: Wells and Noble have only discussed the basics of the wedding and festivities. Wells says that when they decide the final details, it will be a partnership with equal input from both. "We both grew up on the water, so we both wanted a ceremony at the beach. Don's only concern was joggers inadvertently running through our wedding ceremony."

ABBA's role in the wedding: Wells says there will be one token song played to reflect what brought the couple together. "Current and former cast members will probably be at the reception, so we'll want to include one song as a sort of in-joke," Wells says.