Real Pittsburgh Weddings: T.J. Perry and Georgia Gagianas

The couple was married at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in McCandless.

8 hours ago

Jamie Crow,

PHOTO BY STEVEN DRAY PHOTOGRAPHY

T.J. Perry & Georgia Gagianas
May 26, 2024

PHOTO BY STEVEN DRAY PHOTOGRAPHY

When T.J. Met Georgie

T.J. and Georgia met thanks to the matchmaking skills of Georgia’s brother, Dimitri, who introduced them.

The pair bonded over their shared passion for medicine as well as their faith. They officially became a couple in January 2020; about six weeks later, they moved in together by way of the pandemic.

T.J. was attending medical school in Columbus, Ohio, and he couldn’t easily travel home to his family in Minnesota, so Georgia’s family invited him to stay at their home in Pittsburgh.

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She Said Yes

After the height of the pandemic, the couple had a long-distance relationship for four years while both pursued medical degrees; Georgia attended the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine.

After T.J. graduated from the Ohio State University College of Medicine, the couple planned a family weekend to celebrate at Georgia’s family home. Before dinner one evening, T.J. invited Georgia to a space in the backyard, where he proposed in front of a display of the couple’s photos and mementos from their time together.

The moment quickly became a full celebration, as two of Georgia’s best friends surprised her with Champagne; more friends and family were waiting to celebrate at Downtown’s Sienna Mercato.

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The Big Day

Throughout their wedding day, T.J. and Georgia honored their faith and their families, beginning with a ceremony at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in McCandless. The ceremony, led by Metropolitan Savas Zembillas and Father John Touloumes, was served by clergy members with familial and longstanding ties to the couple.

The service underscored the value of sacrificial love and the couple’s formation of a new kingdom together. One highlight for the couple was their first steps together, in a procession guided by the clergy and supported by their Koumbaro, a sponsor and adviser to their marriage.

“We just love that for generations, the service hasn’t changed,” T.J. says. “It’s truly timeless.” After the couple entered the reception at the Omni William Penn Hotel, and T.J.’s costume change into a white tuxedo jacket, he surprised Georgia with a performance of Nat King Cole’s “When I Fall in Love.”

PHOTO BY STEVEN DRAY PHOTOGRAPHY

Happily Ever After

After honeymooning in Riviera Maya, Mexico, T.J., 28, and Georgia, 29, settled in Cleveland — their first time actually living together. Both are completing their residencies at the Cleveland Clinic, where T.J. is a third-year vascular surgery resident and Georgia is a second-year anesthesiology resident.