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Model
bride
Gravesend
contestant vies to be cover girl for national magazine
By
Lisa J. Curtis
The Brooklyn
Bride Editor
When
Alexia Choukroun’s boyfriend proposed to her in Brighton
Beach — by hiding a ring inside the romance novel “Crazy
for You” — she was on top of the world.
“I started hysterical crying, and he read a poem and
proposed in French!” Choukroun told The Brooklyn Bride.
Choukroun and her parents are fluent in the language, so with
the help of her brother, her fiance, Eli Benzaken, 23, was
able to secretly learn and rehearse his Gallic proposal.
“It was so serene, quiet and romantic — perfect!”
recalled Choukroun about the proposal from the man that “every
girl knew as ‘Mr. Hottie.’ ”
“He was popular in high school. I never thought I would
end up with him. But in a million ways, our personalities
clicked.”
Yet the 19-year-old student at Manhattan’s Fashion Institute
of Technology discovered that she had even more surprises
in store. She had been chosen to be one of seven finalists
— out of hundreds of entrants — for “Bridal
Guide” magazine and the Wilhelmina modeling agency’s
national search for “The Face of the American Bride.”
“Bridal Guide” Editor-in-Chief Diane Forden told
The Brooklyn Bride that the contest is a search for “a
girl who encompasses everything about the bride who’s
getting married today: modern, savvy, smart, fashionable.
“We thought [Choukroun] was really quite lovely. She
has an elegant look, wonderful smile and striking features…Her
look was very appealing overall.”
Although Choukroun, the youngest finalist, was named first
runner-up in the May 9 showdown — after a long day of
make-overs, gown modeling and a professional photo shoot —
she will be featured inside the magazine’s November/December
issue and will receive a $7,500 Wilhelmina modeling contract,
in addition to other prizes.
Before that, Choukroun and Benzaken will be married on Aug.
16 at the Shaare Zion synagogue and will honeymoon in Greece.
Choukroun says she is looking forward to reuniting with her
far-flung family at the Brooklyn reception.
“I have family in London, in France, in Canada. It’s
a huge family; my mother has nine brothers and sisters,”
she said. “We’re the most family-oriented people
in the whole world; my cousins are my best friends.”
The bride says that because she’s been consumed with
decorations and other details, her only remaining concern
about the wedding is that she hasn’t found anyone to
design her own hair-do and make-up, yet. But it’s unlikely
that this Gravesend beauty will require much help at all in
those departments.
May
13, 2006 edition |. Read
more about Brooklyn Weddings
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