Neurosurgeons dream of perfect wedding

By Leila Ugincius

Planning a dream wedding is stressful enough, but when you’re a busy neurosurgery resident, it can be downright impossible.

Lily Alemi, a neurosurgery resident at the Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center, came up with a way to wed without having to plan — or pay for — a thing: she and her fiancé, Brian Cameron, neurosurgery chief at the VCU Medical Center, entered the NBC12 Dream Wedding contest.

“Before the contest, our plans were to get married on May 12, 2007, Alemi said, adding that it took her and Cameron three months to just pick a date since their schedules only give them one day off together each month. “I got an e-mail about [the contest] and we thought we'd give it a shot since it is so hard to get any time off to plan anything. Also, the fact they pay for everything is great too, since as residents, we don't make a lot of money.”

The likable doctors and their meet-cute story _ she was an intern, he was her chief resident _ appealed to judges enough to place the couple among the top three finalists.

Viewers will select the winners. Online voting began this week and ends on Monday, June 19. The winners will be announced on Wednesday, June 21, on Channel 12 during the noon news.

The winning couple will wed on Friday, Aug. 11, at the Virginia Crossings Resort in Glen Allen. Channel 12 will broadcast highlights from the ceremony during its Aug. 18 News at Noon program.

Alemi said that winning the contest would come with the added bonus of starting their lives together sooner than originally planned. But she has a backup plan just in case.

“We will continue with the May 12 plans. Hopefully our friends and family will be able to help make arrangements, like find a florist. … Most of the information we get is from Web surfing since we pretty much are in the hospital all the time.”