Welcome to PLAYBILLDER Spotlight, where Playbill highlights shows from educational institutions or regional theatres and special events around the country (who have used Playbill's program-building service). By welcoming these PLAYBILLDERs center stage, we hope to give our readers a more in-depth look at theatre programs that are fostering the love of the performing arts in the next generation and the way theatre lovers are bringing Playbill along for life's big moments.
How to Broadway-size Your Next Party or Event with PLAYBILLDER
This week's Spotlight is Brianna Stanley and Mathew Polis' wedding in Hartford, Connecticut. After securing their dream wedding venue, The Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts, the couple turned to Playbill to help create a theatrical theme for their special day. Stanley and Polis' used Playbills to introduce their friends and family and thoughtfully incorporate Stanley's students' musings on love on marriage.
The newlyweds shared with Playbill the aspect of their dating profiles that drew them closer, the shows they love, and what musical theatre ballad accompanied Stanley's walk down the aisle.
Tell us about yourselves. How long have you been together, and how did you meet?
Brianna Stanley and Mathew Polis: We have been together for a little over four years now. We met on Tinder. What was supposed to be a quick lunch date turned into hours of exploring a local park together, and we've been inseparable since then.
When did you know that each other was “The One?”
Brianna knew Mathew was “The One” when he dropped everything to support her when her father passed away unexpectedly. He didn’t even take the time to pack a toothbrush or change of clothes. He just jumped in the car and drove to her the moment she called him with the news. The love and support he gave her during the next couple of weeks was completely unconditional. He proved that he would stick by her side for better or for worse far before they would exchange wedding vows.
Although he never had a reason to assume otherwise, Mathew knew that Brianna was “The One” after they had moved in together and lived together for several months. After the novelty of dating across state lines and then moving in together had worn off, he still saw all of the green flags in their relationship flying throughout routine days. He knew then that it was time to take her off the market for good and put a ring on it.
What was the most rewarding moment of your wedding day?
One of the most rewarding moments of our wedding day was getting to see how excited our guests were as they enjoyed our reception. We loved watching them open the personalized thank you notes that served as their escort cards. We’ve gotten to experience their reactions to other surprises throughout the night via video footage. We love going back and watching the moment when they realized that we were starting our first dance by rising from the bottom of the stage!
What major milestones are you looking forward to experiencing as a couple?
We feel like the obvious answer is seeing our first show together as husband and wife! Since neither of us have been to an immersive show yet and Brianna grew up listening to Phantom of the Opera, we’ve been eyeing Masquerade as our next opportunity. Other than that, we've got our mini-honeymoon to Florida this summer. After that, we're going to work on purchasing our first home together.
What was the first Broadway show you attended as a couple?
The first Broadway show we ever saw together was Hamilton. Mathew planned an elaborate trip to NYC to see it for Brianna’s birthday, and it was one of our first and most cherished memories as a couple. Since then, we’ve gotten to see Hadestown and Maybe Happy Ending on Broadway. Both were absolutely fantastic!
How have the performing arts played a role in your love story?
The performing arts have been woven into our love story from the moment we met. We both referenced loving Disney songs in our Tinder bios, and we traded favorite songs from musicals in some of our earliest conversations. Brianna actually ended up walking down the aisle to a piano cover of "Only Us" from Dear Evan Hansen because of those early conversations. We take a trip to NYC at least once a year and always incorporate either a Broadway show or a night at 54 Below in our plans.
What drew you to PLAYBILLDER for your special event?
We knew we wanted to incorporate a Playbill-style program from the moment we realized we were going to be able to have our dream wedding in an actual theater. We looked up “How to make a Playbill” expecting to find Etsy or Canva templates. We were pleasantly surprised to find that people who don’t work in the industry can use official Playbill software to make Broadway-quality Playbills for their own events.
How did your guests respond to seeing the Playbill for the first time?
They absolutely loved it! People are still talking about things they read in it, and a bunch of people asked if we had extras that they could have as souvenirs. The personalized bios that each of our wedding party members created seem to have been the biggest hit. Brianna also filled in a fake advertisement section with anonymous quotes from her students on what they thought love meant. Both her students and guests loved that they were featured in the Playbill.
Would you recommend PLAYBILLDER to other couples planning for their big day?
We would absolutely recommend PLAYBILLDER to other couples! It took a lot of time and effort to create, but the look on our faces when we first opened the box and the look on our guests’ faces when they saw them at their seats was worth it. They make great souvenirs as well!
