When Rietsa Lelekakis was first asked out by Paul Lo Duca in 2006, several people told her to stay away. At the time, LoDuca was a popular catcher for the Mets whose messy divorce, reported dalliances and gambling debts were making tabloid front-page news.
"I didn't judge him," says Lelekakis, 28. "I don't believe everything I read. If I am going to make a decision, I will make the decision, not some stupid paper."
So what did the sultry brunette decide? That the stories were "a crock" and that Lo Duca, 36, was a good guy -- so good that the two will be married in a Greek Orthodox ceremony in January. About 270 guests are expected to attend. Lelekakis caught the eye of Lo Duca two years ago, when he saw her singing and dancing at Posh Ultra Lounge, a Garden City nightclub. "When I saw her, I asked the owner, 'Who is that girl?'" Lo Duca says. "He introduced us, and she didn't give me the time of day."
But his persistence and a good sense of humor eventually won her over, Lelekakis says. A year later, Lo Duca, who now plays for the Washington Nationals, proposed with a 3.5-carat Asscher-cut diamond ring during Lelekakis' 28th birthday party at their Westbury home.
"I screamed, 'Yes!'" she says, and spent the rest of the evening "floating on air."
The couple will have their wedding and reception in Manhattan, and Lelekakis will walk down the aisle in a strapless, ivory Ulla-Maija satin design with a large bow that bends and folds like origami.
For Newsday's Bridal Planner, she modeled an array of gowns provided by The Wedding Salon of Manhasset, Kleinfeld in Manhattan and Iman Bridal Couture in Old Brookville with the Vanderbilt Museum in Centerport as a spectacular backdrop.
Although most of the wedding's details have been taken care of, her schedule is still hectic. For the past few months, she has been putting the finishing touches on her album, "Addiction," filled with R&B-inspired dance club tunes, a two-year project she has worked on with Fire Entertainment in Manhattan.
Her single "Cold Shower" was released in August 2006 and peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard Dance sales charts on Feb. 17, 2007.
Lelekakis expects her album to debut later this year. "I can't wait to get it out there," she says.
She also can't wait for her wedding. Lo Duca "is one of the nicest people I have ever met," she says.
Lo Duca says Lelekakis is nice, too -- and feisty. "She will tell you like it is," he says.
