Our Story...

Matt and I met in college back in 2014 through a mutual friend and quickly became part of the same close-knit group. We spent most of our free time together, and while Matt had a crush on me, I always saw him as a great friend. Even after graduation, we stayed in touch and maintained a long-distance friendship.

 In 2020, our bond deepened, and I began to realize I felt the same way he always had. We were hesitant to risk our friendship, but in April 2021, we decided to take the leap and start dating. It was the best decision we ever made! After nearly two years together, Matt proposed in New Orleans in February 2023 — the same city where we had officially started our relationship. That August, after 2.5 years of long-distance, we moved to Florida together for Matt to attend medical school.

Matt grew up on Long Island, and I’m from Syracuse, so with our families spread across New York, we chose to have our wedding in the Capital Region — right in the middle! The Edison Downtown in Schenectady was the perfect choice. Belinda, Dominique, Jemma, and the entire team made planning a New York wedding from Florida a breeze. Our day couldn’t have been more perfect, thanks to them and all our amazing vendors. We were so grateful to celebrate surrounded by our family, friends, and so much love.

• Special Touches •

Kind Friends

We asked the friend who introduced us to be our Officiant! If it wasn’t for him, Matt and I never would have met - so it was only fitting for us to have him be the one to officiate our wedding day!

Our first/main photographer and I grew up doing all-star cheerleading together!

Mom of Honor

My mom and I are very close, so I asked her to be my Matron of Honor as a way to include her more in the day!

Little Lace

The lace on my wedding day shoes in the flat-lay picture is extra lace scraps from my wedding dress alterations that I attached to the shoe with lace-safe fabric glue for a DIY custom wedding day shoe.

In Memory of

We had a “In Memory of” table for those loved ones who were with us in spirit that day.

Florals

Our ceremony florals were repurposed for reception florals, which we felt added a nice cohesive touch to the day!

• Advice to Pass Along •

1) It’s cliché, but the day truly goes by so fast, so make sure to really soak it all in and take time to be present in the moment. Even if it’s during dinner, take a moment to look around the room at all the people from all different parts of your guys’ life in the same room there to celebrate you both!

2) Things may go wrong, but it’s so, so important to take a deep breath and know it will all work out. The things that went “wrong” on our day are things we laugh about now. It’s also the things that made our day, our day.

3) Make sure to eat and drink plenty of water! It’s way easier than you realize to let the day pass in the craziness and not eat or drink anything!