We were both shy but quickly realized we had the same quirky sense of humour and love for cats.
Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love
Deana: I work in local government, and I’m in the process of finishing up my Bachelor’s Degree. In my spare time, I love to research and watch videos about the newest beauty trends (skincare, makeup, etc). Going out to eat is also a big part of my life. Kevin and I like trying new bars and restaurants whenever we can. My cats, Twilight and Earl are our babies- they are so spoiled and always get the royal treatment!
Kevin: I work in the city doing commercial interiors. I really enjoy it because every day is different, and I love being part of a client’s design process. When I’m not at work, I love searching for old vinyl records to play at home and making craft cocktails. As Deana mentioned, our cats are our lives. They are so special to us!
How/where/when did you meet – and what were your first impressions?
Deana and Kevin: We met on Tinder in 2015 and recognized each other from our past emo lives by going to local concerts. We were both shy but quickly realized we had the same quirky sense of humour and love for cats.
Deana: On our first date, I couldn’t help but notice how Kevin’s presence was calming. I was so nervous, but somehow I felt at ease with him. Almost like we were old friends reconnecting. He was super sweet and a lot of fun getting to know. I didn’t want the date to end!
Kevin: I wanted our first date to be fun yet private so we would have time to chat and get to know each other better. I decided on a restaurant called the Verona Inn. Even though it was so long ago, I remember exactly what she was wearing, an oversized flannel shirt with boots. I was also pretty nervous as it was my first date in a while, but I definitely felt more comfortable once we started catching up. It’s funny to look back at now, but I had ordered us a flight of beer only to find out she hates beer!
When did you first realise that this was someone you’d like to spend the rest of your life with?
Deana: I knew Kevin was the person I wanted to spend the rest of my life with from the second I first met him in 2015. We had gone on a few dates, but he had kind of grown distant, and we just stopped talking. About a year later, he took the initiative to reach out to me and explained that, at the time, he wasn’t ready to commit. I was really understanding, and it actually drew me to him more because of his honesty. We immediately scheduled another “first date”, and I couldn’t have been happier.
Kevin: Well, prior to our “second” first date, we were dating for a few months about a year prior. I broke things off because I got nervous and felt like I wasn’t ready to commit to anything serious. It took those months apart from Deana to realize she was the one I wanted to be with for the rest of my life. I got a new phone and didn’t have her number anymore, so I reached out via Facebook messenger. She was really receptive to meeting up again. The rest is history!
Was there a proposal? Tell us a little about it…
Deana: Funny story! I was completely clueless about what was going on, but Kevin surprised me with an overnight getaway to Asbury Park. He got us a room at our favourite hotel, The Asbury. On the ride down, he was really quiet and seemed nervous, but I thought nothing of it. We had made a reservation at a nice Italian restaurant called Brando’s- we had never been before. The proposal went a bit awry and didn’t wind up going according to plan because it was chaotic inside the restaurant (I found this out after the fact!). When we got back to the hotel, we grabbed some drinks at the lobby bar, where he popped the question. I was in shock and had so many emotions. It was really intimate and sweet, which was what I had always wanted.
Tell us about the vision you had for the mood or style of your wedding.
Deana and Kevin: We knew we didn’t want a typical wedding but instead wanted a wedding and venue that would encompass our love for vintage design. Without hesitation, we knew the TWA hotel would be our dream venue. Since music and vintage design are such huge parts of our lives, we wanted to go with more of a “disco” inspired theme. We kept all the decor red and white to go with the venue. Our dress code was black tie optional, but we encouraged guests to come dressed in theme. Everyone had fun with it and really showed the occasion, ready to dance the night away.
What was one element you were happy to splurge on?
Deana and Kevin: We splurged on some customized things like our menus and favours, which were huge hits with all of our guests. We worked with a vendor on Etsy who created customized laser-cut wooden menus in a funky retro shape. They were so special! We also did little matchbooks and left them at the bar for our guests to grab. At each table setting, we left scratch-offs in custom cards that read “Lucky in Love”. They were a fun touch that everyone enjoyed. The week of our wedding, I had an insane idea to put disco tiles on a bar cart we had lying around the house. I thought it would be cute to put our audio guestbook on. It was the most stressful thing! Over 100,000 disco tiles were applied, but it was worth every tear shed because we received so many compliments!
Did anything happen on your wedding day that you laugh about in hindsight (even if it was stressful at the time)?
Deana and Kevin: Actually, yes! We didn’t realize until the reception started, but we had a handful of guests who just didn’t show up. It was really disappointing and upsetting, but we did not let it ruin the night. Aside from that, we had an incredible team who kept the entire day running smoothly. Our planner, Keely, our photographer Parker, and our DJ, Alex, were integral parts of our day and went above and beyond to make our wedding extra special.
Tell us about your main outfits, what was unique, is there a story?
Deana: This part was so special for me. I had a vision of how I wanted to look on my wedding day, and one of my best friends, Marcelo, is the owner of Mirror Palais. I knew I wanted to work with him to create 2 custom looks to tie everything together. I have always loved the look of fringe beading and wanted to incorporate that into my gown. We got some inspiration from one of Sophia Richie’s wedding looks. For my second look, I wanted something short and sweet that I could dance in. We came up with a babydoll shift dress with fur trim on the sleeves and bottom. I had countless meetings and fittings to get everything just right. Marcelo and his team were incredible to work with and made my dream dresses a reality.
CEREMONY + RECEPTION TWA Hotel Queens, NY, USA, @twahotel MAIN PHOTOGRAPHER Parker Selman, @parkers.pictures ASSISTANT PHOTOGRAPHER Hannah Payne, @by.hkp PLANNER + STYLIST Keely Fickau, @keelzinthecity FLORIST Blue Flower Shop OFFICIANT Jake Kazinci, @kazincii ENTERTAINMENT Alex Cameron: Simply Sliced Entertainment, @simplyslicedentertainment CATERING, HIRE, SIGNAGE, STATIONERY TWA Hotel, @twahotel CAKE Varrelmann’s Bake Shop STATIONERY Designed by the couple STATIONERY PRINT Axium Print JEWELLERY Family jeweller: Kathy’s Jewelry in Paramus, NJ RINGS Gomez Family Heirloom and Wedding Rings Family Jeweler BRIDAL DRESS, RECEPTION DRESS, VEIL Mirror Palais, @mirrorpalais BRIDE’S SHOES Jimmy Choo, @jimmychoo; Simon Miller, @simonmillerusa SUIT The Black Tux, @theblacktux GROOM’S SHOES Saks Fifth Ave, @saks MAKEUP Danielle Ghazaii, @dgartistry_ HAIR Carrieann, @americanhoney_artistry
