Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love, what is unique about you and your relationship…
We both went to college in Roanoke, Virginia, which is where we first met. Krizia is now Operations Manager for the Live division of the fitness company ClassPass. Mia runs a company called CheckIn Tech, which provides comprehensive guest check-in experiences for events all over the world.
Our favorite thing to do is explore together. Whether it is picking a new neighborhood in our own city and spending the day walking and finding the perfect lunch spot or getting lost together on vacation and making it up as we go.
Our relationship is unique in that we waited over 10 years to get married. Something that was important to us, as a couple and part of the reason we waited so long, was that we wanted gay marriage to be legalized when we were married. The commitment to each other is a big part of the ceremony, but we also wanted that commitment to be honored legally.
We also waited because the way we share our relationship with our friends and family is very important. We took our commitment very seriously and did not want to rush the process. We were originally going to have a small ceremony at the court house and then do a reception after. When we talked this through with friends and family we realized how important it was for all to have everyone there to share in the witnessing of our promise to each other. In fact, Mia’s father was ordained just to oversee the ceremony.
Tell us about your special day, was there a specific theme or style? Tell us a little about the setting, the styling and some of your favorite details…
For us we wanted the whole day to feel like a celebration that included our friends and family, but still be able to have some more intimate moments with just the two of us. We didn’t want our biggest regret to be we did not spend enough time together on our wedding day.
We ended up getting ready at our friend’s apartment which was a block from the wedding. Because we didn’t have a traditional wedding party, we decided to get ready in the same place, so we could spend time with everyone. We had planned it, so that we could spend some time together prior to the ceremony and we used that opportunity for our first look and some photos of just the two of us.
We planned a short walk around the neighborhood which we had explored ahead of time to find some great street art. We wanted the photographs to be unique to the place and time we were getting married and also be a reminder of our favorite thing to do together. We used this time to remind us that we were celebrating our relationship, which can get lost in all the preparations and logistics of the day.
The venue was one we had been interested for quite some time. We wanted to stream line the planning process and minimize the amount of vendors we were working with, which meant less to keep track of. This venue had it all, from the unique design features and lighting to the amazing food that our guests were able to order on the day of it helped consolidate a lot of the planning process.
Tell us about your main outfits:
Mia: I never really pictured myself in a traditional wedding dress. It wasn’t important for me to spend a lot of money on a dress that I would only wear for one day. What was important to me was comfort. I’m a dancer so I wanted to have dress I felt great dancing the night away in. The alterations that were made to the dress were to deepen the V in the back and shorten the skirt. I actually bought additional crinoline online, at the suggestion of my tailor, to make the skirt fuller.
Krizia: As a woman, it has always been a struggle to find a suit that fits my proportions in the cut that I want. Traditional men’s suit are not made to fit a women’s body and women’s suits have specific tailoring that I didn’t want. I wanted the suit to be a hybrid and was impressed with the service and ability Gina at SuitSupply had to measure me properly to fit.
The lining of the suit I wanted to be festive and add a little flare to the suit. The vintage watch was important to me and I had Gina match the stitching of the buttons to the face of the watch. The pants are traditional suspender pants with button suspenders. The jacket and custom shirt are both monogramed with my initials and we added our wedding date underneath the suit lapel.
The bracelets worn by both Mia and Krizia are a tradition from St. Croix, where Krizia grew up. The traditional bracelet is the hook bracelet and can be worn in different ways to signify if the wearer is in a relationship. Some folklore states that if the open end of the hook is pointed up toward your heart, your love is taken. With the open end of the hook worn down, away from your heart, you are unattached and your love is free.
The other bracelets are a variation and are made by two companies on island Sonja, which has made the original hook bracelet since 1964 and IB Designs. Whenever Krizia and Mia travel to St. Croix they purchase a new bracelet as a reminder of their visit.
What were some of the most memorable/unique moments from the day?
The most memorable moments took us through a range of emotions. Our first look was such a beautiful moment and helped us to have some time to connect and slow down during such a hectic day. Having Mia’s dad officiate over the ceremony was also a really wonderful experience, to be able to witness his emotions as he confirmed and celebrated the union.
There was also a flash mob during the reception which Mia had organized as a surprise for Krizia after the father daughter dance. However, I think everyone’s favorite moment had to be the Hora Loca. Krizia is originally from Venezuela and the Hora Loca is a tradition during important events. At the end of the event masks and noise makers are handed out and everyone dances Baile de Tambor a dance of Afro-Venezuelan origins that is danced to the rhythms traditional African percussion with a Venezuelan flare.
Any advice for other couples planning to spend the rest of their lives together?
Every relationship is different, so we think the key to having a “forever” relationship is to find the things that are important to you as a couple and focus on that. For us that is respect, honesty and communication. There are a lot of things in life you can’t control, but for us having these three things as an anchor for our relationship helps us to have something to focus on together during “good times and bad, in sickness and in health”.
Photography: Warm Up Lab | Ceremony, reception location, catering, and cake: My Moon NYC | Celebrant: Mia’s father | Entertainment: DJ Alkanie | Styling: Fox and Jane Salon | Flora: Aurora Botanica | Mia’s wedding dress: BHLDN | Tailoring: AMadden Tailoring | Krizia’s suit: Suit Supply | Rings: Tiffany | Mia’s watch: Bulova | Krizia’s watch: Rolex
