About 20 of our closest family took a party bus to the wedding and were stuck in traffic—they almost missed the ceremony. We held off as long as we could, and they finally made it! My wedding party and day-of coordinator did their best to keep Damian and I oblivious to this hiccup, but we are glad they all made it in time!
Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love…
Stefanie: Damian and I are two born and raised Brooklynites. Damian is an entrepreneur, and I am a speech-language pathologist. We love cozy nights in, ordering take out and watching movies. We both love making each other laugh, and we are obsessed with our dog, Shiloh.
How/where/when did you meet – and what were your first impressions?
Stefanie: Damian and I met in high school and were together for about 17 years before getting married! When we were in high school, we were best friends. We went to the movies every weekend, had endless pizza dates, and enjoyed and struggled through our teenage years together. When we first saw each other in our high school hallway, we both asked a mutual friend what the other’s name was on the same day! It was all history from then.
When did you first realise that this was someone you’d like to spend the rest of your life with?
Stefanie: I think we both realized that we would spend the rest of our lives together when no matter what the challenge, it always ended with the two of us together. Going to different universities, meeting new friend groups, entering completely different fields, nothing kept us apart. We always felt “at home” with each other.
Was there a proposal? Tell us a little about it…
Stefanie: Damian and I got engaged in the Catskills, NY, one year before our wedding. We had a fun day at a brewery, enjoying the scenery of the Catskills, when we decided to head back to the Airbnb. Damian proposed there, and it was perfect—low-key, down to earth and intimate, a true reflection of our relationship.
Tell us about the vision you had for the mood or style of your wedding…
We wanted our wedding to feel intimate and cozy, which Brooklyn Winery executed perfectly. We wanted a romantic vibe, where everyone sat down for dinner and enjoyed good food and conversation, uninterrupted. Then, we wanted the party to start! We wanted it to feel like a fun night out in Brooklyn that merged both of our cultures—Moroccan/Italian with Dominican. The night was filled with throwback hip-hop and R&B, reggaeton and bachata, and Moroccan/Israeli hits.
Did anything happen on your wedding day that you laugh about in hindsight (even if it was stressful at the time)?
About 20 of our closest family took a party bus to the wedding and were stuck in traffic—they almost missed the ceremony. We held off as long as we could, and they finally made it! My wedding party and day-of coordinator did their best to keep Damian and I oblivious to this hiccup, but we are glad they all made it in time!
Tell us about your main outfits, what was unique, is there a story?
I tried on many, many dresses and none of them felt like “me.” My style is very minimal, with a twist. When I finally saw the gown by Ines Di Santo, I knew it was the one. Once I tried it on, everything came together. It was the perfect amount of simple, yet interesting. I paired the dress with extremely high heels by Giuseppe Zanotti so that I could at least meet Damian halfway in height! Damian rented his suit from The Black Tux, it was a seamless process and he looked great.
Ceremony + Reception Location: Brooklyn Winery, @brooklynwinery / Photographer: Rachel Leiner Photography, @rachelleinerphoto / Videographer: Catherine Hernandez at Wild Nettle Films, @wildnettlefilms / Celebrant: Rabbi Scott Matous / Entertainment: DJ David Medina, @djmedinanyc / Flora: Lulo + Ly, @luloandly_floralstudio / Cake: Amy at Yip.Studio, @yip.studio_ / Registry: Zola, @zola / Bride’s Dress: Ines Di Santo, @inesdisanto from Mark Ingram Atelier, @markingramatelier / Groom’s Attire: The Black Tux, @theblacktux / Ring/s: J & J Zaidman, @jjzaidman / Bride’s Shoes: Giuseppe Zanotti, @giuseppezanotti / Bride’s Earrings: The Very Pearl, @theverypearl / Makeup: Sandy Nicha for Pre-Dame Beauty, @predamebeauty, @sandy_nicha / Hair: Meghan Ronan for Boho Bridal Hair + Makeup, @bohobridalhair, @brides_by_meghan
