Jenna Dunay dreamed of running for political office; and in 2010, her dreams were set in motion when she obtained a job working in the Obama Administration as a political appointee in Washington, DC. Chris Romig followed in his father’s footsteps and enlisted in the Army after 9/11. Even though Chris worked in the Old Guard (Arlington Cemetery), mere steps away from Jenna’s first apartment in Arlington, Virginia, their paths never crossed.
In 2013, Jenna left the administration for the private sector and began working at Rapiscan Systems. There, she befriended a new co-worker, Chris Romig, Sr., who began mentoring her.
“FIRST AND FOREMOST, IT WAS IMPORTANT TO US THAT PEOPLE HAD A GREAT TIME.”
As the annual holiday party was approaching, Chris Sr. insisted that Jenna meet his wife, Mary Kay, and son, Chris Jr., and drive along with them to the company party. Chris Jr., who was now an Army helicopter pilot, had just gradated flight school and would be visiting family in DC for several weeks. Chris Sr. couldn’t resist this matchmaking opportunity and convinced his skeptical son to attend the holiday party.
After Chris Sr. and the rest of the family had made a successful match, an engagement between Chris Jr. and Jenna took place while on vacation in Venice. In front of the Church of San Giorgio, overlooking Piazza San Marco, Chris popped the question while a photographer he had hired was waiting, unseen, to get the perfect shot.
The couple enjoyed being engaged for nearly two years before hosting a wedding in Boca Raton, where Jenna had grown up. The wedding planning process wasn’t easy, as Jenna was living in DC; but her mother and sister were there to play an integral part in piecing everything together. “We wanted to celebrate our love for each other, our families, friends, and have a fabulous party,” Jenna shares. “First and foremost, it was important to us that people had a great time.”
On the wedding day, one of the bride’s favorite moments was when her father got his first glimpse of his daughter in her wedding gown. “The tears in my father’s eyes, his incredible smile – he was beaming, and time just stood still,” she describes. “We loved being surrounded by the most important people in our lives.”
The bride and groom were married under a beautiful chuppah covered in cherry blossoms and opted to write their own vows. “It is not often that I have a chance to see Chris, a tough army man, be vulnerable and truly express the love he feels for me in words,” Jenna says. “I will cherish that moment forever.”
An outdoor cocktail hour followed, overlooking Lake Boca, and guests were treated to various food stations of Hawaiian seared tuna poke, Maine lobster salad cones, lamb chops, a mac and cheese bar, and a Cuban cigar roller. The reception took place in the venue’s cathedral ballroom and exceeded the couple’s expectations. “We had never seen a more beautiful room,” says the bride. “The stunning white floral arrangements on each table, the flowers cascading from the chandeliers, the chuppah over the wedding cake. It was truly a fairytale.”
For their honeymoon, the newlyweds traveled to Italy for a romantic getaway filled with food, wine, and unforgettable sights.
WEDDING TALENT
Location: The Boca Raton, Boca Raton, FL; Floral Design, Lighting and Linen: Boca by Design, Boca Raton, FL; Wedding Dress: Marchesa; Bridal Salon: Chernaya Bridal House, Miami, FL