Real Weddings

On June 6, 2021, Alana Burstyn and Kevin Rios Altamura married in front of 115 of their closest family and friends at the JW Marriott Turnberry Resort in Aventura, Florida. As the expression goes, their love was “written in the stars.” Because of this, they decided on an elegant celestial theme with a night full

Lauren O’Connell and Xavier Parra met during the summer of 2014, when Lauren had just moved to Portland, Oregon to start a job as an instructor at the Paul Mitchell School of Cosmetology. Xavier was also an instructor, and their working relationship grew into a friendship and, eventually, more. “We became (and remain) each other’s best

Tara Parsa and JC Gallo’s love story began when JC’s best friend insisted on going to a New Year’s concert in Vancouver, Canada. At first, JC kept declining, as he wanted to stay in Seattle; but eventually, his stubborn friend persuaded him to drive up to Vancouver on New Year’s Eve 2011, where he met

“As cliché as it might sound for New Yorkers, we unexpectedly met in the Hamptons over Labor Day Weekend in 2019,” Saba Saleem shares about her first encounter with Ripal Parikh. “I had no initial intention of being there that weekend and decided to join the girls last minute. Ripal, on the other hand, had

Jenna Garner first met Ryan Gronberg at a mutual friend’s birthday celebration back in 2010. She quickly learned that Ryan was the go-to guy for all questions related to international travel, which came in handy when she decided to take advantage of her flight attendant travel benefits in early 2019.“I was nervous because, at that

When Averi Harper and Kenneth Robinson moved to Oakland, California, both were in pursuit of professional dreams – but they found so much more. Kenneth came to the San Francisco Bay Area chasing culinary aspirations in Michelin-star kitchens and Averi arrived years later to be a morning reporter at a local television station. Their unconventional

Despite growing up minutes away from one another, Yasmin Fallahkhair and William Broder’s paths never crossed until one fateful day in 2011 when a mutual friend introduced them. Yasmin instantly fell for William’s witty humor and charisma, appreciating his natural ability to light up a room with ease. William was smitten with Yasmin’s charm, kindness,

Andreea and Andrei Popescu were both studying economics in Bucharest when they met during their last year of college. Each day, they’d see each other and “the butterflies were there” – but it wasn’t until graduation that they first talked.“In that last day, Andrei came to me to take a picture together,” Andreea recalls, “but

Unlike most couples, Olivia and Gael’s wedding story actually began in a bridal shop. It was February 2, 2019, and Olivia was visiting a boutique on a popular street in Cannes with her mother, helping a childhood friend choose her wedding dress. Gael was booked for the next appointment, as he was shopping with his

Cheonshae and Mario Brown first met in middle school, and Mario tells everyone that Cheonshae has liked him ever since. The two officially started dating after graduating from high school in their hometown of Horn Lake, Mississippi. “We were young, so neither of us thought it would be anything as serious as marriage,” Cheonshae shares. “However,

Born worlds apart, countless life decisions led Christina Hollingsworth and Michael Whyte to New York City, where people from all corners of the globe cross paths. Christina is from Indiana and Michael is from Australia, but the two connected via a lucky algorithm. Michael wasn’t sure what to expect when Christina arrived 45 minutes late

Allyson Felix and Kenneth Ferguson first met as teenagers, both on the world junior track team representing the United States. Even though they quickly became friends, they had no idea life would lead to them walking down the aisle almost 20 years later.When the couple decided to have a vow renewal, they had to postpone

When Cody Haumann transferred to Abigail Barrett’s high school back in the day, the two teenagers quickly began passing notes during the multiple classes they had together. It only took a couple weeks before they started dating. Unfortunately, Cody wanted to finish high school in the previous town and ended up moving back; but he

Vivian Mehrabian and Anthony Grigorian first met during middle school, when mutual friends introduced them on AIM – AOL Instant Messenger. Something clicked right from the start, as their first phone conversation lasted for three hours. Of course, being kids at the time, they eventually stopped “dating” but became the best of friends throughout high

The first time Clair and Eddie Corsaf met was in Panama, when Clair had traveled to visit her brother and his family. Her sister-in-law and siblings set it up, giving Eddie her number beforehand.“He had sent me a text a few months prior to show interest but nothing ever happened until we met in person

Like many couples in today’s world, Emani Hill and Taylor Trammell first connected when they followed each other on Instagram. Emani thought Taylor was incredibly handsome with a great smile, and he immediately noticed her athleticism. At the time, the two teens were attending rival high schools, so it was during the night of a

Not many people can say they married their high school sweetheart, but that was the case for Jennifer Gonzalez and David Reyes. With a custom-made gown and suit by Israeli designer Netta BenShabu, a butterfly release, live painter, and a grand exit in a vintage Rolls Royce, this celebration hosted at the historic venue, The

Jacklyn and Ryan McConnell were introduced through a mutual friend, when Jacklyn was living in New York and planning on visiting Boston in the coming weeks. Content with being single, Jacklyn was hesitant at first.“As soon as I creeped on his social media, I agreed,” she shares. “He was so cute. We went on a

Iman Dean was hosting a brunch event in August of 2015 when she first met Manuel Strong. Under the pretense of collaborating professionally, Manny asked for her name and the two connected the next day.“Because I had heard that line before,” Iman shares, “I brushed him off and tried to walk away but he gently

On a sunny summer day, Arlyne Stein attended a party with her best friend Renee. Making the rounds, Renee stopped to chat with her brother Isaac while his friend, Michael Rosilio, happened to be standing next to him. Instantly smitten, Arlyne and Michael hit it off and spent the party – and the subsequent summer

Ashleigh Roux and Chaz O’Connell first met in the 10th grade. Though they attended different high schools and never heard of each other before, Ashleigh’s

Lily Chen and Aaron Greenberg’s love story began with what they refer to as “two mutual, fortuitous likes” on the Hinge dating app. On their first date, the two hit it off under the holiday lights at The Grove, and bonded over their love of hiking, travel, and shared family values. “Despite our initial spark, our

Madeeha Jadmani and Fahad Khan were teenagers when they first met at a Pakistani community event with their families. At only 17 and 13, respectively, they clicked as friends right away.“I thought he was this cute and adorable kid,” Madeeha recalls, “and he was drawn to my comedic side. We were friends for one or

Mehaik Dammanwalla first caught Imaad Khan’s attention on the Hinge dating app, when she shared a story about a bear breaking into her family’s car