June 24, 2011

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Lindsey Belle Photography.

In June 2008, Michele Solomon, originally from Hackettstown, met Ron Sinacore, who grew up in Bethpage, Long Island, while training for their first Ironman triathlon—that’s 2.4 miles of swimming, 112 miles of biking and a 26-mile run, all in one day!

A Marriage Forged in Iron

About 70 miles into their 100-mile bike training ride in Lake Placid, Ron, chief financial officer for Solon Mack Capital, rode past Michele, owner of Minted Living, a gifting and event-planning company, on his bike and said hello. They became fast friends and soon realized that they lived only six blocks apart in New York City, and belonged to the same triathlon club. Five weeks later, Michele and Ron finished the Ironman just five minutes apart (she beat his time). The next week, they began dating.

One year later, the happy couple attended the Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii, as observers, and Ron surprised Michele with an engagement ring. Fast-forward another 12 months, and they returned to Hawaii, but this time she walked away with a race finisher’s medal—just six weeks before their wedding. “If I had to do it again, I would not train for an Ironman triathlon the month before my wedding,” she says. “It was crazy—I was ordering menu cards from Kona while competing. At least I came back with a wicked tan-line.”

Their picture-perfect November 13, 2010, destination wedding at the Ritz-Carlton in St. Thomas came off without a hitch, although the couple’s luggage was lost for the first three days. The bride wore a stunning Rivini gown, with maids in bright Jenny Yoo dresses. The romantic outdoor ceremony and reception for 65 guests began at sunset, and the event was awash in hues of turquoise, coral, fuchsia and ivory.

A lavish buffet dinner included coconut and lime seafood salad, New York strip loin, guava barbecued chicken, mahi mahi in banana leaves, grilled shrimp and rum cake. Huge magenta peonies topped a yummy red-velvet and chocolate-caramel-crunch wedding cake, while fuchsia boxes of Swedish fish and a custom note thanked guests from “head to tail” for coming to the island wedding.

“We very much appreciated our family and friends making the trip, so we hosted an informal Caribbean happy hour upon arrival, and also had an outdoor brunch the morning after the wedding for all of our guests,” Ron says.

Michele and Ron jetted off to St. John for a quick post-wedding respite, and later enjoyed a honeymoon trip to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, after settling into their new home in Briarcliff Manor, New York.

SOURCES:

PHOTOGRAPHER: Lindsey Belle Photography, Manhattan;

lindseybelle.com

RECEPTION: Ritz-Carlton, St. Thomas, 340-775-3333;

ritzcarlton.com

WEDDING PLANNER: Rachel Pullen for Ritz-Carlton,

St. Thomas, 340-775-3333; ritzcarlton.com

FLOWERS: East End Flowers, St. Thomas, 340-779-2619;

eastendflowersvi.com

BRIDE’S GOWN: Rivini from Kleinfeld, Manhattan,

646-633-4300; kleinfeldbridal.com

BRIDESMAID DRESSES: Jenny Yoo, Manhattan,