A Timeless Fall Wedding at Nanina’s In the Park

Joe and Nicolette tied the knot on November 12, 2023 at Nanina’s in the Park.

Their Story

Joe and Nicolette met through one of Nicolette’s best friends, Tasha. While Joe was at a New York Rangers game, “he took a stealthy Snapchat of a couple sitting a few rows back and posted it with the caption Relationship Goals: Ranger Couple,” says Nicolette. Tasha spotted the post and instantly thought of Nicolette, who is also a Rangers fan.

Tasha played a little match making and connected Joe and Nicolette.

“We chatted online for a month, met in person and the rest is history!” says Nicolette. “We were dating just shy of nine years when we got married.”

The Proposal

The couple got engaged on January 21, 2022.  “The coldest day in January,” says Nicolette.

They both attended the University of Maryland and Joe wanted to go back to campus to give a friend a “tour”, “which was just an excuse to get me to go visit,” says Nicolette. “He proposed on the ODK (Omicron Delta Kappa) fountain on McKeldin Mall, right in the middle of campus. UMD holds so many great memories, and it was great to add a new one!”

Details of the Day

The couple’s overall theme was classic and timeless. “Our flowers were all white which is extremely timeless,” says Nicolette. “Our bridesmaid dresses were emerald green velvet—the dark green really pops against the fall foliage in our photos. Our little details all had gold elements in it to match our rings.”

“Another cute little detail I added is my husband and his family are diehard Jets fan. We got married on an NFL Sunday, so at cocktail hour our suckling pig had Jets sunglasses on to let the Jets have some presence on our special day!”

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Choosing the Venue

“We chose Nanina’s in The Park because we loved the look of the venue and knew the food was known to be amazing,” say Nicolette.

“Like most Italians, my husband’s family’s one ask was that the venue had to have good food. Nanina’s was actually the first venue we toured and we knew we wanted to book there! The food, drinks and staff the night of our wedding were incredible.”

Favorite Moment

“Our favorite moment of our wedding was seeing all our friends and family that were present,” says the bride. “We had moved to Florida earlier in the year for Joe’s job, so we had not seen some family and friends for over a year.”

Another great moment for the couple: “My husband is a play-by-play sports broadcaster and our DJ (Mystical Entertainment Group) had one of his goal calls from a game mixed into a song,” says the bride. “It was a surprise to both of us and we loved it!

A Detail They Couldn’t Live Without

“We were looking through my husband’s grandmother’s old things and found this beautiful blue ring she had in one of her drawers,” says Nicolette. “I tried it on and it fit me perfectly, and ended up being my something borrowed, blue and old. She passed away in 2017, so I carried a little bit of her on our special day.”

“My husband’s ring is also his grandfather’s ring, so he was also with us the day of the wedding.”

Advice for Couples

“Don’t compare your weddings to others! Everyone has different tastes AND budgets, so comparing your plans to a wedding you know is 10x your budget will not help you in wedding planning,” says Nicolette.

“Instagram and Pinterest can be overwhelming, so sticking to what you and your fiancé want is important. Don’t get overwhelmed by the little details!”

Honeymoon

Joe and Nicolette stayed at Sugar Beach in Saint Lucia for five days. Then, they did a honeymoon part two to Italy to celebrate with family who could not attend their wedding.

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