When Diandra Lyn Bobe’s and Brian Andrew D’Amico’s friends set them up, the two didn’t intentionally set their very first date for the eve of Valentine’s Day in hopes of spurring romance. Instead, it “just happened that way,” according to Diandra. “Valentine’s Day was coming up,” she recalls. “I was single, and my girlfriend and I, instead of stressing, we booked a vacation for Turks and Caicos for the day after Valentine’s Day. So when he got in touch, I had to say, well, that’s great, but I’m leaving on Sunday for a week.” Brian suggested meeting before her trip, so February 13th it was.
“I had a really great time, but I wasn’t stressing about it since I was going away right afterward,” recalls Diandra, who grew up in New Rochelle and now lives with her fiancé in Manhattan. “He called the day I came back, asked to see me again, and the rest is history.”
History—the abridged version—had the two moving in together within two months (“Neither of us had lived with anyone before,” she says ) and Brian popping the question after 10 months of dating, in December 2009.
Recalls Diandra: “On the day we got engaged, Brian had told me that we were going to a sushi and sake tasting with his brother, Tim, and Tim’s girlfriend. He seemed a little anxious, but I figured it was because he wanted to be punctual. Right before we left the apartment, he played Savage Garden’s ‘I Knew I Loved You’ and grabbed me for a slow dance. We walked along the street, talking about what a perfect afternoon it was and how excited we were to celebrate our ten-month anniversary the following day. As we rounded the corner of Bleecker and Sixth, I noticed that the marquee on the IFC Theater had my name on it. I was so confused and started to point it out to Brian. At that moment, I saw the rest of the marquee; it was my proposal. I started crying hysterically as Brian got down on one knee and asked me to marry him as he opened the box to reveal the most stunning ring I’ve ever seen!
Tim was across the street, recording and photographing the whole proposal. Brian then suggested the couple go get something to eat and ushered Diandra into a restaurant. The place was completely empty. But upstairs, both families had gathered to suprrise Diandra. “I began crying all over again,” she says. “It was the most incredible day of my life!”
Diandra Lyn Bobe and Brian Andrew D’Amico plan to marry on April 15, 2011, at the Glenn Island Harbor Club in New Rochelle.
