“We were just at a wedding last week and people there were still talking about ours,” joked Michael Fiumara. He and his new wife Kristen Fiumara (née DioGuardi) were married this past September 15th in Ossining.
“We had the best time,” added Kristen. “Nothing went wrong, everything was calm. It was everything I had envisioned it to be.”
Even though Michael and Kristen’s wedding was calm, their courtship was anything but.
Michael and Kristen met in the summer of 2009 at a mutual friend’s barbeque. They were immediately attracted that night, but didn’t end up saying much to one another. However, they still managed to schedule a date for the very next week. For their first date, Michael and Kristen went to the Tap House in Tuckahoe. (They currently live right down the street.) “The conversation flowed, we had so much to talk about,” said Kristen.
Fall of the following year, disaster struck Kristen’s family when her sister was unable to continue work because of severe health complications. The economy was rough and Kristen’s sister had little choice but to sell her engagement ring to make ends meet.
Kristen mentioned this to Michael one day, saying how much it would mean to her to wear her sister’s ring. Michael brushed this off, saying that if he were to propose, he would want Kristen to have her own ring.
In January of the following year, Kristen threw a surprise 30th birthday party for Michael at the Gnarly Vine in New Rochelle. Michael was completely surprised at seeing all his friends and family together to help him celebrate, or at least Kristen thought he was. At one point in the evening, Michael got up to thank everyone for coming and to thank Kristen for throwing the party. During his speech, with Kristen next to him, Michael got down on one knee and proposed to Kristen in front of all their loved ones. Kristen was completely surprised, but even more so when she looked down and noticed that her engagement ring was the ring her sister’s.
From the engagement ring to the decorations, many personal and unique touches went into Michael and Kristen’s wedding.
Kristen’s father drove her to the ceremony in his 1959 Corvette, which he had owned growing up. After the birth of Kristen’s older siblings, her father sold the car. Years later, after missing the car incredibly, he bought it back and it has stayed ever since.
“Michael’s way into sneakers,” explained Kristen. “Especially Nikes.” In adding their own touches to their wedding, the couple bought Nikes with special decals on the backs. Michael’s sneakers read “She’s Mine” and Kristen’s read “I Do.”
The ceremony flowed into the reception, held at The Grandview in Poughkeepsie. In a tent overlooking the Hudson River, the couple gathered with friends and family to celebrate their marriage. Inside the tent were gold chandeliers draped with chiffon. Signature drinks were served in mason jars, and burlap runners, sewn by Kristen, lined the tables. A shabby-chic, rustic atmosphere filled the tent, providing a perfect backdrop for the couple’s celebration.
The party began with a cocktail hour, followed by the guests sitting down with Butler service. If there was any room left after the four courses, guests could fill up with a decadent marble cake with cannoli filling and chocolate covered strawberries.
“The food was absolutely delicious,” said Kristen. “It all tasted and looked gourmet—not one complaint!”
Guests had plenty to entertain themselves with. Instead of a guestbook, Michael and Kristen had a book of Mad-Libs that each guest would fill out. “We love laughing,” said Kristen. “Why not make our guestbook something fun?” When the couple returned from their honeymoon, they gathered all their guests’ Mad-Libs and began their life together laughing.
Vendors
Florist:
Arcadia Floral
411 Mamaroneck Ave
Mamaroneck
914-777-2800
www.arcadiafloral.com
Music:
DJ Serg Entertainment
180 Mamaroneck Ave
White Plains
914-686-7374
www.djsergentertainment.com
Photography:
Photography by Alfonso
180 Mamaroneck Avenue
White Plains
914-723-3355
Invitations:
Papyrus
51 S Moger Avenue
Mt Kisco
914-666-0501
Bridal Attire:
Ponovias NYC
14 east 52nd Street
New York, NY
212-897-6393
www.pronovias.us
Bridesmaid Dresses:
Amsale
www.amsale.com
Flower Girl Dresses:
Us Angels
Saks Fifth Avenue
www.saksfifthavenue.com
