Like all great love stories, it started with a swipe. On a cold winter January day in 2024, the stars aligned and [...even though Amanda waited until the last possible second to respond] they matched and started talking on Bumble! And the rest was history! After our first date, which lasted 4 hours at the Uncommon Cow, we knew we had found something special! It started with tea and coffee, and ended with cookie dough and coffee ice cream. Both being Italian-American, sharing similar values and stories of our friends and family, we knew we had found something that would last.

Sestri Levante, Italy Cantina Degli Abissi Franco planned his proposal (with a little help from his travel agent friend) during their trip to Italy. On one of their free days, he set up a private tour of Cantina Degli Abissi, a beautiful winery in Sestri Levante. After a wine tasting, Franco led Amanda out to the vineyard, where he got on one knee and asked her to marry him. She said yes! A private table was set up between the vineyard vines for a champagne toast. As a surprise, Franco hired a guitarist to play their song, Ocean by Darren Kiely, along with a few of Amanda's other favorite songs, while we danced in the vineyard. Caught up in the beauty of Italy and their special moment, they felt they needed to come back again for their wedding.