For our first anniversary, we planned to go into Manhattan to enjoy the Holiday Nostalgia Rides. During Christmastime, the MTA re-commissions several vintage subway cars from the 1930's and 40's and runs them on various subway lines around the city. As many other riders do, we dressed up for the occasion in era-appropriate attire. Afterward, we had dinner and dessert in Little Italy just like we did on our first date. Later, we trekked across the Brooklyn Bridge as we had done during the summer prior. At the halfway point, we considered turning around since it was very late, cold, and rainy, but we stubbornly continued on to our original destination. Once we were on the Brooklyn side, we stopped to check out the incredible view of the city at the Fulton Ferry Landing. That's where it happened. The rest is ours!
Michael did! I told him that I wanted him to choose the design. With the advice of a good friend, and the help of the wonderful owners at Pellegrini Jewelers in Norwalk, he put together a design he had in mind based off of my love of flowers, vintage style, and a history of sapphire rings in my family. I knew I would love whatever he gave to me, but it was more beautiful than I could have imagined.
The frequenting of diners and delis became an unintentional tradition for us early on. Since Michael would often take the train into New York City from Connecticut, our meetings were often at or around a train station, and usually there's such a quintessential establishment in close proximity. The vintage charm, late night service, no nonsense fare, and a continual flow of coffee were also part of the draw. It seemed a fitting backdrop!
We worked with Sesame Letterpress, a Brooklyn-based stationary design company. Together, we customized their "Maritime" suite to tie in our love for the sea, and add a New England feel. Sesame Letterpress prints their materials on a 130 year-old cast iron letter press. As history lovers, we couldn't pass that up. They are also environmentally friendly!
Google Maps! We visited the club and knew right away it was the perfect setting for us. The only catch: in order to host our reception at the club we had to find a member to represent us. Since we did not know of anyone, we had to be creative about getting the word out. Michael wrote up an ad with our picture and posted it in a local online newsletter. We knew it was a long shot, but it was worth trying! Our ad fell into the lap of a kind soul and club member who volunteered to be our sponsor; an answered prayer indeed!
Our florist, Lemon Dahlia will help us donate the centerpieces to a nursing home right here in Norwalk. We hope they will bring joy to our neighboring senior citizens!
The Royal Kings are a long established oldies and doo-wop outfit here in Connecticut. We knew we had to incorporate our lifelong love of American jazz and pop classics into the celebration. Asking front man and friend, Tommy Taliercio to bring the Royal Kings into the mix was a no brainer! Our DJ, Mark Taliercio is also a close neighbor and acquaintance of ours.