Meet us in Portugal

Welcome to our wedding website – we’re so glad you’re here! We’ve created this website as a helpful resource for our upcoming wedding in Portugal. Here, you’ll find our schedule of events, travel information/guides and some FAQs about the day. Please note, that we will be updating information regularly as we approach the wedding date, so please be sure to check in! Finally, if you've made it to this site, know that you are extremely special to us. You have impacted one or both of our lives in more ways than one. We are extremely grateful for all of your love and support as individuals and as a couple. We can’t wait to share the adventure of a lifetime with our favorite people! Love, Jess and Paul

Jessica's parents - Céu and Mario - were both born, raised, and even married in Portugal. They both immigrated to the United States. Much of Jess' life was surrounded by Portuguese culture while growing up in a Portuguese community. (Example: While some people took ballet after school, Jess went to Portuguese folk dancing and Portuguese school, lol) Of all of the places Paul and Jess have traveled, Portugal ranks high on the list given its history, culture, food, and ... great prices. We wanted to share the same experience with our close family and friends, and give some of you that opportunity to finally pull the "I've always wanted to go to Portugal" trigger.

I moved to New York from South Dakota in August of 2017 to work and go to graduate school at St. John’s University, where Jess also went to school. Let’s just say Jamaica, Queens was slightly different than moving to “New York City”. Fast forward and luckily for me, it’s the reason I met Jess. We met in December of 2018 outside of Madison Square Garden, at Stout (the “St. John’s Bar” where all alumni hang out before and after the basketball games). Before the game, I noticed this cute blonde with glasses in a red turtleneck across the bar also getting ready to go to the game with some friends. I thought who is this sophisticated woman that looks like she’s from the Midwest? We noticed each other beforehand but didn’t get the chance to chat. As she was leaving to go to the game, I could have sworn she winked at me on her way out (but to this day she denies it). After the game, everyone returned to Stout and in walks that same, cute blonde in glasses. A friend introduces us and Jess immediately goes “You’re from where?!” - I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone from South Dakota. Come to find out, she’s not from the Midwest but from a Portuguese community “on” Long Island. I was enamored by her working in an NYC hospital as a speech pathologist, fluent in 3 languages, and had been to more countries I can name. We go on our first date later that week, share our first kiss on an escalator in Penn Station and the rest is history as they say. Within a few months of dating, that summer Jess realized it was time to culture this kid from South Dakota. We traveled to Dublin, London, and Amsterdam. I eventually showed her what the Midwest was like and brought her to South Dakota. We survived the true relationship test through Covid, picked up skiing, and travelled to more places like Peru, Canada, and Portugal. One of my favorite parts of our relationship is the spontaneity of the places we go and people we meet along the way. After dating for a few years, moving in together in Long Island City, many highs and a few lows, we’ve always made it out the other side. I realized she was someone I couldn't live without and soon enough, it was time to go ring shopping.

With the trusted help of some friends - I shipped the ring to our friends' house in New Jersey (Jess opens all the packages). I needed to find a way to get the ring from our friends' so we planned a dinner with Rachel and Andrew two nights before the proposal - where they were able to deliver me the ring. Jess knew something was up when I brought a backpack to dinner even though I worked from home that day… Thankfully we had some good backpack body guards and the ring made it home that night without her noticing. The following day, we went to Long Island where I was able to get Mr. Mario and Ms. Céu’s blessing. Jess had to run an errand that I wanted no part of (a return at TJ Maxx) which gave me the opportunity to ask her parents privately, who in turn said yes, with a few tears shed. The next day, July 3, 2023 is proposal day: a hot NYC 95 degrees with a chance of rain. Jess knew something was up for several reasons 1. She put on a black dress, which is pretty standard - however I told her to consider changing into something brighter given how hot it was 2. I decided to bring my fanny pack which I never do, but where else would I have put the ring 3. We usually take the train or bus, but this time I decided to call and Uber. I coordinated with her friend Melissa to be present with a camera. We got a drink in Williamsburg on the waterfront and then planned to go to brunch afterwards. We start walking on the water to brunch, I pulled the ring out, throw my bag in the bush (for pictures) and asked Jess to make me the luckiest guy in the world. She said yes (she thinks) and maybe the best part is Melissa popped out of the bushes and caught it all on camera. All according to plan.