Joe and Gabriella’s story began in middle school, but life brought them back together in their 20s. While Gabriella was at Rutgers, Joe would visit her, and their weekends were filled with date nights. Asbury Park became their first home together, a place where they explored, had fun, and truly built the foundation of their life. Red Bank was always another special spot for their dates, and after Joe proposed to Gabriella in Asbury Park, they moved to Red Bank to start a new chapter. From date nights to homes, both towns represent their journey coming full circle. Now, as they build their family with their dog Winston, they are excited to share their wedding day on July 18, 2026, surrounded by those who’ve been part of their incredible adventure.

Gabriella always swore she’d see a proposal coming—so Joe took that as a challenge. After four years of dating, he plotted the perfect old-school surprise: a vintage newspaper stand with a custom front page announcing, “This just in: He proposed!” But fate—and a lack of newspaper stands—intervened. He first tried scraping down a plastic stand labeled “Latino Unidos” at 1 a.m., before “acquiring” a real metal one from a train station in the rain. As a videographer, Joe told Gab his photo had been featured in the paper—making the perfect excuse. After adding lights, crafting the custom newspaper, and sneaking away from work to finish the setup, he was ready. That evening, he took Gab “to see his photo.” At their park, she saw the stand, read the headline, and Joe dropped to one knee. She didn’t see it coming—and she said yes!

Joe had planned what he thought would be a perfect surprise date for Gabriella—an escape room adventure—unaware of her claustrophobia. To make matters worse, the escape room was swamp-themed, pitch dark, and they were trapped for an hour. They laughed, debated, and eventually resorted to pestering the host for hints until he freed them. Not wanting the night to end, they grabbed ice cream afterward. Still, that wasn’t enough. Joe drove all the way from Toms River to Barnegat to pick up blankets, then back up to LBI. There, they sat, simply talking about life, siblings, and friends—realizing the best part of the night was just being together, not wanting the conversation to end.