Nikki &and Ryan

When and how did the two of you meet?

Ryan: Nikki and I met briefly at a West Village bar through our mutual friend. Our conversation was brief — I, thinking there was no way this woman could have the slightest bit of interest in me, complained about the end of a recent relationship, and Nikki politely listened. Fast forward a year and half later. As my family and I sat outside the Quisisana in Capri enjoying an apterif, this beautiful woman walked by, made eye contact with me, waved, and said “Hi Ryan!” I panicked, thinking to myself, “Who is this beautiful girl?” and “How does she possibly know my name?” I politely waved back, said “Hi” and hoped that I did not come across too awkward. A little later that evening, I received a text message from Nikki, who re-introduced herself, and asked what I was doing later that evening. We agreed to meet up at the Taverna Anema e Core, where we talked, danced, and shared our first kiss.

On your day what was your first thought when you woke up in the morning?

Nikki: We slept in separate rooms the night before our wedding and it felt so strange to wake up with out Ryan next to me. I felt so lucky and SO EXCITED to marry him, realizing he would always be by my side. I also remember really needing coffee having been up dancing and drinking after Thursday night’s Welcome dinner and Friday night’s Rehearsal dinner.

Ryan: As cliche as it sounds, my first thought was how excited I was to marry my best friend. My second thought was that I needed to edit my vows to make sure that they adequately reflected the first thought!

What was the easiest planning decision you made? What was the most difficult?

Nikki: The most difficult decision was to have a wedding or not. I originally wanted to elope and have a small celebration with my family. Ryan and my parents persuaded me to have a wedding in Italy as well as a small celebration in NY so my Grandmother could attend. I could not be more thrilled with our decision.
The easiest decision was to have a destination wedding in Italy. Italy has played such a large role in our love story, so it felt important to share that with our friends and family. After Ira introduced us to Francesca, our wedding planner and she described Monteverdi, we both knew that is where we had to get married.

What did you enjoy most about Monteverdi? Are you glad you did a destination wedding?

Nikki: Yes! We loved having a destination wedding because it allowed for a 3 day party in a place we love so much.
I love everything about Monteverdi, its beauty, the staff, the food, the rooms. Monteverdi is such a unique hotel, being on the top of a mountain you have 360 views of the Tuscan valleys. Each room is spectacular and designed to feel modern while being true to the environment. The team at Monteverdi is so welcoming, genuine and amazing. I’ve heard horror stories about planning weddings overseas but I definitely did not have that experience. Between our NY based wedding planner and the Monteverdi team, they created everything we could dream of and more without a hitch in a VERY short period of time.

Would you be able to describe your dress for us in detail?

Nikki: Having never wanted a wedding I never thought about what kind of dress I would wear, I just knew I didn’t want anything too traditional. I have always loved Inbal Dror and found my dress at Mark Ingram. There was a sheer beaded bodysuit, and the front was layered with lace and beading. The sleeves also had beading on the bottom half. The closure of the dress gave way to a large slit up the leg. The upper back was hand embroidered with silk and beading on the sheer bodysuit with a lace train. The beading on the dress is very subtle and intricate and I absolutely loved how Ira and Adam photographed it!

What was the best planning advice you received?

Nikki: Have a short engagement and do what feels best for you and your fiancé.

Ryan: “It will all be worth it once the wedding arrives.”

What was the highlight of your wedding day?

Nikki: Walking down the aisle to Ryan standing at the chuppah. It was a surreal moment and I felt so emotional to have my parents give me away to Ryan, the man of my dreams. The symbolism of the gesture really resonated with me, and I felt such gratitude in the moment to my parents for the love they have always given to my sisters and I, as well as the gratitude to Ryan for loving me unconditionally. I also did not see the chuppah until I walked down the aisle and was blown away literally and physically by the beauty of the moment and surroundings.

Ryan: It is difficult to narrow it down to a single highlight — the ones that stand out most are: 1) as I waited around the corner for my first look with Nikki, I heard her scream “Yes! They won!” after she learned that my favorite soccer team, West Ham, had just beaten Manchester United — I thought to myself, now, THAT is true love; 2) seeing Nikki walk down the aisle — it was something I tried to envision since the day I proposed to her, and the love and emotions that I experienced in that moment far exceeded my expectations; and 3) my first dance with Nikki — despite the fact that we were surrounded by our closest family and friends, we were entirely in the moment and it truly felt like we were alone.

Did anything surprise you?

Nikki: West Ham beating Manchester United.

Ryan: The only aspect of the wedding that really surprised me was just how calm I was throughout the majority of the weekend. As my friends and family would attest, I am a fairly anxious Jewish boy from New York City. Yet, I have never been at such ease with a decision, and could not wait to walk down the aisle and marry the love of my life. Oh, and West Ham BEATING Manchester United!

What do you hope your guests remember most about your day?

Nikki: I hope our guests remember the love they felt that day. Having a small wedding over 3 days, allowed Ryan and I to spend quality time with our guests and I hope they all were able to enjoy themselves, the food, the surroundings and our devotion to each other.

Ryan: As Nikki and I planned the wedding, the main thing that we wanted was to throw a real party. We wanted our guests to dance and get weird with us, and I think that is exactly what happened. We asked people to travel a very long way to celebrate this special occasion in our lives, and we wanted to make it sure it was worth their while.