Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love, what is unique about you and your relationship…
Julio grew up in NYC and Colleen grew up in the suburbs of Long Island. Julio now wants a house in the suburbs and Colleen is obsessed with the idea of buying a brownstone in NYC. They met spring break of 2009 in Old San Juan, PR. Unlike most spring break encounters their story didn’t end as a fling. After many years apart, they reconnected around 2011 via a Facebook poke. For the record, Julio poked Colleen.
Julio is an agent in the insurance industry. He enjoys all types of sports especially basketball and long distance running. He ran his first marathon in NYC last year. In the last 4 years, he’s taken a lot of interest in golf.
Colleen’s career has been focused in Ecommerce and Digital Marketing, specializing in luxury retail. She enjoys all sorts of craftwork and DIY projects. She loves to discover treasures to decorate the home and vintage clothing and accessories in consignment, fleas and estate sales.
They’re both adventurous, love to travel and experience new cultures. They go on hikes in and around NY with their dog Enzo. Their honeymoon was spent in Tanzania on safari and relaxing beach days in Zanzibar. Last year they ventured to the Philippines and hiked through the Banaue rice terraces, island hopping in El Nido and swimming with whale sharks in Cebu. Other trips include Paris, Barcelona, Dominican Republic, British Virgin Islands and Tulum.
They have a very unique sense of humor which makes each day one to look forward to. They have a friendly competitive nature to the relationship whether it comes to who drives better, who runs faster, who cooks better.
Tell us about your special day, was there a specific theme or style? Tell us a little about the setting, the styling and some of your favourite details…
The location was a dream. The outside courtyard was surrounded by grass and beautiful trees. The architecture and old world charm was a unique NYC find. The overall style was classically beautiful, minimal and clean. Long banquet tables lit with candles and a mix of beautiful ivory/white florals by Khloris NY added a touch of light and airiness. The bridesmaids all wore a dress of their choice in a shade of ivory/white.
Tell us about your main outfits:
Colleen’s dress was purchased from the Wedding Salon of Manhasset. She also wanted something with clean lines and something that was simple but also had a ‘wow’ factor. The dress she chose was one from Lazaro. It was actually one of the first few dresses she tried on and nothing compared to how comfortable and great she felt in it. She knew it was very ‘her’.
Julio’s suit was custom made from Indochino. Colleen wanted Julio to wear a navy suit. She let him choose the fabric, color and details himself. This didn’t work. After Julio’s first appointment, he showed her a swatch which was near purple and came home with a tie decorated with dogs. He wanted Enzo to be represented in the wedding but the dogs looked nothing like Enzo. Colleen helped him picked out the right suit.
What were some of the most memorable/unique moments from the day?
Julio is a very good dancer. Ever since they started dating, Colleen would be forced to dance Latin music at their family parties and would be horrible. Julio and Colleen surprised their family and friends with a salsa routine out of our first slow dance. Colleen would memorize and study the steps (she had post-it notes with each step on the full length mirror) and would mistakenly lead each step too early. When Marc Anthony’s song came on, Colleen forgot everything but it allowed Julio to lead properly and the dance was perfect!
Us being the oldest siblings from both sides of the family, we felt it was also our parents and families moment. We were all able to celebrate the sacrifices and hard work of our parents and grandparents with our closest friends and families.
Photographer: Jessica Perez Photography | Ceremony and reception location: Morningside Castle | Entertainment: 74 Events | Flora: Khloris NY | Catering: Masterpiece Catering | Cake: Financier Patisserie | Hair and makeup: Beautini | Wedding dress: Lazaro | Shoes: Jimmy Choo | Groom’s suit: Indochino
