We were originally planning on getting married in Valencia (Spain). Bureaucracy made it too hard. So we decided to change our plans, and get married were we got engaged: Niagara Falls!

[Nevertheless, we will still hold a wedding party in Valencia (Spain) for friends and family, at the Westin Hotel, as it was originally planned, but during the last weekend of August]

We flew from New York to Buffalo Thursday, August 1st, at night and drove to my in-laws across the Canada border to spend the night. The next day, after a hearty breakfast including a delicious home made flan from scratch (not even my grandma went through all that trouble to make flan for me!) we got all dressed up, and I went with her and my mother-in-law to the hair salon on our way to the wedding, while my father-in-law went to pick up the wedding cake and take it to the restaurant.

The wedding was at 4:15pm, at the beautiful park Terrapin Point, Goat Island, Niagara Falls (New York side) and part of her family was already there when we arrived. We met the public official celebrating the wedding, and at 4:30pm the short and sweet ceremony started in front of a rock, symbol of our strong and solid commitment, and next to the falls, symbol of our torrential and never-ending love.

The vows were very nice, but the most beautiful thing in the whole wedding was the bride. With a white natural orchid on her hair, a bouquet of dark lilies, and a white and short Ralph Laurent dress that fitted her tall and slender figure perfectly, she was ravishing. 

I was wearing a Dolce & Gabbana black suit, white shirt, and no tie. 

Finally, after the vows, it was time for the wedding bands. A 1968 classic Georg Jensen MÖBIUS ring, symbolizing infinity, that we bought it at 687 Madison Avenue in New York, that goes perfect with her extraterrestrial peridot and diamonds engagement ring.

With the bands in each-other’s fingers, we were pronounced husband and wife. We kissed, and we kissed, happily and brightly smiling all the time. So much so that our cheeks hurt!

After the required million pictures by the spectacular Niagara Falls, we drove to Fortuna’s, an Italian restaurant owned by a friend of her family, where we had the whole top floor reserved for the banquet. 

It was a fun and lively dinner, with all the “typical” wedding banquet touches (heart-warming toast by in-laws, kisses, pictures, throwing of the bride’s bouquet, presents…). What made it extra special was that her (now also mine) whole family was there, although our two friends Jill (who tore a muscle playing for “The Bad News Babes” at the Journalist vs Politicians softball game in Washington DC and required surgery) and Marsha, could not make it 🙁 

Also notable were the exquisitely beautiful flower center pieces chosen by my wife, with natural blue orchids, and the super awesome and delicious Niagara-Falls themed wedding cake baked by one of my in-laws friends (she should definitely consider starting a cake business). 

Our wedding night, we stayed at the same room at the Hilton (voted “best view in the world”), where we got engaged last Christmas, only two and a half months after we met.

Of course we slept in, and after a late checkout we had a big (check out the size of the blueberry pancakes in the picture gallery below!) brunch at “The Famous” Diner and then went straight to The Maid of the Midst, a boat that takes you almost under the falls, where you can really feel its power… and get soaking wet!

At night we met my in-laws for dinner at Windows, Jamie Kennedy’s restaurant with a killer Niagara Falls view for a delicious dinner and farewell.

Now, chapter two will be a wedding banquet at the Westin in Valencia (Spain) with our friends and family from the other side of the Atlantic, in a couple of weeks.

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