ABOUT THE COUPLE

How they met:
Ryan and Katy met while studying abroad in Washington D.C. during their junior year at Holy Cross. They were great friends until the end of their senior year when they found themselves spending more and more time together and decided to try dating. For the next three years after graduation, they dated long distance between New York and Massachusetts before Katy was transferred to New York.

How he proposed:
Ryan proposed while they were vacationing with Katy's family on Cape Cod. After spending the day in Martha's Vineyard with Katy's brother, Bob, and her best friend, Lisa, Ryan brought Katy to a private beach in Edgartown where he proposed while sitting on a dock overlooking the water. They returned to Falmouth where they were fortunate enough to celebrate their engagement with Katy's family.

Bride's occupation: Katy is the director at Kroll Associates Inc., Business Intelligence & Investigations

Groom's occupation: Ryan is a vice president at Citigroup, Global Markets Analytics Planning and Analysis

THE CEREMONY

The ceremony:
The ceremony was at St. Joseph Memorial Chapel at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester.

The gown:
Katy wore a strapless, one-piece, corseted gown with lace, embellished bugle beads, sequins and pearls, over delustered satin and a sweeping train.

The bouquet:
Katy's bouquet included black magic burgundy roses with pearl-studded stephanotis accents.

The theme: The reception was held at Mechanics Hall, a 19th Century concert hall in downtown Worcester, which has been judged by architectural historians as the nation's finest pre-Civil War concert hall. Katy and Ryan wanted a formal, traditional wedding, but with a warm and fun environment. Mostly, they just wanted to make sure their guests had a blast!

THE WEDDING PARTY

Maids of honor: Brooks Betts and Lisa Cournoyer, both childhood friends of the bride

Best man:
Evan Shanahan, brother of the groom

Bridesmaids:
Nicole Gilbert and Erin Lyons, both college friends of the bride,

Amy Smith, cousin of the bride and Kate Sbardella, future sister-in-law of the bride

Groomsmen:
Robert Faria and Andrew Faria, both brother of the bride, and

James Sheridan, Robert Ferrari and James Colligan, all childhood friends of the groom

Flower girls: Samantha Faria, niece and Ggoddaughter of the bride

THE RECEPTION

Number of guests:
200

The reception:
Mechanics Hall, Worcester

The cake:
The cake was created by Katy and Ryan's caterer, Sue Zahner of Tastings Catering. The three-tiered round cake consisted of different flavored layers: chocolate peanut butter cheesecake, strawberry cream, and chocolate whoopie pie.

First song:
The couple's first song was "Ribbon in the Sky" by Stevie Wonder. Katy had heard their band, Decades by Dezyne, sing "Ribbon in the Sky" at Mohegan Sun and just knew it would be perfect for her and Ryan's first dance.

The menu:
The menu offered a choice of grilled filet mignon, chicken marsala or butternut squash ravioli with New England salad, roasted potatoes and grilled seasonal vegetables.

What made the day unique:
The most unique moment was at the reception when Ryan surprised Katy and their guests by singing "Everything" by Michael Buble. Ryan had asked the band to learn the song and successfully managed to shock his guests.

Most touching moment of the day:
The most touching moment of the day was when Ryan and Katy read their personalized vows at the ceremony in front of their closest family and friends.

Honeymoon destination:
The couple spent two weeks in Italy, traveling to Tuscany, Rome and Sorrento.