ABOUT THE COUPLE
How they met:
Jamie and Emily met in the summer of 1998 and had been friends ever since. They started dating in the fall of 2003. Emily had moved to Rhode Island and right down the street from where Jamie was going to college - and the rest is history!
How he proposed:
The couple decided to celebrate Christmas Eve in one of their favorite hotels. This way, they could spend some quality time together before entering the mad rush of multiple family gatherings for the holiday. They had dinner at the Capital Grille and later went back to the hotel and watched "A Christmas Story" for the hundredth time. At about 11:30 p.m., Jamie suggested that instead of opening presents Christmas morning that they would swap presents that night. Each time Jamie had a present for Emily, he told her to close her eyes. At about midnight, he asked Emily to close her eyes one last time. Jamie then said, "Ok Em, open your eyes!" Jamie was on one knee with an open box and a diamond ring!
Bride's occupation:
Emily graduated from Attleboro High School in 1999 and earned a bachelor's degree from Bridgewater State College in Bridgewater, Mass. She is an inside account manager at EMC Corporation in Franklin, Mass.
Groom's occupation:
Jamie graduated from Dover Sherborn High School in 1998 and earned a bachelor's degree from Roger Williams University in Bristol, R.I. He is the general manager at Independent Compressor Service Inc., out of Upton, Mass.
THE CEREMONY
The ceremony:
Blithewold Mansion in Bristol, R.I
The gown:
The bride wore a diamond white Isabella Chessari gown. The silk strapless dress was adorned with beads and embroidery and featured covered buttons down the back.
The bouquet:
A hand-tied bouquet of white roses, white posey calla lilies, stephanotis and hydrangeas. The stems were wrapped in ribbon and detailed with the bride's late grandmother's ring and grandfather's military ID tags.
THE WEDDING PARTY
Maid of honor:
Molly Galofaro, sister of the bride
Best man:
Nick Avery, a close friend of the bride and groom
Bridesmaids:
Molly Lacolla, best friend of the bride; Christine Gorelczenko, sister-in-law of the bride; Jacqueline Danis, sister of the groom; Kristen Galofaro, Julie Ferro and Kaitie Galofaro, all cousins of the bride.
Groomsmen:
Chris Gorelczenko, brother of the bride; Kevin Welch, brother-in-law of the groom; Adam Metaxas, brother of the bride; and Dave Hatch, friend of the groom.
Junior Groomsmen:
Connor Danis-Welch and Tyler Gorelczenko, both nephews of the bride and groom.
Ring Bearers: Cody Gorelczenko and Dylan Danis-Welch, both nephews of the bride and groom.
Additional Wedding Party Member: The bride and groom's dog, Ty, was also in the wedding - tuxedo and all! He was walked down the aisle by their oldest nephew, Connor.
THE RECEPTION
Number of guests:
130
The reception:
Blithewold Mansion in Bristol, R.I.
The cake:
It was a three-tier white cake with white scrolling, decorated with flowers and starfish. The top tier was marble cake with buttercream filling, the middle tier was chocolate cake with chocolate filling, and the bottom tier was white cake with raspberry filling.
First song:
"If You're Not The One" by Daniel Bedingfield.
The menu:
For hors d'oeuvres, the menu featured shrimp shots, New England clam chowder topped with a clam cake, bacon wrapped scallops, chicken dijon, spinach and feta buerrecks, domestic & imported cheeses, crisp vegetable crudites and sauces, cheddar chutney spread with seasonal fruits, wafers and European-style breads.
For dinner, the guests were able to choose from a pan-seared aged New York sirloin steak with steamed Maine lobster tail and claw, chicken cordon blue, and vegetarian eggplant roulade. Each meal was served with a mixed greens salad
Besides wedding cake, the dessert menu also featured chocolate truffles and a chocolate fountain.
What made the day unique:
The color scheme was made up of periwinkle, soft blues, vibrant greens, and shades of white. The decor had an ocean/beach theme and included shells, sand, pearls, and starfish. The ceremony was outside on the grounds of Blithewold Mansion and overlooking Narragansett Bay. Their dog Ty not only was in the wedding, but was a part of the wedding party pictures and present for the entire reception.
Most touching moment of the day:
Emily's Uncle Jimmy created a slide show of Jamie and Emily growing up and also included pictures of the couple's years together. Emily's Grandpa Joe had passed away a year before the wedding and the movie featured a song performed by her grandfather ("All of Me") at the end.
Honeymoon destination:
Jamaica