Marineé and Andrew - a picture perfect New York wedding

February 17, 2019Danielle Miller-Gilliam

Marinee And Andrew Wedding Ring Workshop

Last spring, Marineé and Andrew traveled from their home in Greenville, NC to my Greenville, SC studio for my Wedding Ring Workshop. I had an absolute blast teaching them how to make each other’s wedding rings and getting to know this fun, vibrant couple. They recently shared their picture perfect New York wedding with me and the long but magnetic journey they had to get there…

Venetian Gondola @ the Loeb Boathouse in Central Park. Photo: A Day of Bliss Photography

Marineé and Andrew met in the late summer of 2002 while attending a BBQ party at Lehigh University in Pennsylvania. Andrew recalls seeing Marineé for the first time somewhere between the burgers and mustard and said "Whoa that girl is beautiful! Excuse me while I bebop over there and talk to this girl." At the same time, Marineé noticed the tall, handsome, blond Andrew and she made a bee line straight to him before he could make it to her.

Despite the immediate and mutual attraction, the two decided to not get serious so they could enjoy their single college years to the fullest. Andrew recalls the dinner date where they agreed to their “friends only” relationship, and ending the evening by saying "Let's pick this up where we left off some day."

Over the years (six plus), they did indeed remain friends and occasionally visited with each other as their separate lives took them to different areas of the country…Pennsylvania, New York, Texas, North Carolina… After a New Year’s Eve trip to San Antonio, TX to visit Marineé, Andrew realized he had to figure out how to make a long distance relationship work. Marineé also realized how much she had missed Andrew, and although she was skeptical of long-distance relationships, she was determined to make it work with Andrew.

So they did… And 16 years after that first magnetic BBQ meeting they had a picture perfect Manhattan wedding and started their happily ever after…