Some loves happen all at once, a spark that quickly ignites into a flame and two people who suddenly can’t stand to be apart. Other loves take their time, a slow burn leading to the inevitability of happily ever after.
That was the case with Nick and Nicolle. They met at the University of Notre Dame in 2007 when they were both just freshmen in college. They had mutual friends and spent a lot of time together, but were never really anything more than friends. That friendship was solid, though, established the very first time they met, when Nick laughed at one of Nicolle’s ridiculous jokes and she immediately knew he was somebody special with a great sense of humor!
Over the course of their friendship, they discovered a shared love of music and co-hosted a radio show together at the campus radio station for several years. Their connection endured even through graduation and thousands of miles of separation, the two keeping in touch when they could and rooting each other on from afar.
Until… a mutual friend’s wedding in 2014, 7 years after they had first met. That was the night the inevitability of their relationship finally hit, the slow burn of the previous seven years bringing them to the realization that they were so much more than friends.
Their pairing was met with a chorus of “Finally!” from all their friends!
They did the long distance thing for about a year, but eventually Nicolle made the move to Florida to be with Nick. It was shortly after that move that Nick got down on one knee. They were in California at the time, visiting her parents for Memorial Day weekend. Along with Nicolle’s family, they had gone on a hike near the Kern River. Nick was acting weird, and Nicolle was well aware something was off, but she wasn’t necessarily thinking he was about to propose. That is, until he dropped down on one knee after the two had fallen a bit behind on the trail.
Nicolle was so elated in that moment, she had to check back in with him a little while later to make sure she had actually verbalized her “yes!”
The two spent the next 11 months preparing for their big day, a wedding that was designed from the beginning to be a celebration of love, family, and friends. Nicolle and Nick both know what a happy story theirs is, and they wanted to share that with those they love the most.
For Nicolle, the most memorable moments of that day were seeing Nick as she walked down the aisle at the Immaculata church, listening to Father Jim’s homily, and falling in love all over again during the first dance. They both gushed after the fact that everything was just so beautiful and so perfect.
Exactly how a bride and groom should feel about their wedding day!
For now, the two are simply enjoying married life. Nick has the American Board of Radiology exam to prepare for in August, which means honeymoon plans are on hold for the time being. But they are hoping to begin discussing a tropical honeymoon vacation this summer, with the goal of jetting off either late this year or early next year.
Because if there is one thing this couple knows for sure, it’s that some things are worth the wait.
Ceremony: USD Imaculata | Photographer: Jennifer Dery Photography
