Real Newark Wedding: Rui & Andrea

photos by: Neil van Niekerk

Rui and Andrea live in the Ironbound and met through a mutual friend on Andrea's 22nd birthday. Two and a half years later, Rui proposed on Andrea's 25th birthday at Walt Disney World. They were having dinner with direct view of Cinderella's castle - just as the fireworks began the butler served dessert, a Cinderella shoe made of white and red chocolate holding an engagement ring with the words "Will You Marry Me?" written out on the plate.

The couple's wedding was on October 2, 2011. It started with a ceremony at Our Lady of Fatima Church in the Ironbound. The bridal party and the officiant were all close friends. After the ceremony, the group took pictures at Verona Park and then the party started at their Newark Club reception.

From the bride: "The special details of their wedding include: One of the bridesmaids is a fashion designer, and she created the flower clips for my hair as well as for my bridesmaids; I carried a charm with a picture of my mother on my bouquet (who had passed away four years prior, and I wanted to remember her on this day) and had a memorial candle at the reception that we lit after a moment of silence; a photo montage played during our reception of baby pictures of each of us as well as pictures of us during our relationship." The two honeymooned in Miami afterwards and still live in Newark.

Here are some of their local vendors for inspiration:
- Taste of Portugal - rehearsal dinner
- Our Lady of Fatima Church - ceremony
- The Newark Club - reception venue
- More Than A Gift (29 Hensler St) - invitations, favors, guestbook frame & seating chart
- AW Flowers (Kearny) - flowers
- One Perfect Moment - photographers (as pictured above) 862-485-7276
- DJs Unlimited (Union) - DJs/Music