FROM FIRST GLANCES TO THE ALTAR

12 local couples share their love stories

BY ALLISON KRIDLE No matter your relationship status, Valentine’s Day is meant to be celebrated. Who doesn’t like a little love, right? We talked to 12 local couples who either met, got engaged or got married in western Queens. Here, we’re sharing their Nora Ephron-approved love stories.

Dawn Christy and Chris Burgis

Sunnyside resident Dawn Christy met her now-husband Chris Burgis in December 2012 at Sunnyside’s first Santathon. Burgis was dressed in a Santa suit at the bar Molly Bloom’s (now Ida’s) that night, and Christy yelled, “Hey Santa!” at him.

“In walks Santa and bellies up to the bar next to me. We start talking, finding out we have a lot in common and where we have been in life. I started thinking, ‘This guy is great. He is going to be the father of my children.’ My sister can vouch for that because at one point, I turned to her and said it,” Christy said.

Christy hit the nail on the head. Nine months after meeting, the Sunnyside couple eloped in Vegas, celebrated their marriage at Sidetracks in November 2013 and learned they were expecting. They brought their first child home from a hospital in western Queens in July 2014.

“Having grown up in Sunnyside, I know how special this neighborhood is. And home is where the heart is,” Christy said.

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Diana Flynn Madkekar and Ajay Madkekar

Long Island City residents Di- ana Madkekar and Ajay Madkekar roomed right next to each other at the University of Connecticut and were good friends for four years before they even went on a date.

“He always says it took him four years to wear me down, but in the back of my mind, there was always something special about our connec- tion,” Diana said.

After college, the couple decided to move to Queens, where they got engaged in May 2012. Ajay proposed to Diana after a trip to Mumabai while they were still getting over jet lag.

“[The night we got engaged], Diana was getting ready for a Friday night out with friends. I asked her if she wanted to wear any of the new jewelry she bought in India. She said ‘No,’ so I asked if she wanted to wear ‘this’ in- stead. She came out of the bedroom to find me down on one knee with her engagement ring. Diana’s reaction was priceless. And, needless to say, she loved her new jewelry,” Ajay said. They got married at Studio Square in July 2013. They wanted their wed- ding ceremony to represent their relationship as well as their cultures — plus, they wanted to throw a great party.

“Ajay’s family is Indian and we were excited to incorporate Hindu tradi- tions into our event. Guests arrived to Ajay’s baraat, the groom’s wed- ding procession that includes live music and dancing. That was followed by our Hindu wedding ceremony, a wardrobe change and our reception (which we really planned as a dance party). The day started and ended with dancing so, to us, it was a huge success,” Diana said.

Diana and Ajay are expecting their first child in April.

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Photos by Photo Pink (photopink.com)

Photo courtesy of Diana Sirbu

Diana and Radu Sirbu

In 2015, Astoria resident Radu Sirbu was at the Bohemian Beer Hall when he spotted Diana, who was a few tables away sitting with her family. Radu approached her and it was love at first sight.

“After exchanging a few minutes of chit-chat with Radu at Bohemian Beer Garden, I just knew he was the one. I even told my brother and mother since Photos by Simion Sebastian Photography

they were there with me that day. My brother sarcastically put a note on his phone, quoting me. To this day he sends it to us on our anniversary,” Diana said.

Radu proposed to Diana on Christmas in 2016 when she was pregnant with their daughter Lorelai. In March of 2017, they got married at City Hall, but they celebrated in Diana’s hometown in Cluj, Romania. And as it turns out, Radu is also from Romania. “We’ve made a tradition of celebrating our anniversary at Bohemian Beer Garden, where we met. In 2017 and 2018 we were also joined by our daughter, Lorelei, and in 2019 by our son, Luca. We do it every year, and we take pictures, we tell our kids when and how we met. That’s probably the best moment of the year,” Radu said.

Speaking of celebrating, Diana plans to surprise Radu with their feature for Valentine’s Day. He was told the interview was for a survey. Surprise and Happy Valentine’s Day, Radu!

Dimitri Vassilakopoulos and Julie Sosa

Photos by Zsaknor Powe and Cristal Jefferson No moment went forgotten during the September 2019 engagement of Astoria couple Dimitri Vassilakopoulos and Julie Sosa, as Vassilakopoulos planned a surprise videotaping and editing of the whole experience.

“I still can’t believe he put such an elaborate plan together for me. When I first watched it, I did tear up a bit. It was such a happy moment,” Sosa said. One of the first shots of the video is of the St. Catherine Greek Church, which is especially symbolic for Vassilakopoulos because his parents were married there. The video also shows the couple walking around the neighborhood holding hands and talking about each other’s lovable qualities. Vassilakopoulos then sat Sosa in a chair in front of a wall of pastel flowers, pulled out a ring and popped the question.

The duo matched on Bumble in the summer of 2016, and got to know each other in Astoria — mostly through coffee and strolling through the neighborhood. “Some of my fondest memories with him are our long walks on Sundays. We would walk most of the neighborhood with coffee in hand and just chat,” Sosa said.

“Yeah, we established a routine where we’d take a walk around the neighborhood, hit the local small shops like Astoria Bookshop and talk about life,” Vassilakopoulos added.

The couple hopes to get married in the spring of 2021.

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Ricky Whitcomb and Matt Napolitano

Close to fed up with dating, Ricky Whitcomb mustered up the courage to meet his now partner, Matt Naplitano, at Diamond Dogs in August of 2017, where they instantly clicked.

“Once I realized it was him, I was very relieved that his profile picture was current and was surprised by how easy he was to talk to,” Whitcomb said.

Whitcomb, coming into the date a little tipsy from trivia, was expecting to just get one drink and leave. They ended up chatting and hitting it off for hours in the cozy bar.

“My favorite moment to this day was when I told him I was a Jets fan, he said he was a Bills fan. We then concurred that we can at least both hate the Patriots,” Napolitano said.

The couple now finds themselves settled in an apartment off 30th Avenue in Astoria, where they feel rooted physically and emotionally. “Moving in together, and creating a home, then getting a puppy in this amazing neighborhood where we’re surrounded by friends has been a dream come true. No matter where in the world our careers or life take us, Astoria will always be where we fell in love and started our family,” Whitcomb said.

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Photos courtesy of Ricky Whitcomb

Photo by Meg Cameron @meg.nyc

Nikki Pelazza and Mike D’Amico

On New Year’s Day in 2016, Astoria couple Nikki Pelazza and Mike D’Amico matched on Bumble. Both of their resolutions were to make their dating life a priority. A few days later, they spent their first date at The Sparrow and started their romance.

“At the end of our date, Mike insisted on walking me home. This would be a kind gesture under any circumstance, but when we first met, Mike and I lived really far apart [and] he walked me the entire way and made his way back home after I got inside. That really stuck out to me and made me think, ‘Wow, this guy is a genuinely good person,’ which is hard to find dating in the city,” Pelazza said

Nearly two and a half years later, D’Amico was back in The Sparrow, down on one knee.

“Mike allegedly headed out early for a golf game with his buddies at 8 a.m., but what I didn't know was that Mike actually spent the morning wandering around Astoria with a change of clothes and a very important box in his pocket. I thought I was meeting my girlfriends at The Sparrow for brunch,” Pelazza said. After the proposal, the couple and their friends headed across the street to the Beer Garden to meet with family and celebrate their wonderful news. The smitten couple will be getting married this November in Long Island.

Photos by Traverse the Tides @traversethetides

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Astoria resident Yamil Wolfe and her 3-yearold son moved to Astoria in the summer of 2012 when Yamil became the manager at Ricky’s on Steinway Street. Little did she know this is where she would meet her future husband, Daniel Wolfe.

“He walked in looking for a costume after the gym, even spilled his protein shake right at my feet. Regardless of all the Halloween madness, I spent almost two hours of my shift speaking to Daniel. He didn’t buy a costume and left,” Yamil said. “About 20 minutes later, I felt a tap on my shoulder and it was Daniel, hoping to get my number. I gave it to the green-eyed leggy man.”

The Astoria lovebirds went to Bareburger for their first date and got engaged under the Hell Gate Bridge in Astoria Park two years after. They are now expecting their first child together.

“I believe every day that I owe this to the magic of Astoria and all the awesomeness it has to offer,” Yamil said.

According to Daniel, there’s no other place that would beat raising their family in Astoria, considering the diversity in Queens.

“We wanted our son to experience success and potential for all different demographics Photo courtesy of Yamil Wolfe Photo by Allison Wolfe (racial, sexual identity, socioeconomic, etc.),” Daniel said. “Also, my job at I.S. 10, a ‘salad bowl’ of different cultures and camaraderie that would be pretty difficult to match anywhere else.” Photo by Alix of A Perfect Match Photography

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Erika Romero and Jude Christian

Photos courtesy of Kim Petrone

Couple Erika Romero and Jude Christian always knew they would end up together, even as kids. They attended the same church, Queen of Angels on Skillman Avenue, and graduated from high school together in 2010 in Sunnyside.

“I always had a crush on Erika in high school. We were friends and hung out with the same friend group,” Christian said. “It wasn't until the end of the school year where I made my feelings known and asked her out to prom and later asked her to be my girlfriend. I always knew we'd end up together.”

Photo by Jerry Khemraj Photo by Reel Life Cinematography They got engaged in 2018 in Bryant Park during a picnic, then said “I do” at Queen of Angels this past June.

“The most memorable part for me was when I was waiting at the altar,” Christian said. “Everyone was in standing in their place and I’m anxiously waiting for the church doors to open and Erika to enter. When the doors opened, and all I saw was Erika in her beautiful white dress, was the moment I knew this was for real and the 12 months of planning was all worth [it].”

The duo continues to live in Sunnyside, where they will always feel at home.

“I love the convenience and the community. We have access to small businesses and good ol’ mom-and-pop shops. I like that I can still visit restaurants and the local meat market and be greeted by the folks that saw me grow up,” Romero said.

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Maryanne Fraser and Kevin Dalton

Fraser moved from College Point to Sunnyside in 2011, and Dalton was raised in the neighborhood. Their first date was spent eating panna cotta and enjoying some red wine at Zio Luigi.

“We were both very nervous, hoping that we said the right things and didn’t mess up the date,” Fraser said. “As the date went on, we became comfortable with each other, laughing and exchanging stories over a bottle of red wine. The date went amazing and sharing the experience together made a favorite restaurant even better and created a love for panna cotta.”

Some of the couple’s fondest memories come from strolling through Astoria and LIC on warm summer nights.

Sunnyside resident Maryanne Fraser got the best present ever when she met her boyfriend, Kevin Dalton, while celebrating her birthday at the Courtyard Ale House in April 2018.

“When I first met Mary, I was a little thrown off,” Dalton said. “I never expected to meet someone so interesting at my local bar where I usually just watched sports.”

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Photo by Lissett Izquierdo

Photos courtesy of Maryanne Fraser & Kevin Dalton

Photo by Frank Paulino @wowgreatphoto

19 FEBRUARY 2020 I BOROMAG.COM Photo by Roberto Conception @robertoconception Kristine and Frank Paulino Who knew Woodside resident Kristine Paulino would instantly fall for the stranger who approached her at the LIC YMCA, and would later be her husband and the father of her two boys.

“My immediate thought when I saw him was he is exactly what I am looking for: tall, tanned and toned; and then I found out he was super confident aka cocky when he approached me at the gym. He basically called me out for being loud [and] talking too much with a friend of mine … that definitely caught my attention,” Kristine said.

Kristine and her husband, Frank Paulino, wedded in 2012 in the Dominican Republic and were living in Sunnyside until their first son turned 1 in 2015. Frank lived in Sunnyside for just over 21 years.

“The diversity of culture and cuisine, the accessibility to pretty much everything within walking distance and the neighborhood (especially Sunnyside Gardens and Skillman Avenue) is an oasis to live in, especially when working in the city,” Kristine said. The couple and their family attend Church of Angels in Sunnyside, where both of their sons were baptized, and Frank donates his time as a photographer for Sunnyside Gardens Park’s events. FAVORITE LOCAL DATE SPOTS: CLARET WINE BAR ALCOVE

Photo courtesy of Brian Chin

Jeanna and Brian Chin

Astoria residents Jeanna and Brian Chin can’t remember the very first time they met; they worked together, so they’re “pretty sure it was some time in the beginning of 2012 in a conference room,” Jenna said.

“The first time I really remember interacting with Brian was trying to walk home together from Manhattan over the Queensboro Bridge after Hurricane Sandy and even though we wound up not being able to find each other, I remember thinking it was nice to have a cute boy that wanted to walk with me,” she continued.

The first time the couple hung outside of work was at The Rapture, a bar that has since closed. On Feb. 1, 2018 — exactly five years after their first outing — Brian proposed to Jeanna on that street corner. “The proposal was perfect,” Jenna said. “I was completely shocked and had no idea it was coming. We had dinner at Sugar Freak and then Brian led me home on a roundabout path that went past the Rapture corner … not the most direct route home, so I thought he was going crazy

Photos by Natura Collective @naturacollective until I realized where we were.”

The Astorians were engaged for just a little under two years and tied the knot this past December.

“When we started dating [in 2015] and I first told her that I liked her, we were on a friend’s rooftop in Long Island City and I remember it like it was yesterday,” Brian said.

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Lisa Lee and Stephen Trostle

Long Island City couple Lisa Lee and Stephen Trostle found each other in a dorm room at Colgate University in 2009 when Lee became his R.A.

“[When I first saw him I thought], ‘Well, that will be nice to look at throughout the year,’” Lee said.

The lovebirds said “I do” this past June at Sands Point Preserve in Long Island, where they also got engaged. They took their engagement photos on the Long Island City waterfront.

“A special moment at the wedding was when we took the time to partake in Pyebaek, a traditional Korean custom/wedding ceremony, in front of all our guests. This involved both Steve and I bowing to our parents while dressed in traditional hanbok attire, along with a handful of other activities. Since I am Korean-American, this was special to us since we were able to add a cultural element to our wedding festivities,” Lee said. Lee grew up in Sunnyside and prides herself on being a Queens native. In fact, some of her favorite moments with her life partner include walking to the 7 train and commuting into the city together. Photos by Eryc Perez de Tagle @erycpretzeltaco

“The walk we do together to the VernonJackson 7 train stop from our apartment is always enjoyable. Whether it’s the joyous screams of toddlers at the parks or the church bells that go off every now and then on Vernon, we love taking it all in and appreciating the history and diversity LIC holds,” Lee said.

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