We had to get legally married in the USA before our wedding in Colombia per the church’s requirements. You cannot get married in a church internationally if you live elsewhere without first being legally married in the city you reside in. It makes sense—otherwise, people could just get married religiously anywhere in the world without any legal implications.

So, we did just that. We chose a Friday so we could celebrate casually with our NYC friends afterward. I decided to wear my mom’s dress; my grandma shipped it to my designer friend, Estefania, who reconstructed it to make it court-appropriate. It turned out to be everything I dreamed of and more. I surprised my mom with it when she came to visit because she had no idea, and it was a very special moment.

Connor wore a tuxedo, and we looked amazing. Little did we know, we had chosen the coldest day ever! Luckily, I had gotten a white fur coat, but even that wasn’t enough. The original plan was for my friend to bring Oscar (our dog) in a tux so we could take photos on the Brooklyn Bridge.

The day before, I decided to hire a videographer, and I’m so glad I did. On February 3, 2023, we got married at City Hall. We exchanged vows since we weren’t going to at the church, but it was very transactional—there were so many people there, and the officiant literally told us we had one minute to say our vows, lol. It was very non-romantic.

Once we left, we met up with our photographer and videographer to head to the bridge, but honestly, it was too cold. Colder than ever, really! I told my friend to take Oscar home because he was shivering like never before, and we headed to the subway to get warm.

We ended up taking some photos in the subway, and we absolutely loved them! So much so that we decided not to get off again for the bridge. I’m so glad for these improvised photos and videos because they turned out to be unforgettable!

Later that evening, we met all of our friends at Felix for drinks and cake. I changed into a silver skirt and silver pumps, and we toasted and danced the night away! It was another unforgettable night at my favorite NYC bar.