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Parisian Love
Laurie Haight and Richard Petrungaro, August 30, 2008, Toronto. By Sadiya Dendar
About the Couple
Bride: Laurie Haight
Groom: Richard Petrungaro
Occupations: Laurie is a senior research analyst for the government and Richard is in sales with an investment firm.
How they met: On a Contiki tour of Europe.
Fave date: For their one-year anniversary, Richard surprised Laurie with a romantic dinner at the Italian restaurant Sotto Sotto. Since then, they’ve celebrated all of their anniversaries there.
What attracted her to him: “His sense of humour and how easily he could make me laugh.”
What attracted him to her: “At first it was her looks, and then her personality sealed the deal!”
Engagement story: “We decided to go back to Europe in the summer of 2007 and little did I know Richard had planned a proposal back in Paris where we had our first kiss. He had secretly been carrying an engagement ring through Europe hidden in a pair of rolled-up socks! We arrived at the Eiffel Tower one night at exactly 11:00 p.m.—just when the light show began. With the tower’s flickering lights in the background, Richard got on one knee and asked me to be with him for life. I was, of course, ecstatic and said yes! He packed a blanket and a bottle of champagne with two glasses, and after we called all of our friends and family we toasted our new life together. It was such a special night for both of us since that's where our relationship began.”
Words they live by: Life is too short, so enjoy it to the fullest!
The Wedding Day:
Wedding date: August 30, 2008
Guests: 250
Wedding theme: Classic and romantic with lots of pale pink!
Her best moment: “Walking down the aisle towards Richard and seeing all of our close family and friends there to support us.”
His best moment: “Watching Laurie come through the doors of the church.”
What they would have done differently: “Nothing, the day was perfect!”
Advice to Others: “I can’t stress this enough—don’t worry about the little details leading up to the wedding. Everything will end up coming together, and if something doesn’t go according to plan no one will even notice, so just make sure to relax and enjoy the day!”
Wedding song: “All I Want is You” by U2. “We didn’t really have a song but we both loved this one, and it just seemed to fit.”
Fave wedding gift: “Having all of our family and friends there to help us celebrate.”
Most unexpected moment: “How calm we both were during the ceremony.”
Best surprise of the day: “The perfect weather! It called for a rain storm the entire week leading up to the wedding and on our big day there wasn’t a cloud in the sky.”
Her fave wedding detail: “My dress! I was so lucky to get the dress of my dreams.”
His fave wedding detail: “Definitely the food!”
What made her day: “Having all of our friends and family from out of town fly in to be a part of our special day.”
What made his day: “Having friends and family gathered for us on a long weekend.”
Honeymoon: “Three weeks in the Greek Islands and the Maldives—truly the most amazing trip of our lives.”
The day in three words: Beautiful, meaningful, wonderful.
