With both Erica and Jordan being dentists, people often ask if they met each other in dental school. However, it was Tia’s Waterfront – a bar in Boston – where they first crossed paths, and their two different dental schools were rivals.
July 27, 2015 was a life changing day for Erica. Not only was it her first day of dental school, but it’s also the day she met her soulmate.
“According to Jordan,” she shares, “he and a couple friends walked into the bar that night and one of his friends said, ‘Choose whoever you want to talk to, and I’ll distract her friends.’ Jordan pointed to me, a total stranger at the time, and said, ‘That girl – but she is way out of my league.’”
“That girl – but she is way out of my league.”
“Well, he went for it, and we hit it off immediately,” Erica continues. “We spent the entire evening by the bar getting to know one another. We went out multiple times that week and the relationship progressed so naturally and quickly. While Jordan was confident from the start, I was hesitant to start a relationship, as I was focused on my education. However, Jordan made it so easy, and it was honestly inevitable that I would give in. We took our first trip to Nashville, TN together in October, where Jordan first told me he loved me, and I knew he was the one. Despite our busy schedules, we always made time for each other, taking short trips to visit my family in Marion, MA, going to country concerts, and taking day trips to various places. One of our favorite places became Newport, RI, where – fast forward a couple years – Jordan proposed.”
On April 20, 2018, Jordan popped the question in a private setting by the lighthouse at Castle Hill Inn. It was the day before Erica’s 26th birthday and she had completed her final exam of dental school, so the engagement added made the celebratory day even more significant. Jordan had arranged for champagne and snacks to be served, and the couple spent the first few hours of their engagement just soaking it all in.
“He told me we had dinner reservations back in Boston, so we headed back,” Erica adds. “However, he really had a surprise party waiting for me at our apartment. Not only was I shocked, but Jordan actually surprised everyone – he had told our guests it was a surprise birthday party for me. They had no idea I would come back with an engagement ring on my finger! We had so much to celebrate. My brother and Jordan’s parents all flew in from California, which made the night even more special. It was definitely one of the best days of my life.”
After a few months of enjoying their engagement, the couple began their wedding planning process. Newport, Rhode Island already held such a special place in their hearts for the entirety of their relationship; so, when they came across the perfect wedding venue, they knew they were meant to have a Rhode Island wedding.
“We both always wanted an outdoor wedding by the water, so we absolutely fell in love with Newport Beach House,” Erica explains. “The venue has absolutely stunning spaces for the ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception. It has delicious food, is located right on the beach, and the style inside is clean, chic, and romantic. It was perfect. It was close to our guests living in Boston and where I grew up, and with Jordan being from California, we wanted our guests who were traveling to have a beautiful area to explore. Newport is full of ocean views, sights to see, absolutely delicious seafood, and is close enough to Boston for those who wanted to explore the city for a day as well.”
On September 6, 2019, the bride and groom woke up to a rainy day, which ended up pushing their wedding reception indoors – yet the day still turned out to be even better than they’d hoped. Erica and Jordan exchanged personal vows during an intimate ceremony; there was ample laughter during the wedding speeches; and Erica’s brother, a professional trumpet player, put together an incredible band for some live entertainment during cocktail hour.
For the reception, the newlyweds surprised their guests with a choreographed first dance, followed by the Hora per Jewish tradition. The father of the bride was nearly thrown off the chair, but made an “absolutely epic recovery,” which was fortunately caught on camera as one of many memories created that night. It turned out to be a wild dance party with the dance floor remaining full throughout the evening, and the newlyweds couldn’t have asked for a better time celebrating with all of their loved ones.
“The last few months before our wedding were incredibly busy, as I graduated dental school, we had our bachelor/bachelorette parties, and were in the process of moving across the country from Boston to southern California,” says Erica. “After our wedding, we finally settled into our new place, started new jobs, and enjoyed our new home on the west coast as newlyweds. It’s been a heck of a first three years married with the pandemic coming shortly after our move, but I wouldn’t want anyone else by my side.”
Erica and Jordan’s initial honeymoon plans to Thailand were postponed due to the pandemic, but they enjoyed a wonderful “minimoon” in Oahu in March of 2021.
WEDDING TALENT
Photography: Pizzuti Photography, Lowell, MA