“Through thick and thin, love and loss, and even a pandemic; our love prevailed,” says Iginia “Rose” Del Rosario. “I first met Shannon through a friend, and we quickly connected with one another on social media. Since we were both teachers, we deepened our bond over our love of the classroom and eventually went on our first date on February 16, 2013.”
Shannon picked Rose up for their date, along with a few of her friends. Rose was nervous to go alone, so having her friends there provided a nice buffer – especially since they were celebrating her birthday. Much to her surprise, Shannon even brought her a birthday gift and chose the lower Manhattan restaurant, Sea, for its sentimental setting.
"WE BECAME FAMILY TO ONE ANOTHER FOR ETERNITY.”
“I was completely blown away by how kind, attentive, and respectful he was the entire evening,” Rose recalls. “He just felt so entirely comfortable to be around.”
After that “official” first date, the couple never looked back. Their relationship blossomed and led to various travels, such as a trip to Jamaica – during which, Rose heard the words, “I love you,” for the first time. It was also a significant moment when Shannon visited the Dominican Republic to meet Rose’s maternal grandmother, and an experience they still cherish.
“My funniest memory of our time together also happened in the Dominican Republic,” Rose adds, “when Shannon and I took public transportation. In a moment of total culture shock, Shannon didn’t expect everyone to start running to the door of the bus in order to grab a seat, so he was left behind because he thought he had to make a line. Over the years, my love for him only grew as we explored the world, each other, and faced our fears and dreams as a team.”
The proposal took place on August 23, 2015. Rose was returning home from a weekend getaway with her girlfriends, and Shannon had arranged a surprise gathering with a few family members at their apartment. Rose remembers being ecstatic and describes the “promise of forever” with her best friend feeling “tangible, exciting, and fulfilling.”
Several years later, the bride and groom faced a challenge neither of them could have foreseen – a global pandemic that nearly caused them to cancel their wedding plans. After a referral and a call to Toni at Herkreations, however, not even COVID-19 could prevent them from hosting a safe, intimate and picturesque wedding ceremony completely focused on love.
“I married the man of my dreams on July 27, 2020 at the most gorgeous venue we could have ever imagined,” says Rose. “We promised ourselves to one another at the 620 Loft and Garden in New York City, in view of St. Patrick’s Cathedral standing as strong as our future together. There were so many special touches, a dreamy ambiance, and the most elegant décor. Through thick and thin, love and loss, and even a pandemic; we became family to one another for eternity.”
WEDDING TALENT
Location: 620 Loft & Garden, New York, NY; Event Design: Herkreations, Woodbridge, NJ; Groom’s Watch: Cartier
