How did you spend Valentine's Day 2016? Cuddled up with the one you love? Drinking mimosas with your Galentines? How about getting married at the top of the Empire State Building? That's exactly how nine lucky couples spent the holiday this year — and the whole thing is making us want to watch Sleepless In Seattle immediately.
It was all part of the 22nd annual Empire State Building wedding event, held every February 14 (the only day that weddings are permitted there). The duos were selected as part of a contest, for which engaged couples (and couples looking to renew their vows) were asked to submit their love stories for a chance to hold their nuptials at the building's famous 86th-floor observatory.
The couples began saying "I do" at 8 a.m. on Valentine's Day. Click through the slideshow to meet them and read their stories.
Vijay Lalwani & Hector Jerome Bondoc (New York, NY)
"We knew we had a special connection when we met in 2012. Our first official date was on the Empire State Building observatory and just a few months later, we solidified our love by getting engaged exactly three years ago on Valentine’s Day. Although we have a direct view of the Empire State Building from our window, it wasn’t until we adopted our dog Koki and started his Instagram platform, @KokiStateOfMind, that the Empire State Building really became part of our daily lives. Koki snaps pictures nightly in front of the ESB for his [24K] followers, so we couldn’t have asked for a more special location to exchange our vows.”
Jennifer Nodonly & Warren Sanders (Baltimore, MD)
"Falling for him wasn't falling at all. It was walking into a house and suddenly knowing you're home."— Jennifer
Stacey Price & Andrew Frye (Arlington, VA)
"Who doesn't want to spend the most special day of their lives in the most iconic building in the world?"— Andrew
"I'm marrying my best friend at my favorite place in the world; this really is a dream come true! ... A wedding at the best place on Earth would be a great chapter in my book, and who doesn't love a good wedding story to tell their grandchildren many years from now?!"— Stacey
Monique & Mike Baratta (Toms River, NJ)
For their 10th anniversary, this couple decided to renew their vows in the exact same spot where they got engaged.
Sadeema Taylor & Kearney Bapteus (Port Reading, NJ)
"We met through my older brother. Kearney was an old friend of his. The funny thing about us is that we grew up on the same street and never crossed paths. We even knew a lot of the same people growing up. But we didn't meet until 2004. We wanted to get married at the Empire State Building on the most romantic day of the year because we are adventurous, and we're ready to take our relationship to new heights!"— Sadeema
Betsy Narvaez & Carol Cabello (Jackson Heights, NY)
This couple's summer romance turned into so much more. They can see the Empire State Building from their subway platform in Queens, NY.
Ying Wang & Jinhan Bai (China)
Ying and Jinhan are high school sweethearts. On a previous visit to New York City, the couple tried to visit the Empire State Building, but Ying was only able to take a photo of the lobby. On Sunday, they got to renew their vows on the 86th-floor observation deck.
Shanta Mali & Sean Smith (New York, NY)
"Shanta and I met on the 24th floor of the Empire State Building in the fall of 1999, while I was the art director for City Guide magazineand she was in ad sales for a sister publication. We became fast friends and started dating before Christmas, just in time to see Y2K," Sean recalls. The couple then lost touch — for 10 years!
They reconnected in 2009 and rekindled their romance. "Shanta and I have been together now for six years, and have been living together for three. It’s time we take it to the next level, and I can’t think of a better day or place to bring it full-circle than 350 Fifth Avenue!" says Sean.
Katherine Baglivi & Joshua Coyle (West New York, NJ)
"We met on a warm Memorial Day in 2013, and a few short months later we both knew this was more than just a 'summer love.' The building is the ultimate symbol of New York, with its timeless silhouette, and the place that has always been in the background of our most memorable milestones. It's the perfect place to celebrate this moment."
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