Dalpiaz-Varrichio

Danielle Dalpiaz, 25, and Ron Varrichio, 27, plan to be married on Aug. 26 at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s Palm House. They expect 200 guests, and hope to honeymoon in the Catskill Mountains. Rather than have a traditional rehearsal dinner, they will be hosting 94 guests at a Mets game at Shea Stadium.

They live in Park Slope.

The bride-to-be is the daughter of Robert and Roberta Dalpiaz of Sayville, NY. She graduated from Sayville High School in 1999, and attended Smith College, class of 2002, earning a degree in art history. She currently works as a teacher for the NYC Dept of Education.

The groom-to-be is the son of Ron and Sue Varrichio, also of Sayville. He attended Sayville High School, class of 1997, and then attended Adelphi University, obtaining a degree in economics in 2001. He then continued his schooling at Adelphi University, graduating in 2005 with a degree in physical education. He is employed as a Physical Education teacher at a Prospect Heights public school.

How did you meet?
The groom-to-be says: “Danielle and I met while running cross-country for Sayville High School in 1996. We had known each other as babies, because our parents used to take us to gymnastics together. (But we did not know that until we had been going out for a while.) Danielle’s mother was actually my music teacher all throughout elementary school. Our first date was at Friendly’s in Sayville, where we still like to go when we are home visiting our parents.
“To be honest, the story of how we met is not that interesting...I liked her and she liked me. I asked her to my junior banquet, and the next thing I knew, it was 10 years later, and we were planning a wedding.”

Who proposed, and how?
The groom-to-be says: “I proposed to Danielle in March of 2005. I set up a scavenger hunt all throughout our apartment. I stayed up all night putting it together. Each clue was hidden inside a balloon and included some of my kindergarten-level artwork. The final clue brought her up to the roof of our building and read: ‘You did a great job, just one final clue; in my pocket I’m hiding a ring for you; I’ve got a question, I hope you say yes; From down on one knee I will give it my best.’ After she said ‘yes’ we called our parents and went back to sleep.”

Concerns about the wedding
The groom-to-be says: “As the wedding planning is coming to an end, we hope we have not forgotten anything. Almost all of the guests are coming from Long Island or out-of-town, so we have some concerns about how we are going to accommodate everybody.”

Mencia – Rodriguez

Angela Mencia, 26, and Denny Rodriguez, 24, plan to be married on June 24 at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Roman Catholic Church in Sunset Park. They expect 250 guests to join in their celebration. The reception will be held at St Michael’s Roman Catholic Church in Sunset Park. The couple expects to honeymoon in Cancun, and to reside in Hagerstown, Md.

The bride-to-be is the daughter of Aurora Deleon and Dionicio Mencia of Maryland. She grew up in Astoria, Queens, graduating from Long Island City High School in 1998. She attended the Accutech Career Institute in Maryland, graduating in 2004, and is currently employed as a medical assistant at Smithburg Family Medical Center in Smithburg, Md.

The groom-to-be is the son of Sunhilda and Felix Rodriguez of Sunset Park. He grew up in Sunset Park and graduated from Fort Hamilton High School in 2000. He attended Hagerstown Community College, graduating in 2003, and currently works in customer service for a financial company.

How did you meet?
The bride-to-be says: “We actually met online, through his cousin, whom I knew from church. After four months of phone calls and e-mails, we met in person for the first time at the Gap on 34th Street in Manhattan. We knew that night that we were meant to be.
“Ever since I was 16, I had prayed to God to give me a sign when I met my future husband. The night I met Denny, as I was holding his hand, I noticed that he had a mole on his finger that was identical to mine! Same hand, same finger, same size and shape. I knew it was my sign from God.
“For our first date, he took me bowling at Mark Lanes in Bay Ridge, then out to dinner at Arirang Japanese restaurant near there. We were engaged two years after we met.”

Who proposed, and how?
The bride-to-be says: “I was watching TV at home on Valentine’s Day, when he simply got down on one knee and asked. He’s very shy. Not a lot of words, just ‘Will you marry me?’ I thought he was kidding at first, and then I saw the ring. No words can explain the joy I felt that day.”

Concerns about the wedding:
The bride-to-be says: “I am very emotional, and I’m scared I will cry at the ceremony. I hope everything turns out all right, since we’ve planned everything by traveling back and forth between Maryland and Brooklyn.”

Steinberg-Grady

Lindsay Steinberg, 28, and Patrick Grady, 35, were married on March 3 at the Church of Assumption in Emerson, NJ, in the presence of 253 guests. (Steinberg was baptized in this church and her parents were married there 31 years ago.) The reception was held at the Rockleigh Country Club in Rockleigh, NJ. The couple honeymooned in Maui, and now resides in Bay Ridge.

The bride is the daughter of Jeff and Roberta Steinberg of Hohokus, NJ. She attended high school at the Academy of the Holy Angels in Demarest, NJ, class of 1996, and continued her schooling at Fairfield University in Connecticut, obtaining a degree in psychology and communications in 2000. She is currently working in advertising sales for Google.

The groom is the son of Rita and the late Donald Grady of Bay Ridge. He attended St. Patrick’s elementary school in Bay Ridge, then Xavier High School in Manhattan, class of 1988, and earned a history degree from the College of Staten Island, graduating in 1993. He is employed as an equities trader in Manhattan. He also coaches children’s sports teams in Bay Ridge.

Love story:
The bride says: “The Brooklyn Bridge ice sculpture was the center of attention, anchoring the elegant [reception]. There was lots of sentimental value involved with it. I had always asked him to take me for a walk over the Brooklyn Bridge, and when he finally did, he proposed to me there.””

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