James, or "Jimmy Vee", and I met in the fall of 2002 while attending Marist College in Poughkeepsie, NY. He was a sophomore and I was a freshman when we shared our first dance at Mccoy's SteakВ & AlehouseВ right across the street from campus. We became fast friends and it wasn't long before James was sneaking into my dorm in Champagnat Hall via laundry shootВ to avoidВ the Marist Security Guards.В We were inseparable and always brought out the best in each other. В I will never forget the times that James would step foot in the library just to spend time with me while I did schoolwork. I still tease him for never bringing any books along and constantly trying to talk to me while I was trying to study. James is always quick to point out that it is no coincidence thatВ heВ landed on the Dean's list the same semester we met each other.В 

Our families quickly learned how deeply we cared for one another whenВ he flew across the world to come visit me while studying abroad in Australia in 2004.В В Neither of us will ever forget the excitement we both had upon seeing eachother when he stepped out of the cab at the entrance to myВ school. After James was done hugging the cab driver,В we ran to eachother as I nearly tackled him to the ground. After we both jumped out of a plane at 14,000 feet over Byron Bay, Australia,В we both knew that we had found the personВ we wanted to spend the rest of our lives with asВ we look forward to more jumping-out-of-plane moments together.В 

Since graduating college, we have traveled to Europe, gotten jobs, earned a Master's degree, were blessed with 3 sweet nieces and 2 cute nephews, and purchased a home together in Hoboken in 2010, which is the spot where we were engaged this past September. I had a feeling something was up when I returned home from work to find our Condo completely cleaned with James waiting for me in the bedroom on one knee with some of our favorite Music playing in the background. He says he was on a knee to prevent himself from passing out from nervousness but in the same breath claims that this was the easiest question he's ever asked in his life. And for me, saying Yes was the easiest answer I've ever had to give in return. We celebrated that night with friends and family in Jersey City just a few steps away from where we will be making this marriage offical on August 16th, 2013.

James' charm and sense humor was, and still is, irresistible to me. He is hands down the funniest person I know and the one I always want to be around, whether that be in a library, or on a beach in Spain where we hope to honeymoon!

We cannot wait until August 16th to share our special day with all of you!В 

We plan to have a wedding that is timeless, elegant, and most importantly, fun!В 

The ceremony will take place at 2:30pm at St. Ann's Church on Staten Island as tradition has it. My sister, Marissa and brother-in-law Matt were married at St. Ann's in 2006 and my mother and father (Mary and Joe) were married there in 1977. I am both thrilled and honored to continue the tradition of walking down the same aisle my mom and sister walked down on their wedding days.В 

When James and I first walked into the Manhattan Ballroom in Jersey City's Hyatt Hotel, a mile from our home, we were blown away with the view of the city. Although it was only the second venue we toured, we looked at each other and knew for sure that it is here, surrounded by the stupendous NYC skyline,В where we plan to throw the best and biggest party of our lives. Cocktail hourВ at the Hyatt directly on the Hudson RiverВ will begin at 6:00 and the reception kicks off promptly at 7:00pm. We also want to spread the word about the after party in the hotel lobby!В 

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James also enjoys the fact that we are getting married along the Hudson River because of the meaning it holds. The Hudson River has been a constant in his life since being born on the Hudson Waterfront in West Point, NY, living within miles of it up in Schenectady NY for years and ultimately it was this river that ran along the city of Poughkeepsie on the Marist campus where we first met and fell in love. Today, we enjoy our close proximity to the River living in Hoboken and look forward to celebrating our Wedding Reception on the banks of the Hudson at the Hyatt in Jersey City!

Mother and Father of the Groom

Willard and Jean Varian

2 Constants in our lives who have always been there to support us (Even when they know we're wrong). Always putting family and their children ahead of themselves, we would not be where we are today without their love andВ support.

Best Men

Thomas and Patrick Varian

Whether it be learning about the Christmas Wolf, waking up to a Scary Halloween Mask in the middle of the night, being automatic Defense for any sport we ever played, or learning how to fly face first into a brick fireplace, these guys have always been there to keep me in line. I've looked up to each of them my entire life and continue to borrow each of their qualities and apply them to my every day life

Groomsmen(In alphabetic order)

Daniel "The General" Lee

A one time cross town rival on the athletic field growing up, who eventually evolved into one of my closest friends, Dan and I have had more laughs over the years than we could ever try to count. I count myself as a lucky guy to have a person like Dan in my corner who you can bounce literally anything off of and receive an honest answer in return. Look for The General to be rockin' and rollin' on Friday Aug 16th.

Matthew Nugent

My future Brother-In-Law who I share the fortunate bond of beingВ a Youngest Child with. Matt has treated me like family since the moment we met and has been an older brother to Merry since she was a Teenager, whether she wants to admit it or not! Matt is also a constant Contributor to the NY Post whose writeups can often be found in the Opinion Section on a semi-regular basis.

Matthew "Cuse" Ostrander

One of my oldest and closest friends, Matt and I have known eachother since we were 10 years old. One of the best teammates I ever had the pleasure of playing with on the baseball diamond and basketball court, Matt always knows exactly What the Score is. He has the ability to make a good time great at the drop of a hat, and has the potential to be the life of the party on August 16th.

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Robert Thompson

Rob and I were Freshman Year Roommates and teammates on the football field @ Marist in 2001. We went on to live together for the next 4 years in Poughkeepsie and then for an additional 3 years in Hoboken following College fallling just months shy of officially having a Common Law Marriage. Rob was the first person I told Merry about and he was one of the first people to tell me how perfect we were for each other.В Rob isВ the only person I know who knows all the lyrics to "We Didnt Start the Fire" and in the words of Billy Joel, he's quick with a joke, or to light up a smoke, and on August 16th, I know that they'll be no place that he'd rather be.