A New Jersey Wish
On May 26th, 2021, Joe and Kristina gathered with their loved ones at the elegant Crystal Plaza, in Livingston, NJ, to renew their vows and to celebrate their beautiful marriage.
Joe and Kristina first met years ago at one of Joe’s gigs. Joe played in a band with Kristina’s cousin, and the two would run into each other at the shows. At the time, Joe was happily married to his wife of 20 years but lost her to a sudden illness in 2010. Four years later, Joe and Kristina reconnected online and hit it off immediately. They eloped in Las Vegas just one year later.
Two years into their marriage, Joe started experiencing some debilitating back pain. He had worked for years as a roofer so just caulked the pain up to his job. As the season changed and his pain worsened, he went to see a pain management specialist, but the pain would not subside. As fate would have it, Joe was working on a job site when he was accidentally hit in the chest with a screw. It turns out that the screw had hit a large tumor in his lungs.
The tumor was biopsied and he was sadly diagnosed with stage four lung cancer. He underwent an intense and very difficult chemotherapy program, which temporarily worked, but in 2020, the cancer spread to his brain. He underwent two brain surgeries and spent much of the spring at an in-patient rehab center. Thankfully, the facility agreed to release him for the day so that we could help them renew their vows.
Joe and Kristina’s vow renewal was the ultimate celebration and from start to finish, the day was soaked with love, laughter and touching moments. Our wish team did an incredible job, and our couple was treated to a beautiful day filled with gorgeous flowers, delicious food and so much joy.
It’s easy to see from the photos that this cool couple loves to have a good time. With the help of their family and friends, Joe and Kristina were able to forget about cancer for a bit as they danced the night away with their loved ones.
We are so very thankful for all of the amazing wish granters who stepped up to bless Joe and Kristina. Special thanks to Natalie of K David Events for assembling this wonderful team and for going above and beyond to make sure that every last detail was perfect.
We cannot thank you all enough:
Wedding planner: Natalie, K David Events
Venue and Catering: Crystal Plaza
Photographer: Idalia Photography
Video: Media X Marketing
Floral: Bloomery Flower Studio
Stationer: Sweet Ideas by Sue
Hair: Melanie Walode
Makeup: Michele Renee Beauty
Cake: We Knead the Dough
Officiant: Marry Me Ceremony
