Even “Where’s Waldo” finds love. Bianca and Ben met at a mutual friend’s costume birthday party, where he dressed as Waldo and she wore a “Russian roulette” costume. They discovered that they were both big San Francisco Giants fans, which led to dates watching the team in the playoffs that same month. “We spent what seemed like every day at a local sports bar with our friends cheering on our favorite team,” Bianca says.
The two fell in love right off the bat. “From the moment we met, it was the way Bianca made me feel and the way I felt about her that made me realize she was the one for me,” Ben says.
So, while Bianca planned Ben’s 29th birthday party, Ben planned his proposal. She had made plans for their parents, siblings, aunts and uncles, grandparents and friends to celebrate Ben’s birthday at the Old Spaghetti Factory. “About halfway through dinner, Ben gets up and is giving his ‘thank you for coming’ speech,” Bianca remembers. “During his speech, I leaned over and asked my mom to pour me more wine, and she’s shooing me away and telling me to be quiet!” Then, Ben thanks Bianca, tells her how much he loves her and asks her the magic question.
Little did she know that earlier that day, his jeweler had called to say the engagement ring Ben designed was finished and ready for pickup. “From the moment I made the conscious decision to propose on this day, I was nervous!” Ben says. “My stomach was in knots because this was a Tuesday—a work day—and I somehow needed to focus, but could do nothing other than think about my plans for that night.”
With the ring on her finger, Bianca was ready to hit the wedding planning out of the ballpark. The couple started preparations immediately, by researching venues and vendors and dividing up tasks. “Ben is one of the most easygoing people that I know and was very helpful during the planning process. He never complained about being assigned to tasks and was a huge part in communicating with some of our vendors,” she says.
The wedding was held at Delta Diamond Farm Event Center in Isleton. “Our ceremony was very romantic with hand-written vows and tear-jerking songs. Our reception was lots of fun with a sit-down dinner, great music, dancing, an open bar and a photo booth,” she says. Throughout the day, Bianca felt only happiness. “There is nothing to be nervous about when you’re walking down the aisle toward your best friend and the love of your life. I couldn’t wait to see Ben!” she remembers.
The most memorable moments for the couple took place during the ceremony. “Before I knew it, I was at the end of the aisle holding hands with Ben. The most memorable moment was seeing Ben’s smiling face—that I won’t forget!” she says. Adds Ben: “To see her father walk her down the aisle was the most memorable part for me. I will never forget how difficult it was to fight back the emotions while standing there at the altar waiting for her to be brought down. I was so excited and happy that the moment had finally arrived.”
— Kourtney Jason
