I Do!: Briana Panetta and Anthony Fuoco, of Hartsdale

Briana Panetta wasn’t expecting to meet her future husband on a beach in Cancun. But when she booked a 2018 trip with her college roommate, along came her roommate’s brother as well as her roommate’s cousin, Anthony Fuoco.

“We were all in a group, and Anthony started talking to me one-on-one,” said Panetta, 28, an executive producer at News 12. “He was calm, casual, not trying too hard. That caught my attention.”

Fuoco, 28, a New York City firefighter, was struck instantly. “I thought she was stunning,” he said. “Right away I wanted to get to know her.”

They saw each other again in Atlantic City. Then again in Miami.

“By the third city, I was like, OK, this guy keeps popping up. There’s something here,” Panetta said.

They officially became a couple in late 2019 after a low-key date in Westchester.

“Anthony was always steady,” Panetta said. “I worked overnights at the time, and he never made me feel bad about it. That told me everything I needed to know.”

Fuoco said he felt the same. “She’s my best friend and my coach,” he said. “She pushes me to do better, but also makes me feel taken care of. She’s the most selfless person I know.”

On Sept. 2, 2022, the anniversary of their relationship, Fuoco proposed at the top of One World Trade Center.

“He stuffed the ring box in his sock to get through security,” Panetta said. “I thought we were just doing sunset photos. Then he dropped to one knee, and our families were waiting after.”

They married on Dec. 6 at St. Joseph’s Church in Kings Park, where Panetta was baptized. The reception followed at The Watermill in Smithtown.

Personal touches included a memory table for grandparents, a heartfelt note to their parents at every seat and a surprise bouquet dedication from Panetta to her mom.

“She was hysterical crying,” Panetta said. “It was my favorite moment of the night.”

Nominate a couple who has gotten married in the past 12 months. Email your love story, in 250 words or less, to lilife@newsday.com, subject line I Do!