I Do!: Kimberly DeRosa and Robert Valente, of Long Beach

Kimberly DeRosa and Robert Valente met in 2013 at the start of their freshman year at Fairfield University in Connecticut, where they lived in the same dorm, but on different floors.

Valente wanted some time away from his roommates. “I spent the night on the floor of a friend from high school and saw Kimberly in the morning in the hallway. We’ve been inseparable ever since,” said Valente, 29, a manager at a consulting practice.

After graduation, DeRosa, 30, moved back to Long Island and worked as a nurse while Valente, from New Canaan, Connecticut, lived in New York City for several years before moving to Long Beach.

He proposed Aug. 26, 2023, on the beach near her parent’s house in Kismet on Fire Island. “It’s where I feel the most peace in life, so Rob planned the engagement for there,” said DeRosa, who added that she was “80% surprised.” Her mom helped Valente set the scene with blankets and champagne.

“That evening we went out to dinner, and the next day his family came from Connecticut along with other family to our West Islip house to celebrate,” she said. DeRosa also fulfilled her childhood dream of saying “yes to the dress” at Kleinfeld Bridal in Manhattan a year before the wedding, with her parents and brother on hand.

They married Dec. 14, 2024, and carolers organized by the band and chorus teachers at Bayview Elementary School in West Islip, where her mother teaches second grade, surprised them with songs before the service.

The reception, with 140 guests, took advantage of the holiday decor already at the Heritage Club and included emerald velvet and red roses in centerpiece flowers, with Grinch napkins and Christmas tree drink stirrers. Customized golf balls served as favors, and there was a gingerbread bride and groom atop the wedding cake. The head of pastoral care at Good Samaritan Hospital in West Islip, where DeRosa works in the ICU as a nurse educator, was their officiant.

“It was the best day of our lives,” DeRosa said.