let's make merry

It all started at a Disney dance party. Giacinto had shared he was going on Instagram, Adam saw it and convinced his friends to go for emotional support. Giacinto remembered seeing a “cute guy in a Peter Pan hat with a red feather” and Adam’s “heart melted watching a guy happily belting Disney songs.” They messaged the next day and stayed up much too late texting and sending each other pictures of their Disney coffee mugs.

FIRST UNOFFICIAL DATE Watching Saving Mr. Banks, where they both hit play at the same time, from their respective apartments in Brooklyn and Harlem, and texted throughout. FIRST IN-PERSON DATE Sotto 13, where Giacinto learned of Adam’s love of miniature arancini. FIRST HOMEMADE DINNER Lasagna, where Adam learned of Giacinto’s cooking skills and his Italian portion sizing. FIRST KISS The emergency exit doorway of a now defunct Walgreens at 50th and Broadway, where they were hiding from a downpour. FIRST DAY AS BOYFRIENDS March 3, 2020, where frozen cosmos played a role.

For those who are not familiar with NYC-based relationships, Harlem to Brooklyn is considered long distance. Add a global pandemic that shut down the city two weeks after they officially began dating, it was clear Adam and Giacinto really wanted to be around each other. They established a back-and-forth quarantine arrangement, which required hauling Nemo, Giacinto’s cat, to and from their respective apartments each week. That is until the third trip back to Brooklyn when Nemo broke out of her carrier and made it clear she was ready to move in.

At the beginning of any relationship each person slowly learns about the other. During a global pandemic, that learning happens much more quickly. That first year they explored self tanners and hair dyes (Giacinto more than Adam); played the board game Villainous as every villain (Giacinto’s favorite: Prince John & Dr. Facilier, Adam’s favorite: Captain Hook & Hades); cooked complex meals and made elaborate tiki cocktails (you all saw those Instagram posts); got to know friends and family over Zoom (which included comical first impressions); and transformed Adam’s bachelor-pad apartment into their home (which included replacing a giant, aqua blue bean bag with the now iconic Haunted Mansion purple wall).

Once the world started opening up, their relationship had one more key test: a trip to Walt Disney World. In short — it was magical, even in masks. Giacinto got his Turkey Leg, Adam got a Premium Bar. They split the famous Cobb Salad and enjoyed martini flights at The Brown Derby. They ordered too much pizza at Via Napoli and drank around the world. And they got to ride their favorite ride – Haunted Mansion — together. From there, adventures abounded. Be it impromptu bar crawls to Target (a NYC luxury of turning a 45 minute walk into an all day event); sharing their love of getting to airports early (hello, Delta Sky Club); wandering through new countries in search for cocktail bars and hidden gems; winning too many Broadway lotteries to count; hosting themed parties (a shared love); or simply going on long walks in Brooklyn's backyard (Prospect Park) while chatting about the day and their future.

During these adventures, especially those long strolls, they started discussing proposals and weddings. They agreed they wanted to get rings together and would make up the rest as they went along. Unbeknownst to Giacinto, Adam had started planning a spontaneous, let's-get-rings-together proposal which consisted of a ring sizer, a Tiffany's Christmas ornament and a note that read “Let’s make merry, marry me?” After a “yes,” happy tears, a bottle of bubbles and some important phone calls, they went up to the Diamond District to look around. And when in New York City, the first stop simply must be Tiffany’s. It ended up being the only stop. Following a few short texts to gather close friends, they both celebrated at their favorite bar: Flaming Saddles. Yee-haw and now onto “I Dos.”