I Do!: Kristen Falek and Randy Nieves, of Aquebogue

Kristen Falek and Randy Nieves’ journey began in 2017 at a jiujitsu school, where they met in the same class. Falek walked in as a white belt, while Nieves, then a blue belt, already had years of experience.

By 2019 after countless hours spent on the mat, post-training meals and working together (Nieves, at the time, worked for Falek’s father) their bond deepened into something more. “One night after dinner and getting dropped off home, I realized I had feelings for him, and it turned out he felt the same way,” Falek, 30, said. Wanting to avoid complicating their close-knit social and professional circle, they took things slow.

“We had been friends for years,” Nieves, 36, said. “By the time we started dating, I had already known I was in love with her.”

In January 2020, they opened their own school, North Fork Jiu Jitsu, in Cutchogue, which has grown to nearly 100 students, they said.

After three years of building their business and life together, Nieves was ready to take the partnership to the next level. About six months before proposing, he ordered the ring and spoke with her parents to get their blessing.

During a family vacation in Puerto Rico in January 2024, he planned a proposal. After hiking 3 miles to the top of Fuerte Caprón, the couple stopped at a lookout over the water. When Falek turned around, she found Nieves on one knee.

The couple married on May 18, 2024, in an intimate, woodsy backyard wedding in Aquebogue. The laid-back vibe featured a “marijuana bar” with pre-rolls and low-dose edibles.

The wedding day was a heartfelt tribute to Falek’s father, who died in 2023. To honor his memory, their wedding bands were engraved with his fingerprint.

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!