I Do!: Lori Vergos and Demetrios Bothos

Lori Vergos and Demetrios "Jimmy" Bothos’ love story began in March 2000, when they met at a basketball game in Queens.

Bothos, then 29, was filling in as coach for Vergos’ brother’s team. During the game, Vergos said her younger sister added her number to his phone.

“A few days later, he called and asked to take me out to the Cheesecake Factory for our first date,” said Vergos, who was 27 when they met. After that date, she said, “We would see each other almost every day.”

The couple dated for three years, sharing countless dinners, trips and large family gatherings. However, Vergos said pressure from both sides about marriage led to a miscommunication that caused their relationship to end in 2003.

“Our parents were always making these wedding comments and I realized he never mentioned marriage before,” Vergos said.

Vergos hoped for a proposal, but Bothos, who had just graduated law school and was focused on saving money, wasn’t ready.

“Being young and dumb, my friends said, ‘Maybe you’ll get a ring if you threaten to leave.’ So, that’s what I did,” Vergos said.

The couple parted ways and Bothos said they did not speak for nearly 15 years. Their families tried to orchestrate a few run-ins over the years, but they didn’t reconnect until December 2017, when Vergos, now 50, sent Bothos, now 52, a Facebook message wishing him a “happy name day” — a Greek celebration of the feast day of the saint a person is named after.

“I didn’t know what to think when I saw her message, so I took it slow in the beginning,” Bothos said. But their second chance at love blossomed, with Bothos taking time to bond with Vergos’ two daughters from a previous relationship.

Bothos proposed on Jan. 15, 2021, at Rocking Horse Ranch Resort in the Hudson Valley. He said the intimate moment took place in front of a fireplace, with Vergos’ daughters present.

“It was perfect,” Bothos recalled. “I wanted her girls to be part of the moment because they’re such a big part of her life.”

The couple, who live in Syosset, wed on Dec. 9, 2023 at the Transfiguration of Christ Greek Orthodox Church in Corona, Queens, where they first met. Their reception was held at Terrace On The Park in Flushing Meadows Corona Park, with a guest list of 150 of their close friends and family.