I Do!: Martina L'Abbate and Ryan Birmingham, of Bethpage

Martina L’Abbate and Ryan Birmingham’s love story began in 2018, while both were enrolled in Molloy College’s nursing program, where Birmingham was one of only two male students among about 100 women. “She won the lotto,” Birmingham, 30, joked. In truth, he said, it was he who felt lucky.

“I kept talking to my friend about him,” L’Abbate, 30, recalled. Finally, as they neared graduation, she said, she decided “to pick up the phone and just text him.” Two years after they first interacted in school, the couple started seeing each other as more then just classmates.

During the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, L’Abbate and Birmingham embraced simple moments, spending time walking on the beach and working on puzzles together. “There were so few options for dates then, and we only managed to fit in two before everything shut down,” Birmingham said.

Their first official date took place on March 7, 2020, at The Refuge in Melville, and included a strict seating policy due to the pandemic, and was followed by a cozy movie night at Birmingham’s house. To make the evening even more special, he surprised L’Abbate with her favorite treat, rainbow cookies. They talked for hours without realizing the clock jumped an hour ahead for daylight saving time. “We had so much to say, and I felt like I knew him better than I even knew myself,” L’Abbate said.

The next day, L’Abbate spotted a heart-shaped cloud in the sky. She believed it was a sign from her late grandmother, reassuring her that this connection was something special.

During a 2023 vacation in Jamaica, Birmingham arranged for a crew of photographers and, just as the sun set one evening, dropped to one knee.

For their Aug. 3 wedding, the couple honored loved ones who had passed by making charitable donations in their names and incorporating special charms into the bridal bouquet.

Their grand Italian wedding was a lively event, with relatives flying in from Italy to celebrate. “There wasn’t a spot on the dance floor you could see,” Birmingham said.