My husband and I had 2 weddings. We each got to celebrate the way we wanted to.

Serena Cevenini/Getty Images I never imagined myself getting married — but I ended up having two wedding celebrations. I’m American, and my husband is Italian, so we wanted to celebrate both our cultures. Our weddings were so different, and when I think about them I can’t help but smile.

I never wanted to get married — and yet my husband and I actually ended up having two weddings. My husband, Vito, and I got engaged in Italy, where he was born and raised and where we were living together. I’m originally from New York, a real city girl.

I honestly could never picture a typical wedding, with the big white princess gown and the classic tiered cake. I couldn’t even picture walking down the aisle. A big fancy wedding just wasn’t my style, nor was it my husband’s.

We wanted to celebrate in a way that seemed natural to us and showed off what was most important: our love. We also wanted to honor our different backgrounds. So we decided to have two weddings.

We first got married in New YorkOur first wedding was held in New York City on March 8, 2017. It was perfect — nothing fancy, but full of love, which is exactly what we wanted. It was an unusually warm day, and the sun was shining.

I didn’t want to get a new dress for the occasion, but I wanted something that symbolized the “old me” and my life in New York — so I wore a white polyester halter dress from Forever 21, along with brown leather boots. We got married at the city hall in Queens, with just my parents to bear witness. It was a perfect casual New York wedding, especially since our officiant — a tiny, spunky older woman — was the epitome of old-school New York.

After the ceremony, we had lunch with my parents at a small Italian restaurant in Queens, complete with a bottle of prosecco to celebrate. A week later we hosted a dinner at my favorite restaurant, Frost, in Williamsburg, which was also the favorite restaurant of my late Grandma Nettie. It was a way for me to honor one of the most important people in my life — and it was as though she were with us for our special day.

We had plates of pasta with red sauce, and eggplant Parmesan, and the red wine was flowing. It was a small, intimate affair, with just my parents and some close friends, filled with laughter and smiles. It reminded me of days spent during my childhood, which was exactly how I wanted it.

It was a way to show my new husband the old me. Then we got married in ItalyLater that summer we celebrated with a wedding in Italy at a local agriturismo, or a working farm. The venue was stunning, with views of the mountains to keep us company.

We had our party outside in nature. We were surrounded by friends and my husband’s family; all together, we were around 40. We danced barefoot through the night to traditional Italian folk music.

It was a quintessential Italian wedding in the countryside — the perfect way to welcome me to my new married life in Italy. In New York, I grew up surrounded by skyscrapers and the nonstop sound of cars. Here, we would be living a quieter life in the countryside.

Our weddings still make me smileJust the thought of our two weddings still brings a smile to my face. They were so different and yet the same: They were casual, intimate, and, most importantly, filled with laughter and love. I love that essentially my husband and I each got our own wedding.

Our New York wedding was a way for me to celebrate my past and say goodbye to my old life. Our Italian wedding was a perfect way for my husband and me to begin our life together while celebrating his roots and paying homage to the beautiful country we’d call home. We’ve been married for nearly six years, and our love continues to grow and get stronger — no doubt helped by the love we brought into this world together, our daughter, Lucia-Antonia.

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