Alissa & Joseph

Occupations Alissa is an internal auditor at Hilton; Joseph is a medical student at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.

Wedding date May 19, 2023

Number of Attendees 100

Number of Attendants Six bridesmaids, six groomsmen, and three adorable ring bearers

Occupations Alissa is an internal auditor at Hilton; Joseph is a medical student at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.

Wedding date May 19, 2023

Number of Attendees 100

Number of Attendants Six bridesmaids, six groomsmen, and three adorable ring bearers

How You Met Our parents were neighbors when we were born, so we met when we were babies. Though our families moved away from each other, we reconnected through playing tennis in middle school and started dating in college.

The Engagement Joseph planned an elaborate scavenger hunt along the Billy Goat Trail and invited some of our closest friends to join in with the fun. There were puzzles and challenges that we solved along the way, and it ended with a heartfelt proposal by the water.

What Was Unique and Special About Your Wedding Day Joseph has been an avid saxophonist for most of his life and knew he wanted to do a live performance of a song that would embody the emotions of our wedding. During our reception, he serenaded me with a live saxophone performance of “If I Ain’t Got You” by Alicia Keys, and it blew everyone away! Even though he was nervous all day in anticipation for it, he made it one of the most memorable moments of our wedding.

Favorite Details Our cat, Katara, means a lot to the both of us, and we knew we wanted to find a way to incorporate her into the wedding. A friend of ours curated a custom drink called the Katara, and the drink was served with custom coasters—illustrated by another generous friend—featuring Katara’s chubby face.

Most Unexpected Event On Your Wedding Day We knew that the best man and maid of honor would have incredible toasts, but we didn’t expect for the best man to get emotional when delivering his speech. The unexpectedness of it made it even more touching, and we felt so grateful in those moments to have such loving and supporting friends & family.

Piece of Advice When wedding planning gets overwhelming, allow your love (and any reasons why you are getting married in the first place) to ground you.