A fake wedding = a Love Story

by steven Picanza
(San Diego, CA)

The unique part of this love story is that the first meeting was all captured on film….how many people have that!?

Many people find the ones they love in common settings that allow them to meet like school, work or through a mutual friend. Not many couples can say and believe that their first encounter was pure destiny that would have never taken place between two people had it not been for that perfect (and unique) moment in time.

It was March 7th in Downtown San Diego. New York native, Steven Picanza was at the Culy Theater on 7th and K streets slipping into a tuxedo, conversing with bridesmaids and practicing his lines. Lindsey, who was living in Los Angeles at the time and visiting family in Temecula, was tentatively on her way there with her parents in a hot pink dress feeling like the third wheel to their evening plans of attending a wedding.

Now weddings, known to be prime real estate for finding dates—and potentially love, are another one of these classic settings where two people can find romance. However, the wedding Steven and Lindsey met at was a little different. It was loud, dramatic, rowdy, cheeky—and completely fake. That’s right, Steven and Lindsey first laid eyes on each other at a fake wedding—an interactive comedy dinner theater show actually—called Joey & Maria’s Comedy Italian Wedding. For Steven, this was another work gig, flirting and gathering the numbers of meaningless girls. For Lindsey, it was an escape weekend from the discontent of a lackluster job and a recently failed relationship.

The “wedding” began and out ran a line of groomsmen: loud, unreserved, and very engaging with the ladies of every table. As Lindsey sipped her champagne, her mother, like any good Italian mother, started stacking up the male options for her newly single daughter. It wasn’t long before Lindsey was asked to dance by one of the groomsmen. The two were only beginning their dance to Johnny Mathis’ Chances Are when this energetic groomsman named “Larry Gabagool” (Steven) cut his way between them and with his New York accent exclaimed, “Mamma mia, che bella donna!”

Lindsey was instantly attracted to his big genuine smile, his boldness, and the fact he completely intrigued her the rest of the night. She was skeptical to this “act” as she was sure this was a replay of many shows before. Steven was gaga over her zest for life and, of course like all Italian men, her glowing Italian beauty. Steven was immediately smitten over Lindsey. In one song (maybe it was two) a definite spark had ignited and they realized they had quite a bit in common: from wanting to travel more, both working in the marketing industry, having family in New York from the same neighborhoods, being Italian and being extremely close with their families. Lindsey’s mom had always told her daughter to “find a man who comes from the same ‘yolk’ (meaning someone that was brought up with similar morals, values, cultures, etc).

So when Steven told Lindsey, “We come from the same pool” — although the translation was a bit off, or so Lindsey thought at the time, unaware yet of his inevitable and adorable ability to misquote everything—they both instantly took a serious liking to each other.

After flirting, laughing and continually trying to find each other across the room while doing the Tarantella, it was even clear to the rest of the room that a connection had been made between these two. As Lindsey’s luck would have it that night, she even caught the bridal bouquet and was brought onstage with the groomsmen and groom while women in the crowd yelled, “staged!” Everyone was sure that these two—so memorized in each other and having a genuinely great time together—had to be an item!

On stage during the garter and bouquet portion, all Steven and Lindsey could do was smile at each other and Steven knew at that moment that his life had just changed for the better. He touched the star tattooed on her foot and in his “Gabagool” charm and sarcasm—and without realizing the truth it carried—stated: “Babydoll, you are the star of my life.”

After dancing with Lindsey’s mother and meeting her father, Steven felt extremely comfortable asking for her number. As the show ended, Lindsey, playing cool gathering her belongings with her head down not wanting to look too eager, had her mother eyeing the room to see if he was going to say goodbye and ask Lindsey out on a date. “Oh! I see him. Oh! He’s walking over,” she said. Lindsey knew that giving Steven her number wasn’t really an assurance he’d call and they’d go out; but Lindsey, just getting out of a relationship, saw something so much bigger, amazing, exciting and genuine with this stranger in only the few hours they chatted and danced that evening—it completely changed her. I guess you could say it was sort of love at first sight…

Living 100 miles apart, the two enjoyed the witty banter they realized they so comfortably can play off each other via text. Then, sadly, Steven’s grandmother passed away, sending Steven to New York for two weeks. The first phone conversation they had was while he was in New York. “Oh my god, your New York accent is real!?” was the first thing Lindsey said when she heard Steven’s voice for the first time since the show. Struggling with the death of his last remaining grandparent, Lindsey felt an instant connection and sorrow for Steven.

They had their first date the night he flew back home. It had been a month and they were both anxious to see each other again. Lindsey was so anxious, she made herself even later than she already was by getting a speeding ticket while driving there, making it a $500 first date—but well worth it! They met at Sogno di Vino in Little Italy and the connection they both had at Joey & Maria’s Wedding was definitely still there in person. They talked for hours about everything imaginable—closing the restaurant down. At one point, Steven smiled at her and Lindsey thought to herself, “Wow, I want to see that smile everyday!” It scared her for even having a thought like that so soon; but she had never known a man like Steven. That night Steven realized and told Lindsey that he had lost one great woman in his life, while gaining another. “It’s the circle of life, I guess.” he said.

After many weekends back and forth, lots of baseball games (Steven cheering for his beloved Yankees and Lindsey for her Dodgers), Lindsey watching Steven M.C. Padre game Happy Hours from Henry’s Pub in the Gaslamp, fun dates like Italian gondola rides in the San Diego Harbor and party buses, and introducing each other to our families, Lindsey (as luck would have it again) landed a great job in Temecula and moved out of Los Angeles. The stars were aligned, as if they continued to after the first night they met.

After an amazing Thanksgiving trip to New York, planning their Italy trip in September, both of their families sharing BBQs together now and planning the rest of their lives out while having the sheer, passionate and genuine love of each other have truly completed both Steven and Lindsey. Everything about life is so much more beautiful with them in it together—and it all started one fun, unexpected and fateful night in the Gaslamp Quarter of San Diego.