Rabeca Smith and Don Minichino II

Meet newly engaged couple Rabeca Smith and Don Minichino II!

By Tori Huntsinger

Photographs courtesy of Rabeca Smith and Don Minichino II

Rabeca Smith and Don Minichino II prove to couples everywhere that when one door closes, another door opens. They were introduced by mutual friends in Minichino's fire department one night after both were set up on unsuccessful dates with other people. The couple hit it off instantly and became engaged a year-and-a-half later.

Minichino, a Stormville resident, popped the question to Pleasant Valley native Smith in September. He proposed at the top of a Ferris wheel in Seaside Heights, N.J. where the two had shared a romantic date the summer before. Smith's ring is sapphire, which Minichino chose because it is Smith’s birthstone and “it stands for loyalty — something we both cherish deeply,” he says.

The excited couple started planning their wedding in record time. Within three days, they chose a date, bought dresses for the bride and her wedding party, and purchased wedding rings. Two weeks later, they booked the historic Bykenhulle House in Hopewell Junction for December 1, 2012. Minichino's father owns a videography company and plans to photograph the wedding. The bride and groom are grateful for how helpful their families have been and are holding out hope for great weather on their wedding day.

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