Hello there
In October 2005, Carrie went to a private party/Joan Jett concert for Maxim Magazine with a colleague from Cashman & Associates, where she is director of public relations. The moment Dino walked in, Carrie saw him look at her and do a double-take. She thought he was cute, too. But he was holding hands with another woman.
About 20 minutes later, the two were introduced. They talked all night. "It was love at first sight," Carrie said. "Obviously, we didn't love each other like we do now, but we knew, without a doubt, we wanted to know each other."
The next day, Dino - at the time a New York nightclub owner - called to see if Carrie would go out that weekend. She couldn't - her work was split between two cities, and she needed to be back in Philly.
They texted furiously that week, largely on the theme of "How do I feel this way? We don't even know each other." A week and a half after meeting, the couple went on their first date. Dino knows people, and he called a few of them to help him make a big impression. He was waiting for Carrie outside Madison Square Garden. They walked in a private entrance, and kept walking until they were directly in front of the stage. U2 was playing. "Bono was right there," Carrie remembered. "JayZ and Beyoncé were behind us."
Dino, 37, also impressed Carrie with his dance moves - and that's not easy to do. Carrie, 33, was a 76ers Dancer while she studied communications at Temple. She continued to dance professionally in theater productions and at casinos until she was 25.
Don't fret about the woman whose hand Dino held at the club the night they first met. She's a close friend, and he was guiding her through the throng at the club entrance. She attended the wedding.
How does forever sound?
It had been a hard week - Carrie had to put her dog, Baby, to sleep. Dino convinced her to keep their plans to spend St. Patrick's Day weekend in New York. But by Sunday, she just wanted to go home.
It was a crisp, blue-sky, beautiful day in 2007. "Let's do something really New York-centric before we leave," Dino said. "Let's go ice skating in Central Park." Carrie knew her man was trying to cheer her up. She agreed to go. But when they got there, everyone else was leaving the ice.
"They are clearing everyone off, Dino. We're going to get in trouble," Carrie said. "Just one lap," Dino said. They set off, and then Dino let go of her hand. He fell and began sliding on the ice. Carrie went to help him up. Instead, he got on one knee. As he opened a ring box, a photographer skated up to capture the moment. "The sun hit the ring, and it shined in my eyes. It was like a fairy tale," Carrie said.
At home
Carrie grew up in Northeast Philadelphia. Dino grew up in Connecticut, but spent the last 15 years - pre-Carrie - in New York. They now live in Northern Liberties.
At work
Carrie continues her work with Cashman & Associates in Philadelphia. Dino is part-owner of C&D Concepts, a Philadelphia-based restaurant/entertainment development company.
It was so them
The couple were married at Christ the King Church. The Rev. Myron Judy, a Nork family friend for 25 years, led a traditional Catholic ceremony with a full Mass. He presented the couple with an apostolic blessing from Pope Benedict XVI.
The reception had a Hollywood glam/1960s Vegas feel. Their invitations told guests from the start: It's showtime! Two showgirls - tall, wearing sequins and feathers - greeted the 240 guests at the reception. Tables were named after legendary show venues and night clubs: Studio 54, the Sands, the Hollywood Palladium. An 11-piece orchestra played the greats from the big-band era. And during the cocktail hour, Carrie's uncle, Jack Rusin, played love songs on a baby grand.
The love of the showbiz scene comes naturally to Dino. His father, Ralph Minelli, was a professional entertainer who sang at casinos and nightclubs. He sang in the Dean Martin style, and gave his son his stage name: Dino. The groom was 9 when his father died. But Carrie and Dino danced to his father's version of "For Once in My Life," recorded during one of his performances in the 1970s.
This didn't happen at rehearsal
The bride and groom surprised Carrie's mom, Carol Nork, with a giant cake festooned with sparklers for her 64th birthday, which was on the day of the wedding.
Awestruck
Carrie's father, Bill, secretly arranged for the band to play Charlie Rich's "The Most Beautiful Girl in the World." When Carrie was very young, Bill used to sing that song and dance her around the living room.
Discretionary spending
A bargain:
The restaurants Carrie and Dino researched for the rehearsal dinner would have charged between $7,000 and $8,000. They decided to save money by going with a July 4th-themed, family-style picnic. Even though they had a catered meal and rented tables, linens and a jukebox, it cost about half as much as the restaurants' quotes.
The splurge: The showgirls. "I didn't care what it cost; I wanted to have them," Carrie said. She went all out on other scenery, too: Tall centerpieces - half with hot-pink balls of flowers; the rest looked like palm trees.
The getaway
Two weeks in Antigua and St. Barts.
Love: BEHIND THE SCENES
Officiant
The Rev. Myron Judy
Venue
Christ the King Church and the Ballroom at the Ben Franklin Hotel, both in Philadelphia
Caterer
Ballroom at the Ben
Photography
Faith West of Faith West Photography, Manayunk
Music
James Gerard Orchestra, Philadelphia and New York
Dress
Nicole's Bridal in Jenkintown
Invitations
Innove Events and Paper, Philadelphia
Flowers
OffShoots, Philadelphia