OUR STORY
Kiko and Liz were doing just fine separately living that good NYC life for over a decade, when Fate finally interrupted and refused to be ignored. Liz graduated from NYU Stern in 2011, and Kiko graduated in 2015, but even though they just missed each other as students, Fate wove her little plan to unite them as alumni.
Since Liz and Kiko both had Colombian backgrounds, and both were members of NYU’s Association of Hispanic and Black Business Students (AHBBS), they regularly volunteered on campus. In March 2019, after interviewing prospective students, they finally met at Amity Hall during an alumni networking event. No numbers exchanged, just some light getting-to-know-you chatter, and that was it.
But Fate was not done trying. About 6 weeks later, NYU held its annual Haskins alumni dinner, a fancy networking event with the added benefit of everyone getting to dress up. Liz attended with her friend Zoe; Kiko attended with several friends from his class and sat at a neighboring table.
Liz went up to Kiko’s table to say hello, eager to chat with a friendly face since nobody else from her year had attended. In Kiko’s version of the story, Liz essentially threw herself at him and begged him to ask her out - the world may never hear the true story. In the end, the chemistry was undeniable, and Kiko did follow up that very next day to ask Liz out for what sounded like a professional informational coffee chat…
…But Liz was onto him. She showed up that Saturday May 18 at the beautiful Hoxton Hotel bar in Williamsburg to find a handsomely dressed gentleman, and it was incredibly easy for them to fall deep into conversation for hours. Kiko humored Liz and listened to tons of family stories, especially about her abuelas. In a very Cinderella moment, Liz glanced at the clock and realized she was going to be late to James Hurrell’s birthday party down the road. As they rushed to pay the bill, because she didn’t want to stop spending time with Kiko, Liz asked him if he’d like to join her for the party? Since we are gathering for this wedding, we all know he said YES.
Kiko charmed Liz’s friends at the Black Flamingo…
…and they ended up dancing until the bars closed that night - shutting down both Miss Favela and Bembe.
A sweet kiss at the end of the night before he hailed Liz a cab was enough to have them both starstruck.
The rest is history - Kiko hit Liz up every day, winning her over with his commitment, thoughtfulness, sweetness, and smooth Latino moves. 3 weeks after that first date, he asked her to join him on vacation in Puerto Rico: she said YES. They wined and dined and took a scary prop plane ride and lived to tell the tale. They packed duffel bags and spent days at each other’s apartments in the coming months, constantly riding the L train between Union Square and Williamsburg.
Liz asked Kiko to join her at her sister’s wedding in September. He said YES. The pandemic hit before they had been together for even a year, so as leases ended, they asked one another if they should move in together? They agreed - YES. Should they first work remotely from warm beautiful places before they pick a place to settle down in? YES absolutely. So they headed off to Nantucket for 5 months with the help of a local friend, Leah Day, and then drove down to Delray Beach, Florida, for another 8 months. Did they make lemonade out of lemons during a pandemic? YES.
It was in Delray that Kiko proposed to Liz on May 16, 2021 - a beautiful YES moment. Since then, life planning has been nonstop, including where to live, how to buy a home, when to have the wedding during a pandemic, and what’s the best way to celebrate their love with all of their favorite people? One thing Liz and Kiko knew for sure though: they would continue to say YES to one another, to more love and happiness and adventures.
Juntos Siempre
Together Always
A very special shout out and thank you to our friend, Simon Heather, who is the talented artist behind the amazing illustrations above.
If you’re interested in checking out more of his brilliant work, click the link below!