We Do!

www.wedoweddingsma.com • Winter 2025 • We Do! 27 RE AL WEDDINGS: FE AT URED WEDDING T HE UNION OF DIADOR A FINLEY AND DAN DECRISTOFARO began as a Worcester love sto- ry. Diadora, a Minnesota native, arrived in the city as a 20-something who had lived abroad in Leba- non, tried Texas but found it too hot, and ultimately enrolled at Worcester State University to finish her undergraduate degree. Little did she know that her future husband, Worcester-based professional musician Dan, was regularly headlining with his band, the Blue Light Bandits, at all the best local bars. With mutual friends and only so many hang- out spots in the city, it was just a matter of time before Diadora and Dan would cross paths at The Pint in 2022. "All of our defining moments were in Worces- ter," says Diadora, 28 and now a Ph.D candidate at Bos- ton University School of Public Health. During their earliest days as a couple, the two got to know each other at places like Michael's Cigar Bar and Off The Rails. But the bliss of their initial courtship gave way to something more se- rious. Dan's sister Anna was diagnosed with and succumbed to cancer in 2024. Dan, 34, was raised in Hopkinton and remained close with his local family. Through the challenge of the diagnosis and treatment, Diadora and Dan grew closer. It was a turning point, both realizing there was no one else they'd want to face life's ups and downs with. In August 2024, Dan proposed at Purgatory Chasm, the site of their first date in Sutton. And because so much of their story revolved around Worces- ter, with Dan's musical homebase and all of their friends there, the couple knew they'd marry there, too. That is, if they didn't plan a destination wedding in Italy. Dan lived in Italy for a time, and both have Italian heritage, but they eventually realized they wanted their extended network of loved ones to witness their wedding day. That's how they decided on a ceremony surround- ed by the classical architecture of the Worcester Art Museum. This elegant venue reminded them of Ita- ly, followed by a laid-back reception at the Worcester Cocktail Garden and Kitchen, which offered indoor and outdoor spaces in the heart of the city. Diadora wore a quintessential ballgown she hopes to one day pass down, and the two descended the marble staircase of WAM's Renaissance Hall at the same time, meeting at the bottom to ex- change vows. Later at the reception, Dan took the stage with his band and other musician friends before sharing an original song with his new bride. The two honeymooned in Costa Rica, and returned home to Northbridge to begin their married lives together. Joyfully, they are expecting their first baby in February, nine months after their May wedding! n Finding Love in the Heart of the Commonwealth

• Cover