There’s a lot of uncertainty in the world right now. But, if there’s one thing that is certain, it’s love. The ultimate celebration of love {arguably so} is a wedding — all of your friends and family coming together to celebrate the love that you and your partner have for each other. Unfortunately, due to COVID-19 and many large-scale gatherings getting canceled, many weddings have been postponed for a time when things are less restrictive.
But Hoboken couple Sam and Eitan Braham didn’t let social distancing get in the way of their special day — when life gave them lemons, they made lemonade. This is their sweet story:
{Photo credit: @7ography}
How They Met
Fans of local boutiques might recognize Sam — she is one of the owners of Hoboken’s newest boutique, Brooke and Bel. Beyond owning a very chic local boutique, however, being in the retail industry is actually what brought her to her future husband.
On May 16th, 2017, Eitan was giving a presentation on the menswear industry to the corporate buying team at Saks and his future bride-to-be just happened to be sitting in the audience. Sam made the bold first move.
“Sam, messaged Eitan on Instagram the next day asking him out for a drink,” the couple shared.
The rest, as the saying goes, was history.
See More: This Jersey City Couple’s Socially Distant, Waterfront Wedding Will Melt Your Heart
The Proposal
Their proposal story is as cute as one would expect it to be. Their original first date was supposed to be at The Beekman Hotel in NYC. Eitan, however, switched things up one that first date and ended up taking Sam to an event at the Explorer’s Club on the Upper East Side instead.
So, paying homage to what would have been the backdrop for their first date, it was only fitting that Eitan proposed at, you guessed it, The Beekman Hotel.
“A year and a half later, we finally ended up at The Beekman where Eitan proposed,” the couple shared.
Their Original Wedding Plans
Sam and Eitan’s 18-month engagement was spent planning for a much bigger ceremony than the one they ended up having, though their love story really is a New York one through and through. Originally the plan was to get married at NYC Landmark, Cipriani, located at 25 Broadway.
The OG guest list was supposed to include 225 people and, given where the wedding was supposed to be held, it would’ve been one dripping in NYC glam.
Enter — COVID-19.
Like many other couples who had big wedding plans, the entire world being thrown into a global pandemic kind of put those plans on hold.
Sam and Eitan, however, weren’t going to let a pandemic rain on their parade. Here’s the thing — regardless of any circumstance, love always wins. Sam + Eitan’s story is a testament to that.
“Even though we moved our date {not once, but twice!} to next year, in the midst of a pandemic, we choose love,” Sam shared with Hoboken Girl.
Their Socially Distant Wedding
{Photo credit: @7ography}
Exactly three years from the date they met, Sam and Eitan exchanged their vows.
“May 16th held a special place in our hearts,” Sam shared. Naturally, it had to be their wedding date, too.
Of course, their big NYC wedding was scaled back, but their May nuptials were just as special on a smaller scale.
“We ended up getting married in Sam’s parents’ backyard in Upper Brookville, Long Island with over 200 people around the world Zooming in,” Eitan said.
Family and friends from California, Florida, Israel, Japan, England, Germany, and Hoboken all hopped on one massive Zoom call to join the couple on their special day. And, to make it even more personal, Sam’s brother married them.
Read More: How to Get Your Marriage License in Hudson County During COVID-19 {+ Still Plan Your Big Day}
{Photo credit: @7ography}
“[My favorite moment] was having Sam’s brother Adam marry us,” Eitan shared. The event truly became a family affair and, arguably, more special than their previously planned NYC wedding.
“It is all about love,” Sam and Eitan said. “All of the little details are just extra. A Zoom wedding really reminded us of this.”
Congratulations, Sam and Eitan!
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