I Do!: Kristie Giarraputo and Jake Ziskin, of Sound Beach

Kristie Giarraputo had no idea why boyfriend Jake Ziskin packed a dress for her to wear to Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World in Orlando on April 2, 2022 — especially one that matched his own ensemble. She gave him a hard time about wearing it, she said, wanting to be more comfortable in traditional park attire. But soon enough, his motive was revealed, as he proposed to her in front of the Tree of Life with a specially arranged photographer capturing the magical moment.

The couple started dating exactly a year before. Giarraputo, originally from Miller Place, said she knew he was different from anyone else she had ever met.

“I have never laughed so hard,” said Giarraputo, 29, who is pursuing a master’s in education at Touro University. “And never smiled so much.”

Ziskin, 37, of Mount Sinai, works at the Northport VA Medical Center, and said he was smitten from the start.

“I knew I loved Kristie early on,” he said. “We went out to dinner one night and then we never stopped.”

The wedding was held on Oct. 13, 2024, with both the ceremony and reception at East Wind in Wading River.

The celebration was memorable for many reasons — a live trio performed Disney and movie scores during cocktail hour, a grand array of flowers and the stunning grounds of the venue. But there was another occasion that made the day unforgettable for Giarraputo.

“It was very special to have my dad able to walk me down the aisle,” she said. “He has been sick for a while and can’t walk far distances. He is mostly in a wheelchair now. But he was able to use a cane and walk me down the aisle, as well as have a father-daughter dance with me. . . . My mom also recently beat breast cancer, so it was also significant to have her there as well.”

Ziskin said he would do it over every year if he could.

“I got to marry the love of my life surrounded by our friends and family, and it was the best feeling in the world,” he said.

Nominate a couple who has gotten married in the past 12 months. Email your love story, in 250 words or less, to lilife@newsday.com, subject line I Do!