Wilkens Farm a 'Gorgeous Backdrop' for Love for Couple

Apple picking is a fall tradition that Christina Bonitatibus, of Yorktown, and Matthew Vezza, of Yonkers, both love. 

When they went apple picking last year at Wilkens Fruit and Fir Farm, just down the street from Bonitatibus' childhood home in Yorktown, she had no idea Vezza was about to ask her to spend the rest of their lives together. 

The couple just celebrated the one-year anniversary of their engagement – Oct. 20, 2012.

"He picked the location for our proposal because it was a place that we always looked forward to visiting each fall for apple picking and it is such a lovely backdrop for such an important moment between us (and they also have delicious apple cider doughnuts)," Bonitatibus said. 

Vezza also knew he wanted them to be close to family so they could immediately celebrate together. Vezza had asked Bonitatibus' father for permission a few weeks earlier so both of their families knew that it was coming and spent the week planning a big dinner to share together after the proposal.

"Celebrating that night with our families was the perfect way to end our perfect day," Bonitatibus said. "Family is extremely important to both of us and we couldn't imagine celebrating any other way."

Bonitatibus and Vezza also recently went back to Wilkens Farms in Yorktown to take their engagement pictures, which were captured by Lindsay Madden Photography. Earlier this month, their pictures were featured on the wedding blog Style Me Pretty. 

"When it came time for us to pick a location for our engagement session we knew right away that we wanted it to be at Wilkens," Bonitatibus said. "It was a special place for us and we couldn’t have asked for a more gorgeous backdrop."

The couple met their junior year at Loyola College in Baltimore and started dating during their senior year. What they love about each other is that they ultimately value the same things in life, the couple said. 

"Promising yourself to someone for the rest of your life is quite the commitment, but knowing that we both hope to accomplish and experience the same things out of our marriage together makes our future together that much more exciting," Bonitatibus said.

They love to spend time with each other and dance together. 

"We will not hesitate to tear up the dance floor together at any function we attend – even if we may be the least coordinated people in attendance," Bonitatibus said.

The couple has set a date for their wedding – June 28, 2014. The ceremony will take place at the Annunciation Church in Yonkers while the reception will take place in White Plains. 

"We did not want to feel too overwhelmed by the wedding planning process so we decided to give ourselves plenty of time to plan everything so it was manageable,"  Bonitatibus said.  

Vezza currently works in Manhattan as a Commercial Real Estate Appraiser and Bonitatibus is a seventh grade social studies teacher in the Byram Hills School District.  

For the rest of the pictures, captured by Lindsay Madden Photography, check them out on the wedding blog Style Me Pretty by clicking here.
Lindsay Madden's wedding photography has been featured on wedding blogs around the world, including, Martha Stewart Weddings, Style Me Pretty and The Knot. Her wedding work has also appeared in magazines such as WellWed Magazine and Wedding Nouveau. She is based in Manhattan, but is available for weddings worldwide.

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Were you proposed to somewhere local? Tell us about it in the comments.