Jaclyn DiMicco and Ryan Moore's Engagement

Jaclyn DiMicco never expected to go on a date with — let alone become engaged to — the same man she knew for pinching girls’ behinds when they were in kindergarten.

“I remember going home and telling my mom about it; [she asked me] if I liked him, and [I said] ‘No way! He has cooties!’ ” recalls DiMicco, now the Nutrition Outreach and Education Coordinator of Hudson Valley Community Services.

DiMicco’s best friend, Deanna, encouraged her to meet Ryan Moore — a graphic designer at Thornwillow Press in Newburgh — for coffee at a local shop in Beacon, and the date went well. As they paid for their coffee, DiMicco’s debit card would not work, so Moore stepped in. He jokes that DiMicco did this on purpose (but she swears it wasn’t planned).

They officially began dating in March 2008. Though the couple promised to take their relationship one day at a time, DiMicco knew there was something bigger at play. 

“I knew Ryan was the one I was going to marry from the very beginning of our relationship, and I think he knew it, too. There was just magic between us, and it was pretty scary at first,” DiMicco says.

Fast forward to September 2014. During a stroll around Poets’ Walk in Red Hook, DiMicco pointed out how the gazebo would be a great place to have professional photos taken. Moore stored this comment in the back of his mind, as he realized that Poets’ Walk would be the perfect place to propose.

One month later, Moore and DiMicco made another trip to the park before Moore’s mother’s birthday celebration later that day. The couple was joking around and taking silly pictures on their phones when they reached the gazebo. Suddenly, Moore spun DiMicco around, saying “I have a question for you.” While on one knee, he pulled a small box — containing a beautiful engagement ring — that had been carefully tucked into his sock. DiMicco, at a complete loss for words, managed to say “yes” as the two hugged. Little did she know that Moore had hired their mutual friend — and professional photographer — Tatiana Hitzel to capture the moment. The couple had an impromptu engagement photo shoot immediately following the proposal.

“He’s always had the memory of an elephant, so it didn’t surprise me that he kept what I’d said in mind when he planned the proposal. It just affirms to me how amazing of a man he is, and just how lucky I am to be his wife in just a few months,” DiMicco says.

DiMicco and Moore are in the process of planning a low-budget, cost-effective, DIY wedding with a rustic, vintage setting in Marlboro where they both grew up. The ceremony will be held at DiMicco’s church, St. Mary’s, with a reception to follow at the hall. The couple hopes to create a romantic ambience in the church with hydrangeas, candles, lanterns, and lace. Their wedding will truly be a family affair, with DiMicco’s mother baking the wedding cake and Hitzel snapping the photos. The couple plans to honeymoon in Disney World, courtesy of Moore’s grandmother Loretta.

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