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Weddings: Valerie Pracilio and Justin Csik

Hello there The Sunday before Memorial Day 2012, Justin slid into a pew at St. Thomas' in Brigantine and was stunned to see an old classmate from Bishop Eustace Prep.

Valerie Pracilio and Justin Csik
Valerie Pracilio and Justin CsikRead more

Valerie Pracilio and Justin Csik
April 23, 2016 in Philadelphia

Hello there

The Sunday before Memorial Day 2012, Justin slid into a pew at St. Thomas' in Brigantine and was stunned to see an old classmate from Bishop Eustace Prep.

"Hi, Valerie!" he said quietly.

"Oh, my gosh. Hi!" said Valerie.

She grew up in Mount Laurel, he in Medford Township. Friendly acquaintances, they had friends in common, but had seen each other in passing only a few times in a decade. Yet after Mass, they lingered in the parking lot - a Class of 2001 reunion for two.

Valerie had since earned a health-care administration degree from the University of Scranton, then a master's in public health from Thomas Jefferson University. She lived in South Philadelphia and was staying at her family's Brigantine Shore house.

Justin earned degrees in economics and accounting at Villanova and a law degree from Rutgers. He lived in Southampton, N.J., and had rented an apartment near the Pracilios' place.

"Would you be up for getting together to talk and catch up a little more?" Justin asked. About a month later, they had breakfast at Mad Dog Morgan's.

"Justin was still the same person he had been in high school - a really nice guy with good values," Valerie said. "We are both only children, and I think we have a very strong relationship with our families, especially our parents, as a result."

"I was so impressed with her volunteerism," Justin said. She's held a variety of local and regional leadership roles with the American Cancer Society for more than a dozen years. "Val is just such a great person in every respect."

Despite the mutual admiration, there was no chance for summer romance. Justin had a girlfriend.

That fall, Justin's relationship ended. The introspection that followed kept taking him back to breakfast with his former classmate.

In February, he asked their mutual friend Christina a pointed question: "Do you happen to know any single friends? Because I'm not dating anyone right now."

Christina had heard about the church pew meeting and the lengthy breakfast.

"Justin! Why don't you just ask Val out already and be done with it?" she asked.

That was exactly what Justin hoped to hear.

Within the week, Valerie met friends for lunch and mentioned she needed to return a call from Justin. "He's going to ask you out," Christina revealed.

Soon after, Valerie, now a health care consultant for Pascal Metrics in Washington, and Justin, a corporate lawyer with Klehr Harrison Harvey Branzburg L.L.P., met at Seasons 52 in the Cherry Hill Mall.

They talked until the restaurant shut down around them.

How does forever sound?

In spring 2014, Justin's dad dealt with a health issue, and Valerie provided Justin and his parents with love and support. "I made up my mind then that I wanted to propose," he said.

That summer, Justin was a frequent visitor to Valerie's family's Shore house. One July morning, the couple, now both 33, had breakfast at Mad Dog Morgan's - site of their great conversation in 2012.

"We were actually seated at the same exact table," Valerie notes.

Afterward, they went for a walk on the beach. They found a spot to sit and watch the ocean. "I have something important I need to talk to you about," he said, and Valerie turned her attention to him.

Knowing there is someone who will always be there for you is the most powerful feeling one could ever experience, Justin said. "I know that's you for me, and nothing in this world would make me happier than to be the same for you, to be that forever."

They shared a celebratory dinner with her parents, Robert and Antoinette, and his, Maria and Dave.

Shortly after the proposal, Valerie and Justin bought a place in Marlton. He sold his and they began a year of DIY improvements so that after the wedding, she could rent her condo and join him there. "We joke about creating a home-improvement reality show featuring couples who are soon getting married," Justin said. "You learn a lot about the relationship."

It was so them

On the morning of the wedding, Justin's best man delivered a gift from the bride-to-be: An Omega watch the collector had wanted.

The couple wed at Valerie's parish, St. Paul, in the Italian Market - in a Catholic ceremony performed by Father Andrew, a priest at Justin's parish, Church of the Holy Eucharist in Tabernacle.

The bride's bouquet was wrapped with part of the bridal headpiece her mom had worn, and she carried a rosary that belonged to her grandma Dolores, who had died five months before.

The most important women in their lives, including their moms and grandmothers, each brought a white rose to the bride. Those who had died were also represented. The couple presented the assembled bouquet to the Blessed Mother.

Justin's wedding ring once belonged to his Pop David, who watched as Valerie placed it on Justin's finger.

The reception for nearly 200, held at the Atrium at the Curtis Center, was old-school classy: flowers in muted colors and linens that complemented the champagne-color dresses and black tuxes of the bridal party.

Justin and Valerie entered through a shower of rose petals and immediately began their first dance to the Carpenters' version of "We've Only Just Begun."

Awestruck

In the sanctuary, Justin had the jitters until the back doors opened and Valerie walked in. "Seeing Valerie, I had this sense of incredible comfort, and this feeling that this was finally happening, with my best friend in the whole world."

Valerie's nerves didn't abate until she and her new husband were dancing to the Carpenters. The couple had spent much time trying to ensure their guests were taken care of. That accomplished, her worries were gone. "Right then, for the first time, I felt like it was just the two of us, starting our new life together."

The budget crunch

A bargain: After considering 10 venues, the couple settled on Cescaphe's Atrium. "By far, they offered the most for the money," Justin said.

The splurge: The Wahlburgers truck that provided burgers and sacks of tater tots after the reception.

Honeymoon

Ten days in Tahiti and Bora Bora.

The last to leave

Valerie's Pops Rocco and Moms Dora were the last to leave the reception. "Even though they live in Philadelphia, they got a hotel room nearby because they did not want to miss a thing," Valerie said. We understand her grandfather never misses a Love column, either. This one's for you, Rocco.

BEHIND THE SCENES:
Officiant: Father Andrew Jamieson, Pastor of the Church of the Holy Eucharist, Tabernacle, N.J.
Venues: Ceremony, St. Paul Parish, Philadelphia; Reception, Atrium at Curtis Center, Philadelphia
Catering: Renee Ziegler, Event Manager, Cescaphe Event Group, Philadelphia
Photography: Gabe Fredericks of Philip Gabriel Photography, Media
Videographer: Allure Films, Havertown
Flowers: Vito Russo, Carl Alan Floral Designs Ltd., Philadelphia
Dress: Designed by David Tutera purchased at Simplicity Boutique, Haddon Heights, N.J.
Music: Jellyroll managed by Kurt Titchenell, BVT Live!, Chadds Ford

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