About the Bride (Rosa) & the Groom (Joe)

Rosa A. Mendez was born in Barahona, Dominican Republic on September 6, 1985, at 7:00 am. She arrived with her "partner in crime," her twin sister Aura, and often reminds everyone she is the oldest. A year later, her little brother Otilio was born. Rosa loved her home in the Dominican Republic, living with her maternal family for the first nine years of her life.

On August 30, 1995, her family of five moved to New York City to start a new life. As a teenager, Rosa led a simple and introverted life, preferring to read books or spend time with her pet rather than socializing, unless there was music to dance to.

In 2003, Rosa left home to attend Alfred State College, where she embraced the opportunity to become more outgoing. During her college years, she met her sweetheart, Joe Montero, and formed lasting friendships with her "sisters from another mother" in the Alpha Sigma Sorority. Today, Rosa is excited to celebrate her wedding day surrounded by friends and family, looking forward to this beautiful union.

Joe E. Montero was born in Brooklyn, New York, on March 14, 1985, at 6:06 am. He was the second son in a family of three (John, Joe, Jonathan AKA the three J's). As a kid, Joe loved being active and spent a lot of time with his brothers, cousins, and friends.

Over time he also became deeply interested in comic books, anime (especially Dragon Ball Z 🐉🥋🔥), and video games. His passion and enthusiasm for these interests could keep anyone chatting for hours.

In his later teenage years, his cousin Henik introduced him to Jujutsu, which led him to take Jujutsu classes and briefly try boxing. He developed a strong passion for martial arts and even received a samurai sword from his cousin Ydania, who got it for him from Japan.

After graduating high school, Joe started a new chapter by going to college in 2003, where he met his sweetheart, Rosa Mendez. Today, he is thrilled and looking forward to celebrating his wedding day by the ocean with his friends and family.

Joe and Rosa met at SUNY-Alfred State College in August 2003 during their freshman year. Joe noticed Rosa in their English class and approached her in the hallway while she was drinking water.

They quickly discovered they shared the same nationality and were both from The Bronx, New York City. These commonalities made them instant friends, and they decided to have lunch together in the cafeteria to get to know each other better.

After being close friends for a while, Joe expressed his deep interest in Rosa, and they officially started dating in October 2003. The rest is history.

Sunken Meadow has been a reunion spot for Joe Montero’s maternal family for many years, thanks to his uncle Adan Abreu. Because the family is so large, they decided to have yearly reunions to stay close.

This is where Joe first introduced his girlfriend Rosa to his extended family. Over the years, during these reunions, the family got to know Rosa better, and she became an integral part of the family.

However, as the family grew and evolved, it became harder to maintain these yearly gatherings, and they gradually stopped. Joe and Rosa want to bring back that sense of family closeness to their wedding celebration, sharing this special day with their friends and family.

This all started because Rosa and her siblings enjoy giving each other special nicknames. When Joe and Rosa officially became a couple, Rosa pondered what to call Joe. One day, she thought, "I love chicken and I love Joe, so Joe’s my Chicken!" To Rosa, it felt perfect and definitive.

Joe, on the other hand, wasn't initially fond of the nickname. He thought it seemed silly and unmanly. However, he eventually agreed to use it in private. But that didn’t last long as others began calling him Chicken too. He eventually embraced Rosa's affectionate nickname.

The most memorable moment happened on Christmas Day when Joe accidentally revealed his nickname. His aunt Teresa (AKA Morena) read a gift tag aloud that said, "From: Chicken, To: Monkey," exposing the nickname to the whole family.

Rosa's nickname, Monkey, came about because she often makes random animal noises instead of speaking. Unlike Joe, Rosa embraced her nickname from the beginning as a part of her unique personality.

The infinity sign represents their wedding date, August 8, 2024 (8/8), which adds up to 8 (2+0+2+4=8). It symbolizes their everlasting union and boundless happiness together.