From backpacking in South America to saying ‘I do’ on Brooklyn Bridge, love story behind couple’s viral picture is heartening
Story behind couple’s ‘I do’ pic on Brooklyn Bridge is what heart eye emojis were made for.
Last night while on her daily cycling session Nevona Friedman came across a wonderful moment of a couple saying “I do” on the Brooklyn Bridge against the backdrop of the setting sun. To preserve the beautiful incident, she clicked an image of the ceremony and shared it on social media in a bid to find the couple. What she never thought that this seemingly simple gesture of hers would tug at the heartstrings of thousands. Chances are the image, and the story of the couple will leave you emotional and make you say “it’s true love.”
“If you were getting married on the Brooklyn Bridge this evening, I’ve got some photos for you!” she tweeted and shared the image.
“I saw this quiet little ceremony happening right in the middle - it was just the bride, groom, and officiant as far as I could tell (no guests)” Friedman told Hindustan Times. “I decided to snap a few photos from different angles (from a safe distance away) and then when I saw how they turned out, wanted to see if I could find a way to get the images to them - it didn’t seem like they had a photographer or family taking pictures,” she added.
She further said that when she took to social media to find the couple, one of her Facebook contacts recognised the bride and helped Friedman get in touch with her.
“It was really sweet to see - a couple making the best out of this crazy situation. Due to the pandemic the bridge is less crowded. It’s kind of cool as what other chance would you have to get married right in the middle of the Brooklyn bridge?” she further added.
Take a look at the image which has now won Twitter over:
Here’s what people had to say about the image:
If can already feel your heart getting filled with a warm fuzzy feeling, then hold on a moment. There is more to this wonderful story, and it may end up leaving your emotional and happy. Turns out the couple, who are now winning people’s hearts on Twitter are Nikolina Kovalenko and Stefan Ponova.
Kovalenko told Hindustan Times that she met Ponova about a year ago while she was backpacking through South America.
“We met while when Stefan invited me to dance, we immediately felt an incredible connection, and we were dancing and chatting through the evening,” she said. “Next morning I had an early bus to go to another Colombian town. I said, half-jokingly, that if we want to continue the conversation, he could meet at the bus station and join me, and I wasn’t sure if he will come, but when I got to the terminal, Stefan was already there waiting. Our first date was a 10 hour long bus ride on one of the worst roads in Colombia, and we talked the entire time!” she added.
Their story would have ended as Kovalenko was just starting her backpacking tour while Ponova was ready to go back home after 2.5 years of travelling.
“This could have been the end of the story, but we couldn’t stop texting and chatting over the next couple of days, and Stefan packed his backpack and took a 24 hour long bus ride to catch up with me in Quito, Ecuador,” she further revealed.
In fact, she also revealed that they continued with their plans, and there were several moments which could have meant the end of their story, but they decided to stick together. Finally, they reunited in Bariloche, Argentina and since then they haven’t parted ways. They explored various parts of the world and finally decided to come back to New York City, together.
However, as fate will have it, quarantine started after a week they returned.And, it’s during that time they realised their connection and love growing stronger.
Finally, they decided to get married in a very small ceremony on Brooklyn Bridge. Talking about the image which has now gone viral, she said they’re “surprised and humbled to see how much the photo resonated with people, maybe it was a welcome reminder that love prevails no matter what.”
She also said that she wishes their story helps others find their true love.
What do you think of the image and the couple’s story?
