Former WWE stars Amanda Saccomanno and Sabatino “Sabby” Piscitelli have traded the wrestling ring for wedding rings!
The pair married on Saturday, Nov. 2, at the Park Chateau Estate & Gardens in East Brunswick, N.J., joined by 215 guests including former NFL linebacker Ray Lewis, MMA fighter Rashad Evans and fellow WWE wrestlers Sonya Deville, CJ Perry, Indi Hartwell, Cora Jade, Jacy Jayne and Roxanne Perez.
Saccomanno, who performed under the ring name Mandy Rose, tells PEOPLE that she had looked forward to her wedding day for as long as she could remember and always had grand visions for her big day. “I dreamt of walking down the aisle, I made Pinterest boards and vision boards — you name it,” she says.
But when it came down to planning her nuptials with Piscitelli, she found herself focusing on one simple goal. “I realized that what really matters is that the people we are surrounded by at our wedding are the ones who are absolutely most important to us. Life is too short, and we have to cherish these special moments because we only have one life to live,” the Total Divas alum explains.
To make the most of the rare opportunity of having all of their loved ones together in one place, Saccomanno and Piscitelli — who worked with event planner Margaret Rose — opted for “a long weekend of celebrating our love and joining both of our families and friends together,” the bride says.
The festivities kicked off on Friday night with an intimate welcome dinner followed by a cocktail reception at the Orchard Terrace at the Chateau Grande Hotel. The wedding ceremony, which was officiated by Father John O’Sullivan, unfolded on Saturday at the Park Chateau.
For her walk down the aisle, the bride wore a dress by Dream Couture from Laura’s Boutique & Bridal in Carmel, N.Y., along with “a beautiful couture headpiece” from Bridal Styles in Brooklyn, N.Y. Saccomanno later changed into another Dream Couture dress — which was a total surprise to her from boutique owner Laura Rudovic — for the afterparty.
Saccomanno says it was a full-circle moment working with Rudovic, as she has a special connection to her store. “Laura is an amazing designer in the town where my father had a deli business for over 30 years, so I love supporting small businesses,” she explains.
Veronica Anahella styled Saccomanno’s hair, while MUA Lisa G. Beauty oversaw her wedding-day glam.
To complement their formal venue, Saccomanno and Piscitelli — who first met in 2015 and got engaged in September 2022 — leaned into a “French chateau” theme with the décor and chose a “feminine fall” color palette of mauve, nude, soft blush and white tones. Florist Peonies to Paint Chips filled the space with stunning floral arrangements, and Socially Scripted created custom signage and stationery.
After a cocktail hour with live music by a jazz trio, the newlyweds and their guests enjoyed a plated dinner featuring a burrata salad with aged balsamic vinaigrette, as well as beef chateaubriand, Chilean sea bass and chicken chateau.
The couple chose a five-tier wedding cake from Staten Island bakery Vincenzo Salvatore with three different flavors: classic black and white, vanilla honey ginger mascarpone and chocolate hazelnut espresso. The cake was decorated with a cascade of handmade sugar flowers and lace details.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Throughout her wedding day, Saccomanno included several special touches to show her love to her family. In honor of her older brother Richie, who died two years ago, she set up a memorial table as well as a “reserved seat” at the ceremony. “Richie was on our minds and in our thoughts, but we know he was there in spirit,” Saccomanno says.
During her father-daughter dance, she surprised her dad by displaying sentimental home videos and photos on a projector screen. “I am the youngest girl [in a family with] three brothers, so I will always be ‘daddy’s little girl,’ ” says Saccomanno, who co-founded the beauty skincare line Amarose.
In lieu of a traditional bouquet toss, the bride presented the flowers to her mother.
During the reception, Manhattan, an 11-piece band by the Jordan Khan Music Company, performed and got everyone dancing. Saccomanno and Piscitelli — who, in addition to his WWE stint, also played in the NFL for several years — shared their first dance as husband and wife to John Legend’s “Nervous.”
Reflecting on their wedding experience, Saccomanno says “it was all worth the wait.”
“Sabby and I have been through a lot together, and many of our family and friends over at WWE know firsthand how we had a lot of trials and tribulations,” she explains. “But God knew that we belonged together, so in the end it was destined, and I know it sounds cliché but ‘everything happens for a reason.’ ”
Piscitelli tells PEOPLE that “marrying the love of my life was a dream come true,” noting the many qualities he admires about his wife. “I love her passion, determination and the similar morals and values we share,” he says. “Mandy is such a strong independent woman that I immediately fell in love with and knew she was the one I wanted to spend the rest of my life with.”
After a honeymoon in Maldives, the pair are looking forward to continuing to build their life together — and that includes “having babies,” Saccomanno says.
“We are ready to take that next step and start a family,” she shares. “We both have been through a lot during our professional sports careers, so we have sacrificed a ton throughout the years where we now know it was all worth it for the life we live today together.”
“The sky’s the limit for both of us,” Piscitelli adds.
Read the full article here
