Her parents didn't approve at first, but he eventually won the heart of her and her entire family.
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For Allyson Molchan and Emmanuel Dammas of South River, their relationship began like many other adolescent romances. There were two kids living in a small town, who go to the same school. After first meeting in the eighth grade, they eventually started dating. But the girl's parents do not approve of her new boyfriend.
"My parents did not want me seeing Emmanuel," Molchan, 24, said. "He was a typical little wise guy. Little did they know Emmanuel would mature and grow into a great man."
The happy couple enters the reception at the wedding of Allyson Molchan and Emmanuel Dammas of South River, 9/12/2015. (Supreme Productionz)
The couple managed to overcome parental disapproval and were together for nearly a decade before Dammas, a 26-year-old construction worker, proposed. But a nervous stomach almost derailed his proposal plans.
In November 2013, Dammas took Molchan and their respective families to Atlantic City to celebrate Molchan's birthday.
"On our drive down there, Emmanuel kept telling me he wasn't feeling good and he thought he was getting sick, (so maybe) we should turn around and go home," said Molchan, a paralegal for Chase.
Dammas was able to "gut" it out, and after dinner (with all of their family members' present) , he got down on one knee.
"I knew it was coming at some point, being together for so long," Molchan said. "He kept telling me, every time I bugged him about it, that 'maybe we can start talking about it next summer.'"
The Wedding Date
While the proposal shocked Molchan, Dammas always knew she was the one. "She was always a loving and caring person," he said. "I knew growing up that she would be a great wife one day, and a great mother to our future children."
The couple chose to marry in September due to the month's warm temperatures -- but knew that rain would most likely be in their future.
"For some odd reason, it never fails to rain on every important day Emmanuel has," Molchan said.
The rainy streak continued for Dammas: It did rain on the couple's wedding day.
The Venue
Luckily, the showers came while everyone was indoors during the couple's wedding ceremony, at St. Mary Ostrabama, in South River.
When the couple arrived at their reception hall, the Bridgewater Manor, the skies had cleared, allowing for photos to be taken on one of the venue's grounds -- which Molchan described as "beautiful."
The outdoor aesthetics weren't the only aspect that inspired the couple to choose the Manor.
"We heard such great reviews of the food at Bridgewater Manor," Molchan said. "Once we went for the tasting, we knew we were going to have our wedding there. Good food was a top priority for us and the ballroom was beautiful."
What They Splurged On
The couple decided to spend the most money on flowers for the wedding.
"Flowers were the one thing that were very important to me," Molchan said. "I love fresh flowers, so I knew I wanted a lot of them."
Cake tasting at the wedding of Allyson Molchan and Emmanuel Dammas of South River, 9/12/2015. (Supreme Productionz) Where They Saved
The couple saved money by rolling up their sleeves.
"I am very crafty, so doing things on my own definitely saved us (money)," Molchan said.
She added her own touches to the printed invitations, and did her own manzanita trees for every table. She also had a hand in the creation of place cards, table numbers, and menus.
How They Made Their Wedding Special
Since Dammas and Molchan grew up in a small town where "everybody knows each other," what made their wedding special was sharing it with their closest friends and family.
"Although we couldn't have everyone in our bridal party, we made sure everyone close to us had their own way to contribute to be a part of our day" Molchan said.
The addition of "something old" to her dress also made the wedding special for Molchan.
Photos from the wedding of Allyson Molchan and Emmanuel Dammas of South River, 9/12/2015. (Courtesy of Molchan and Dammas) "I wore my mom's veil that she wore 34 years ago," Molchan said. "My aunt was able to cut one layer of my mom's veil to make me a fingertip veil. The veil had a lining of lace along the edges which was a bit discolored, but my aunt was able to find beading that match my gown (a David Tutera Fit and Flare purchased at Castle Couture in Manalapan). She sewed all of the beads onto the lace, which made it sparkly, and helped get the lace to look brighter."
Most Memorable Moments
The couple agreed that the reception was one of "the best nights of their lives." Dancing was a big part of the night with Supreme Productionz providing the soundtrack for the evening. The dance floor was stolen by a young boy who did the entire dance sequence to the popular song "Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae)."
Yet, at the end of the day, it was the ceremony that was the most memorable part of the day for both.
"The most memorable moment for me was watching Allyson walk down the aisle," Dammas said. "She looked so beautiful. I couldn't stop looking at her."
"For me, it was getting to the altar and just seeing Emmanuel," Molchan said. "I couldn't stop smiling -- it was as if no one else was even around."
Bill Bodkin can be reached at bodkinwrites@gmail.com. Find NJ.com/Entertainment on Facebook.