Just Married: The Cappiellos

It all started with a debit card.

In the spring of 2010, Xiomara Nieves was working as a waitress while in her freshman year of college. Mark, a professional golfer in the making, made frequent post-golf trips to Ed’s Tavern for drinks with friends.

While Xiomara was serving Mark and his friends, the chemistry between them was evident and Mark found himself making more frequent trips to the tavern in hopes of seeing her.

On Cinco de Mayo later that spring, Mark came to Ed’s with his

mom and sister. Xiomara was disappointed, thinking Mark’s sister was his girlfriend. However, after light conversation, she realized Mark was there with his family.

When Mark paid for his tab, Xiomara noticed his debit card had a baseball on it. That kickstarted the flow of conversation, jokes and flirting, as they are both sports fans.

Two weeks later, the two had their first date; they picked up a pizza to go. Their dating continued for the next six years.

The Proposal

On July 20, 2016, Mark and Xiomara boarded their flight to New York City for a quick two-day trip. 

Only two weeks before, Mark had taken Xiomara’s father to Ed’s Tavern where he asked for permission to marry her. Mark secretly packed away the ring he had bought to ask Xiomara to be his wife.

On the first day of their trip, they did all the romantic things you can do in the big apple, including visiting the Rockefeller Center and a candlelit dinner in Little Italy. Before the trip, Xiomara had it on her mind that the proposal might happen on this trip, but after it didn’t happen that night, she let it go.

The second day of their visit to New York City started with a Yankee’s game with the best seats in the house, right behind home plate. Later that evening, Xiomara suggested they walk through Central Park on their way to dinner. They laughed and joked, enjoying each other’s company in the park. Mark had secretly hid the ring in his shirt pocket, which he took out when they sat down on a bench. In front of the Bethesda Fountain, Mark got down on one knee and asked Xiomara to marry him.

“I’m the type when I get nervous or excited I laugh, so I was laughing the whole time,” Xiomara says. “It took me awhile to get myself together enough to say yes.”

After tears, hugs and laughter, they called their parents before heading to their dinner destination, Calle Ocho.

Mark and Xiomara wrapped up their vacation by visiting Mark’s family in Trumbull, Connecticut. Xiomara was able to see where Mark grew up and experience his childhood memories.

“We were both on cloud 9 after that (the proposal),” Xiomara said. “The trip seemed even more special because we were planning to get married and he was showing me where he grew up and ending our trip that way.”

The Wedding

The planning part of the wedding was easy for the future Cappiellos. After being together for eight years, Xiomara had an idea of what she wanted for her wedding. With Nicole Kaney’s help, the planning went smoothly for their wedding day, March 10, 2018.

The venue was picked by Xiomara, and was the first part of the planning to happen.

“The venue (The Powel Crosley Estate) was a place I had my eyes on for a few years before the proposal,” Xiomara said. “It was my dream place to get married.”

Mark liked being involved in the decision making, going to the appointments and inputting his opinions. Except when it came to the men’s attire, that was all him.

“I had no say and didn’t involve myself with that (men’s dress),” Xiomara says.

For Xiomara, the start of the day was one of her favorite parts. She says getting ready and being surrounded by her family was fun. However, what made the morning special was a phone call.

A year prior, Mark and Xiomara’s Golden Retriever, Marlee, had passed away.

“She was part of our story from the beginning and meant a lot to our relationship,” Xiomara says.

In November, Xiomara and Mark had put in an application for a Golden Retriever puppy. After five months without a word from the breeder, they thought getting a puppy from that breeder was a lost cause.

While getting ready, Xiomara’s phone rang. Since she was prepping for her big day, she didn’t answer the call and instead let it go to voicemail. Surrounded by friends and family, she listened to the voicemail awhile later over the speakers that had been playing getting ready music throughout the morning. Over those speakers, the breeder had left a message saying they got a puppy and needed to know by the end of the day whether they were going to take him or not.

“We were all in tears and a little emotional that it happened on

our wedding day,” Xiomara says.

Without getting to share the exciting news with Mark yet, Xiomara called the breeder and said, yes, we will take him.

When it was time to walk down the aisle, the day continued its emotional fashion from the morning.

“The whole ceremony was my favorite part,” Xiomara says. “It was very intimate and romantic and felt very natural.”

The walk down the aisle was a long one with many steps, but Xiomara says it made it that much more special. It took awhile for Xiomara to see Mark, but when she did, his face said it all. He was a little emotional, which made her feel the same.

Mark’s favorite part of the day was walking into the reception with his new wife. The day during from emotional to joyful, as the couple danced the night away with friends and family.

“I love dancing, so that part of the night was fun,” Xiomara says. “We were on the dance floor for most of the night.”

Later that evening, Xiomara shared the news of their new family addition.

“It wrapped it all up,” Xiomara says.

The Capiellos have had their new Golden Retriever puppy for a few weeks now. They named him Charlee, similar to the spelling of their first dog, Marlee.