If two people can fall for one another when they’re sweaty and spent, then chances are, it’s the real deal. As attendees of the same spinning and yoga classes, Erin Purcell and Marcello Gallo found they had a whole world of athletic pursuits—skiing, cycling and their world champion Red Sox—in common. It was more than enough to spark a romance and sometime later, on May 28, 2004, the couple became engaged during a holiday weekend on Martha’s Vineyard. With an initial hope to also marry on the island, Erin and Marcello decided otherwise. “After viewing several locations, we found that the noise ordinances and the facilities were not what we were looking for,” so they decided to bring their celebration back to Boston and throw a grand family affair in the stately ballroom of the Four Seasons Hotel.

Erin’s family (her father, Patrick J. Purcell, is the publisher of the Boston Herald, where Erin is a VP in the Interactive Division) is of Irish decent, while Marcello’s is Italian, and together, their backgrounds fostered a warm, lively atmosphere that was a perfect backdrop for the beautifully understated look of their celebration. With most of Marcello’s family living in Toronto, the couple chose to hold its wedding during a Canadian holiday weekend (which happened to fall a week before the one year anniversary of their engagement), so there would be more time to spend with their out-of-town guests.

Wearing a silk Mikado Carolina Herrera gown, Erin walked down the aisle of St. Leonard’s Church, preceded by her sister, who was her maid of honor, and her niece, who was her flower girl. Their moving ceremony was conducted in both English and Italian with Marcello’s sister, Sabrina, reading an Italian passage and a musician friend playing “Ave Maria” on the violin. Once the couple said “I do,” the gathering traveled through a light spring shower to the reception, where a strolling duo playing traditional Irish and Italian songs greeted the guests for dinner. The gourmet feast included slow roasted two-pound lobsters—the best of New England cuisine—and was served at tables which were the epitome of elegance. Sleek, six-foot-tall arrangements of white calla lilies surrounded by smaller vases of fragrant hyacinths (both Erin’s favorites) graced each table, softened by the romantic glow of candlelight emanating from the votives.

While the décor commanded the attention of everyone as they entered the room, all eyes quickly shifted to the dance floor when Erin and Marcello took to the center to share their first dance as husband and wife. Their song, “Someone Like You” by Van Morrison, was a natural choice. Explains Erin, “We have loved this song since we first fell in love.” But the band would not allow the mood to stay subdued for long. “In the middle of one of their sets, one of the front men came out dressed as Elvis and did a couple of songs,” recalls the bride.

The partying didn’t end, even after the couple’s four-tiered wedding cake, filled with chocolate, raspberry and lemon layers, was served. An after-party with more wining, dining and dancing continued until two o’clock in the morning, and the couple made sure to take everything in. “The best piece of advice we received before getting married was to take a moment together during the wedding. Take a step back and look at how much fun everyone is having and never let go of one another’s hands,” recalls Erin. Advice they no doubt continued to heed throughout their incredibly romantic honeymoon in Italy, which included stays in Venice, Florence, Rome and Positano.