Nicole Alexandra Palmieri

Nicole was born March 30, 1983 in Dallas, Texas to her incredible parents, Alan and Paula.  Together with her parents and her brother, Tony, she moved often during her childhood years, living in such cities as Chicago, Denver, and Newport Beach, before landing in Orlando, Florida.  Her love of animals led her to the world of horses and competitive show-jumping.  She traveled extensively throughout the country in the sport, competing in numerous tournaments.

Nicole is now working as a registered nurse on the surgical oncology unit at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Orlando, Florida.  Her chosen area of practice is due in no small part to her experience as the child of a cancer survivor.  Her mother, Paula’s, treatment and recovery has inspired her to provide the best possible care to people in similar situations.

A wonderful family, friends, and career are more than most could hope for.  Nicole feels incredibly blessed to be able to say that she has also found the love of her life, Jeff.

Jeffrey Ryan Barrett

Jeff was born June 15, 1980 in Orlando, Florida to wonderful parents, Robert and Kathryn. He showed early interest in sports, electronics, and music. When he wasn’t building useless inventions at his father’s workbench or torturing his younger brother, Jason, you could find Jeff on the Butler chain of lakes, where he was an avid slalom skier, wakeboarder, and occasional bare-foot skier.

Jeff graduated from Florida State University in 2005 with a bachelor’s degree in Information Technology. After working for a large advertising agency, he decided to pursue his dream of owning his own business. He now owns an interactive marketing company and works on projects for brand names such as Hard Rock, Correct Craft and Safeway.

How We Met

In 1998, Nicole moved from Newport Beach, California to Orlando, Florida and attended Dr. Phillips High School.  Through mutual friends (see wedding party here), Jeff, a recent D.P.H.S grad, and Nicole were introduced and immediately became friends.  The two were able to maintain their friendship throughout various cities, colleges, and post-highschool life.

Years passed, and while the two were never far from each other’s thoughts, time and distance hindered their correspondence.

Until one day, 10 years after their first meeting, they found themselves at the party of a mutual friend.  They reconnected, then quickly realized that what they had was more than just a friendship.  It was love at second sight, and the two were inseparable from that moment on.