Jenifer Pinto and Claudio Rodrigues

How long have you been together? When did you meet?
Claudio and I have been together for 5 years, since June 15, 2004. We originally met in April 2000.

How did you meet?
Claudio and I met when I was invited to attend a Portuguese Club field trip to Canada by cousin Michelle in April of 2000.  I was a freshman in college and he was a senior in high school.  I agreed to go on the trip and had a great time.  Claudio seemed so honest and genuine (unlike most boys) and I instantly had a crush on him.  We dated for about 2 months and it seemed like nothing. But we stayed great friends.  He moved to Virginia Beach, VA and we kept in touch.  He would come to RI to visit and we always hung out.  I didn’t know back then, but, he used to drive 10 hours just to visit me for only a couple of hours and drive another 10 all the way back.  We got closer and kept more contact.  We officially started dating again on a trip to Aruba with friends. From that day forward I knew he was the one for me.  4 months later, he moved back to Rhode Island to be with me.

When did you get engaged?
March 29, 2009

How did you get engaged?
After 5 years together, Claudio proposed to me on a Carnival Cruise vacation to the Caribbean.  It was formal night on the ship, and with my dessert came a special plate with napkins in a special design and a beautiful ring in the middle.  I instantly started crying and said “Oh my God, is this for real” as i frantically waved my hands. He got down on one knees, and started to choke up.  He told he that I’ve already made so many of his dreams come true and if I could make another by being his wife.  I said yes.  The next thing I knew there were so many people around us, taking pictures, congratulating us, and giving us champagne.  We were officially the popular couple on the cruise ship.  People spotted us for the rest of the vacation.  Come to find out, Claudio had been wanting to get engaged, but with the purchase of our 3 family house, money was tight.  He talked with a good friend as Casa Ideal in East Providence, and had a ring ordered in a week.  Our friends there had such confidence in him, that he left on vacation with the ring without even leaving a penny to them.  He even made sure we had a single table on the cruise.  Since it was formal night on the ship, we took the opportunity to take some lovely engagement photos.  It was well planned and perfect.

Tell us why you should win a free wedding at The Crowne Plaza Hotel at the Crossings from NBC 10 and A Better Sound. Remember, creativity counts! Tell us a story, write us a poem, just plain entertain us!

We deserve a great wedding.  Claudio is one of the most genuine people I’ve ever met.  He lives to make us happy.  His focus in life is his family and close friends.  I feel like the luckiest woman alive to be able to be with such a wonderful man.

Claudio was born in Sao Miguel, Azores, Portugal and came here when he was ten.  He has worked so hard to become an accomplished and respectful person.  He was brought up with literally sticks and stones as his toys.  He put himself through schooling and became an accomplished graphic designer.  He helps support his mother and brother who are on disability.  He’s so caring and giving. 
I grew up in Rumford, RI.  My family was also overworked and underpaid.  However, we grew up happy and with many things, due to my mother’s amazing budget.  I held a job since I could remember.  Babysitting since the age of nine with a job at 14 years old.  I paid my way through Johnson & Wales University and majored in Financial Services Management.

I feel like Claudio and I were brought up with the same moral values.  We have the same ideas with what we want in life, including a wedding and children.  In February 2008, we began what was the start of our life goals, by purchasing a 3 family home in Darlington, RI.  We put about $50k into updating the home.  It looks beautiful and we feel a good sense of accomplishment every time we look at it.  We currently live on the 3rd floor and rent the 1st and 2nd floors.

Our life slowly started turning in a different direction when Claudio lost his job in June 2008.  The advertising company he was working for closed down.  He took the opportunity to continue working on our new home but the budget was tight.  I was laid off only 4 weeks ago on July 30, 2009 due to lack of upcoming work.  All of our plans for the wedding have come to a stop.  We aren’t sure how we will be able to get married with the two of us out of work.

I have an everlasting feeling everyday that I know we will get through this.  But we really just want to start our lives.  We both would love to have children right now, but want to wait for the wedding first.
Our life is currently on hold until we can get new careers and hope that we’ll be able to start saving for a wedding again.  We are so deeply in love and happy.  Even with the current hardships, we look toward each other for support and care.  I look in his eyes and know that our future holds many wonderful and happy days ahead.

Please think of us when you look for a couple who truly deserves a wedding after so many years together and hoping to start our futures right.  We would love any kind of wedding that you could give us;be it romantic or fun and modern.  We’re so looking forward to that day.  I can’t wait to get married and all the fun it will entail!

Tell us one of the funniest things that has ever happened to you as a couple?

I think one of the funniest things that happened to us was actually not when we were a couple, but good friends.  6 months after we dated in 2000, Claudio started dating my cousin Michelle.  They were together for 2.5 years.  In the meantime I was the supporting friend in their lives.  About 1.5 years after they broke up, Claudio and I started dating.  I’m sure at first it must have been awkward of the idea for our family.  But at the first holiday event that he attended, everything went off without a hitch.  There was no weird getting to know you’s because they already knew Claudio.  We have become such good friends with Michelle, that she is my maid of honor in the wedding.