The Berlin Patch article asking for viewers to vote for Berlin's cutest couple was well received and we actually had a tie. Both couples received 11 votes out of 33 votes. Both will receive gift certificates to Portofino's where they can celebrate a night out.
The two couples could not have been more different but both shared the same tips to staying in love.
Sandra and Rick Cohen shared this story.
"Five years ago, we met through a mutual friend," Sandra Cohen said. "We were both going through the toughest time of our lives. In that moment, God knew exactly what he was doing when he conjoined our paths.
"We fell in love, and my kids and I admired Rick because of his genuine personality. He brought that fresh outlook on life that we had been lacking for so long. Furthermore, it was apparent that he had been through a rough time in his life and was searching for something to believe in. Everything just seemed to fit perfectly. We might not have been looking for that "one", but fate played a bigger part.
"Three years after we met we went out to a beautiful restaurant named Mill On The River. When I arrived, I walked into the gazebo where Rick and the kids stood silently under the gleaming lights. The cold winter air bit at my hands as he got onto one knee and proposed. At that moment, we were looking into each other’s eyes as if they were crystal balls. We were gazing into our future together and it definitely was everything we ever wanted. We found happiness, love, and compassion in each other. There was absolutely no doubt in my mind that I loved this man, and he had shown me that I was also the only one he ever would want to be with.
"Soon after that majestic night we got married. It was a very small but elegant ceremony in which we promised our love for each other. We did not need the frills that you might hear about or see on television because we knew what was truly important to us. Sometimes, certain things in life happen so we can really understand what should be important.
"So, we continue on cherishing our lives together and watching our family flourish. There is absolutely no better reward than to share your life with your true love, and seeing what your love can accomplish around you."
Natale and Vincenza Coco will be married 62 years this year. Natale is 85 and Vincenza is 78 and they speak broken English.
They came to America from Italy in 1966 and they have two children Lina Parafati and Vinny Coco. They worked at Stanley Works before they retired.
They have been in their Berlin home since 1988 and neighbors see them walking around the neighborhood holding hands. They were the first house in the development so anyone who moves into the neighborhood gets the Coco seal of approval.
For the Cocos, trips around the world were their passion. Every other year after they retired the couple would travel to Italy to see family. Their children and grandchildren said their key to a long-lasting relationship is spending time together and putting each other first.
