01:00 AM EST on Sunday, March 28, 2004

Ana Rodrigues and Alberto Lopes

Holy Name of Jesus Church, Providence

2.14.04

The Greeks refer to her as Aphrodite of Melos, the Romans, as Venus de Milo, but in either case, she is the goddess of love. So how appropriate that Ana Rodrigues and Alberto Lopes chose to celebrate their love at the Venus de Milo in Swansea -- on Valentine's Day, no less.

In the foyer, where the namesake statue stands, Ana and Alberto pose with family, friends, and wedding party. The bridesmaids are wearing red with white faux fur capes that Ana has had made and monogrammed for each. Another wedding party walks in; they're wearing red dresses too.

A rotating 10-tiered wedding cake decorated with hearts is prominently displayed in the Athena III room, where Ana and Alberto's reception is about to begin.

Ana and Alberto mingle with guests while the three bridesmaids munch on hors d'oeuvres and sip champagne punch: Lori Gulluscio of Westerly, Susan Venter of Atlanta, and Tanya Gomes of Boston. Lori is a friend since college days with Ana at New England Tech; Susan has known Ana for 28 years, since grammar school; and Tanya met Ana almost 20 years ago.

These three women never knew each other, always lived in different cities, their connections to Ana all different. But they managed to throw a surprise shower for her in January. Total surprise: Ana showed up in a sweatsuit at Vinny Testa's in Seekonk where 50 guests lay in wait.

Tonight, they talk about their friend, how she first met Alberto when she was moving into her house in East Providence. That was three years ago, in October. Alberto had come with Ana's brother's nephew, who was helping her move. For Alberto, it was an instant attraction. But Ana was involved with someone at the time.

Alberto was willing to wait until she was available. It took another year and a half for something to materialize. Again, it was the nephew of her brother with Alberto -- this time Ana was at her brother's house. It was perfect timing, and he swept her off her feet.

When Ana told Tanya about him, she insisted that she had to meet him. "I got good vibes from him, I liked him right away from the first.'

Alberto proposed in Las Vegas, last June. Ana had planned their trip, but she hadn't planned on a marriage proposal and ring. And he insisted on setting the date right then and there. "But I don't have a calendar," she said, and he ran around the hotel until he found one. She picked Valentine's Day.

She immediately e-mailed Susan, who was on vacation in St. Martin. "We were afraid they would just go to a Las Vegas chapel and get married, but we really wanted Ana to have a big wedding -- she always wanted one."

Ana is 39, Alberto, 37, and neither has been married before. Ana has chosen the song for their first dance -- Valentine by Martina McBride:

All of my life, I have been waiting for all you give to me . . . and even if the sun refused to shine, even if romance ran out of rhyme, you would still have my heart until the end of time, 'cause all I need is you, my Valentine.