Sitting Atop Surfboards Bridgewater Woman Says 'I Do' With Dolphins As Witnesses

BRIDGEWATER, NJ — Sitting atop surfboards in the middle of the Pacific Ocean as dolphins swim by a Bridgewater woman says 'I do' to the love of her life.

Catarina Salvador Espírito Santo Cristovão Neto, 31, of Bridgewater and her now-husband Zeal Barclay Levin, 30, wouldn't let COVID ruin their wedding plans and instead used it as an opportunity to create an epic day.

Neto had lived in Bridgewater pretty much her entire life. She went through the Bridgewater-Raritan school system and graduated from high school in 2008.

On Memorial Day weekend in 2018, Neto moved to the other side of the country to Hermosa Beach in California for a video production job. She moved in with a roommate who was a musician and that's how she met her now-husband Levin, a singer/songwriter and guitarist.

"I am not a musician but I am a professional listener," Neto said jokingly. "I go to all of the gigs."

Neto and Levin would see each other at parties and gigs but nothing ever came of it until March 23, 2019. Levin showed up at a bar for Neto's birthday party holding a special present.

"He brought my favorite flowers - marijuana. I like to jokingly say they are my favorite flower and he got it as a gift for my birthday," said Neto.

Since then the couple became inseparable.

"We talked every day, always hung out and did things together," said Neto.

In January 2020 they moved into an itty bitty beach bungalow, so small Neto says they have to say, 'excuse me' just to pass by each other.

Then the pandemic hit. Yet even confined to those tight quarters through 2020, it just made their feelings stronger.

"It was smooth sailing ever since," said Neto.

On Sept. 20, 2020, Levin invited Neto to the Hermosa Music Company, a creative space for musicians that he manages. He told her it was for a photoshoot he wanted to get done for his business and asked her to dress up.

When Neto got there, Levin's bandmate and friend, Kevin Sousa was playing Dave Matthews music on his guitar. And there were little candles lining a path that lead to Levin.

"He got down on his knee said his beautiful speech and said my name, which is a mile long, and asked me to marry him. I got so weak in the knees and said yes," said Neto.

Levin jokes that it was a good thing he didn't propose on top of a mountain since Neto would've probably fallen down with how weak she got.

Trying to plan a wedding became difficult with COVID and having to coordinate flying out family. Yet an opportunity for a last-minute epic wedding came about this past August.

One of Levin's gigs got canceled due to the Delta variant on Aug. 21 leaving Sousa and his band available. Neto and Levin jumped at the chance to take advantage of the day.

Levin, who is a huge surfer, suggested getting married in the ocean. Despite her fear of the open water, Neto said "That is frickin cool! I never heard of it!"

"What better way to get over this fear of the ocean than by getting married and I feel safe with him," said Neto.

The couple had two and a half weeks to plan but Neto was able to order a white wet suit online for herself and also found a tuxedo wetsuit for Levin.

She also had a veil specially embroidered with "forever flowing" on the bottom in honor of the ocean and a flower crown to hold it on her head.

When the day came, it was perfect weather. The water was calm and there was no wind.

The couple paddled out into the ocean with Sousa as their officiant and read their laminated vows to one another before saying I do.

"It was magical. I forgot all of my ocean fears. I felt safe," said Neto.

Despite COVID, the couple just wanted their wedding to be "unique" and didn't want a "typical" wedding. It may seem they achieved this.

Especially when dolphins began jumping out of the water around them after having their first kiss.

"They just came over and leaped right behind us," said Neto.

In the end, "it was a very special, stress-free wedding," said Neto. "It was very magical."

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