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He's Italian. She's American. Their delightful love story has won the hearts of millions.

Carlo and Sarah share the quirks of combining cultures.

Photo by frank mckenna on Unsplash

Carlo and Sarah share their cross-cultural relationship hilarities on TikTok.

When cultures come together, sometimes it can be challenging, sometimes it can be beautiful and sometimes it can be hilarious. For one couple, highlighting the hilarity of their American-Italian love story has endeared them to millions of people around the world.

It all started when Sarah, who is American, went to southern Italy to visit family members who live there. Carlo worked as a lifeguard at the beach club his family owns where Sarah's family would go. He barely spoke English, but he asked Sarah on a date in the summer of 2019. They basically became inseparable for the rest of the summer.

Sarah returned to the U.S. and Carlo surprised her with a month-long visit in the fall. Their long-distance relationship was supposed to get a reprieve when she was to return to Italy in May 2020, but pandemic travel restrictions destroyed that plan.

They ended up meeting up in Ireland during the summer of 2020, one of the only places allowing both Americans and Italians to travel. That's where Carlo proposed.

Their wedding plans also got thwarted by COVID-19. They got married in Italy, but without Sarah's family and friends able to attend. They had their second wedding, with family and friends in attendance in October 2022 in the U.S.

- YouTube

But their cute love story is only one part of why they've grown a following of 4 million people on TikTok alone. The cross-cultural nature of their relationship regularly creates hilarious moments, from Carlo's confusion over English words and phrases to Sarah committing Italian food faux pas just to see his reactions.

@carloandsarah

@justinbaldoni @wayfarerstudios this is my #lovestory 🤍 #LoveWithNoLimits #longdistance #ldr #couple

Their playful energy is delightful, but people also can't get over Carlo calling Sarah "my love" over and over again.

In one of their first mega-viral videos, which has nearly 100 million views, Sarah breaks the pasta in half before she puts it into the water—a totally typical American thing to do—and Carlo nearly has a heart attack.

@carloandsarah

did someone say... DRAMA??? 🤣

Or how about the time Sarah suggested that she ask for pineapple on her pizza while in Italy and Carlo basically said he'd be forced to move out of the country if she did that?

@carloandsarah

Carlo has had it with me🤣

Italians have far more superstitious beliefs about luck than Americans do, which come out frequently in Sarah and Carlo's videos. For instance, you're not supposed to put a loaf of bread top-side down. And if you get a new car, you're supposed to put a jar of salt in the car to ward off "malocchio" (evil eye/bad luck).

@carloandsarah

YOU WANT MALOCCHIO?!🌶😡

Carlo's English has come a long way since they met—he started learning the language because he was interested in Sarah—but as with anyone learning any language, there are sometimes some funny misunderstandings.

For instance, calling a tall building a "scratchy sky."

@carloandsarah

Gelato with a nice view of scratchy sky😩😂

Or mistaken a seed for a seaman or…something else.

@carloandsarah

the SEA MAN😩🐟

There's often some confusion around which words are appropriate and which words aren't, which is illustrated no more clearly than how Carlo reacted to saying the word "peacock."

@carloandsarah

THE WAY HE YELLED IT💀

Cultures may clash sometimes, but cross-cultural relationships can also create humorous moments that highlight the human side of all of us.

Sarah and Carlo even came up with a way to "fight" without having to understand one another's languages at all.

@carloandsarah

You should try it out💀

You can follow Sarah and Carlo on TikTok, YouTube and Instagram.

This article originally appeared three years ago.

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Joy

They watched their wedding cake crash to the ground. The groom's reaction was perfect.

Oh, she married a good one.

Carsten Vollrath/Canva

Imagine watching your four-tier wedding cake hitting the ground before you even get a bite.

It's quite common for people to fantasize about their wedding day—the ceremony, the bridal party, the dress, the cake—and some people spend months or even years meticulously planning every detail. People even spend thousands of dollars hiring wedding planners to make sure that the big day stays fully organized and all the moving parts come together without a hitch.

But no matter how well you plan, sometimes things that simply can't be predicted happen. And how you and your beloved handle the hitches and glitches on your wedding day can say a lot.

Especially when that hitch or glitch is something major…like watching the beautiful, four-tier wedding cake—the one you spent time choosing and lots of money creating to share with your wedding guests—come crashing to the ground right in front of you.

That's what happened to one couple who eagerly watched as the caterers who were carrying their wedding cake tripped on their way into the room, sending their cake to an untimely demise in spectacular fashion.

The video, shared by @the.sarik on Instagram, is only about 10 seconds long, but it tells a whole beautiful love story in the reactions of both the groom and the bride.

Watch:

First of all, hope those waiters are OK. But secondly, staying calm and making the most of a bad situation is a huge character plus, and this groom clearly has those qualities in spades. You can see in the bride's face that she knows it, too.

"Her eyes show that she knows she got the right guy," wrote one commenter.

"The way he just called her to eat is just phenomenal," shared another.

"'Cake is still cake.' Yelling at those waiters won't solve anything, but it can ruin their whole lives," wrote another. "They know their mistake, and they can be corrected privately. May the reaction of this man be an inspiration to us all, to care for the feelings of other people more than material things."

"Of all the things that could ruin a wedding day, I'm glad the husband knew this didn't have to be one of them," shared another.

When unpredictable things do happen, it's largely the reaction of the people involved that determines whether they become tragic tales or entertaining stories. If what we saw in the video is any indicator, this couple will be telling their grandkids someday about how the guys carrying their wedding cake tripped and ruined it, and how Grandpa's response won Grandma's heart all over again.


This article originally appeared last year.

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A young woman was sad her boyfriend would never meet her mom. Turns out he already had.

Their connection is romantic comedy worthy.

Leah Menzies/TikTok

Leah Menzies had no idea her deceased mother was her boyfriend's kindergarten teacher.

When you start dating the love of your life, you want to share it with the people closest to you. Sadly, 18-year-old Leah Menzies couldn't do that. Her mother died when she was 7, so she would never have the chance to meet the young woman's boyfriend, Thomas McLeodd. But by a twist of fate, it turns out Thomas had already met Leah's mom when he was just 3 years old. Leah's mom was Thomas' kindergarten teacher.

The couple, who have been dating for seven months, made this realization during a visit to McCleodd's house. When Menzies went to meet his family for the first time, his mom (in true mom fashion) insisted on showing her a picture of him making a goofy face. When they brought out the picture, McLeodd recognized the face of his teacher as that of his girlfriend's mother.

Menzies posted about the realization moment on TikTok. "Me thinking my mum (who died when I was 7) will never meet my future boyfriend," she wrote on the video. The video shows her and McLeodd together, then flashes to the kindergarten class picture.

“He opens this album and then suddenly, he’s like, ‘Oh my God. Oh my God — over and over again,” Menzies told TODAY. “I couldn’t figure out why he was being so dramatic.”

Obviously, Menzies is taking great comfort in knowing that even though her mother is no longer here, they can still maintain a connection. I know how important it was for me to have my mom accept my partner, and there would definitely be something missing if she wasn't here to share in my joy. It's also really incredible to know that Menzies' mother had a hand in making McLeodd the person he is today, even if it was only a small part.

@speccylee

Found out through this photo in his photo album. A moment straight out of a movie 🥲

♬ iris - 🫶

“It’s incredible that that she knew him," Menzies said. "What gets me is that she was standing with my future boyfriend and she had no idea.”

Since he was only 3, McLeodd has no actual memory of Menzies' mother. But his own mother remembers her as “kind and really gentle.”

The TikTok has understandably gone viral and the comments are so sweet and positive.

"No the chills I got omggg."

"This is the cutest thing I have watched."

"It’s as if she remembered some significance about him and sent him to you. Love fate 😍✨"

In the caption of the video, she said that discovering the connection between her boyfriend and her mom was "straight out of a movie." And if you're into romantic comedies, you're definitely nodding along right now.

Menzies and McLeodd made a follow-up TikTok to address everyone's positive response to their initial video and it's just as sweet. The young couple sits together and addresses some of the questions they noticed pop up. People were confused that they kept saying McLeodd was in kindergarten but only 3 years old when he was in Menzies' mother's class. The couple is Australian and Menzies explained that it's the equivalent of American preschool.

They also clarified that although they went to high school together and kind of knew of the other's existence, they didn't really get to know each other until they started dating seven months ago. So no, they truly had no idea that her mother was his teacher. Menzies revealed that she "didn't actually know that my mum taught at kindergarten."

"I just knew she was a teacher," she explained.

She made him act out his reaction to seeing the photo, saying he was "speechless," and when she looked at the photo she started crying. McLeodd recognized her mother because of the pictures Menzies keeps in her room. Cue the "awws," because this is so cute, I'm kvelling.


This article originally appeared on 5.27.22

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Couple who met in a widowed spouse grief group awed by double rainbow at their wedding

Hard not to see this as a sign.

Photos courtesy of Chelsea Schaefer Photography

Michelle and Scott Ellermets got a beautiful symbol of hope on their wedding day.

Finding love again after losing a long-time partner isn't always easy. Being widowed comes with complicated emotions—sadness, worry, guilt, grief—and it can be hard to imagine ever falling in love again when you're in the middle of processing all of those feelings.

But sometimes loves comes along when we least expect it, which is how Michelle and Scott Ellermets ended up in a wildly viral moment.

Wedding photographer Chelsea Schaefer shared a compilation of photos and video from the Ellermets' beach wedding that took place on September 7, 2024 and it's been viewed by millions.

A beautiful story of love after loss

"After both unexpectedly losing their spouses of 20+ years, they met in their local grief group," the video begins. "They fell in love."

Schaefer explained that it rained the whole day of the wedding, but just minutes before the ceremony began, the sun came out and a double rainbow appeared.

Watch:

@chelseaschaefer24

I will never get over this day 🥹🌈


The couple's story is as sweet as two people who've lost their life partners can be.

Michelle had been married to her husband Jonathan for more than 23 years when he died unexpectedly of a heart attack in January of 2023. Scott was married to his wife Lisa for 29 years, but she passed away following an illness in June of the same year.

Michelle and Scott both joined a support group for grieving spouses in the Washington D.C. area.

"I joined Facebook in early December and a [local] widows [and] widowers website," Scott told Good Morning America. "And when I got on it, I saw that somebody was Facebook friends with my sister. It happened to be Michelle." He decided to send her a message and they hit it off right away.

They were just supportive friends at first. In fact, Michelle even told him that she wouldn't ever marry again. But love had other plans.

family at wedding on a beachThe Ellermets and their loved ones at their weddingPhotos courtesy of Chelsea Schaefer Photography

Friendship grew into another chance at love

"Our friendship, just at some point along the way, became more than that -- and we fell in love," Michelle told GMA. One thing that mutual loss had taught them was that time isn't promised, so they didn't hesitate when they knew they wanted to get married.

"At our age, when you know, why not?" said Michelle. We don't want to waste any time. You can't take your days for granted."

The double rainbow that greeted them at the end of their ceremony felt like "icing on the cake' and "a blessing from God" said Scott. Many of the millions who have watched the video agree, saying they see the double rainbow as a sign from their lost loved ones.

"Their late spouses gave them their blessings...love it"

"They approve & probably played a part in bringing you together from the other side. 🙏🏻🙏🏻"

"You can't tell me the two rainbows aren't their late partners supporting them ❤️"

"The double rainbow gave me immediate goosebumps 🌈🌈❤️❤️"

"If that’s not a sign I don’t know what is! God bless their marriage."

"Both late spouses sending their blessings!!! How beautiful!! I wish you both all the happiness!! ❤️🌈🌈"

"There is no clearer sign than a double rainbow when widowers find solace and love in each other. Both of their dearly departed loved ones wanted them to find happiness, and they’re just so happy that they have each other to lean on ♥️✨"

"When I remarried a widower, as a widow myself, there was a beautiful soft snow that fell for about one minute at the reception. It was so beautiful. And we believe it was a sign from our beloved spouses."

bride and groom on beach in front of rainbowThe double rainbow felt like a blessing, the couple said.Photos courtesy of Chelsea Schaefer Photography

The story is giving other widowed people hope

Others who have lost partners said they found hope in the story.

"🌈 Goosebumps here. I'm a widow and I find the rainbows so romantic. Their late partners showed out in the cutest way."

"I need this in my life. I lost my fiancé unexpectedly in 2022 and I want to fall in love again. I hope to find him one day again."

"This is so beautiful! I’m finding there are no such things as coincidences — this was absolutely the late spouses giving their blessing. I lost my husband to brain cancer 7 months ago and cannot imagine dating, especially while still raising our two young kids. But this still gives me hope. 🌈"

"This made me cry. I lost my husband and this give me hope. Thank you for sharing!! Wishing them all the happiness!!"

Rainbows are a symbol of hope because, as the saying goes, you can't have a rainbow without the rain first. No one wants their beachside wedding ruined by rain, and this couple may have been disappointed by the weather early in the day, but there was something beautiful in store for them.

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