In addition to the presence of their fellow die-hard Islanders fans at their wedding to celebrate, the couple had extra special guests in attendance as Oksana's parents, Yaroslav and Maria Romashenko, flew into the country from Ukraine to attend their wedding.
The process of obtaining a visa for her parents to visit the United States wasn't easy, but the couple carefully planned their big day around her parents' rare opportunity to stay for a week.
It's been a long road for the family, as it's been 13 years since Romashenko was able to see her parents in-person. Turning that wish into reality was pretty special for the couple on their big day.
The reunion was heartwarming to say the least.
"It was so emotional," Romashenko said. "I was so happy to see them again. My mom... she last saw me when I was a teenager. And now I'm grown up and getting married. I'm very, very emotional."
The reunion also marked the first time Santoli met his in-laws, which is typically an intimidating experience for anyone. However, their shared passion for the Islanders eased the pressure of an important first impression for Santoli, which coincidentally lined up with Game Two.
"We picked them up from the airport on Wednesday night]," Santoli said. "I put the game on my phone so that they can watch it in the backseat while I drove, and I had it on the
[radio
too. When the Islanders scored, her mom was clapping and cheering so loud."
For Romashenko, the weeks leading up to her wedding and her parents' arrival had been a whirlwind of emotions, but she couldn't be more excited for her big day.
"With all this wedding preparation and my parents coming, I feel so happy and nervous at the same time," she said. "So many emotions I can't even describe."