Celebrity Celebrity Weddings Celebrity Honeymoon RHOM Star Alexia Echevarria Marries Todd Nepola: 'Feels Like a Dream' Real Housewives of Miami cast member Alexia Echevarria married Todd Nepola in a ceremony in St. Barths at the Eden Rock hotel By Greta Bjornson Greta Bjornson Greta Bjornson is a former digital news writer at PEOPLE. She left PEOPLE in 2022. People Editorial Guidelines Published on December 22, 2021 09:43AM EST Photo: Alexander Tamargo/Getty Images Alexia Echevarria is a married woman! The Real Housewives of Miami cast member, 54, married Todd Nepola in a Dec. 16 ceremony in St. Barths, she announced on Instagram Tuesday. "This year has been a whirlwind to say the least, but finishing it off as Mr. & Mrs. gives me hope for the years to come. Thank you for all your kind wishes and love. 12.16.21," Echevarria wrote alongside a slideshow of photos from her big day. In one of the photos, Echevarria and Nepola are seen gazing at each other lovingly, standing before an arch of flowers that overlooks the ocean. In another image, the lovebirds share a sweet kiss. Echevarria and Nepola said "I do" at the Eden Rock hotel, where the Real Housewives star walked down the aisle in a Muse by Berta dress, Marielena headpiece and Aquazzura shoes, while her husband wore a Isaia Nepoli tux and Ferragamo shoes. Speaking with Us Weekly about her big day, Echevarria gushed: "I'm a wife!!! (A real one.) It still feels like a dream I can't even put into words. [It was] perfect for us! Truly everything we wanted. Just him and I. … We look forward to celebrating with our friends and family in 2022." Manny Hernandez/Getty RHOM Is Back! Meet the Cast: Alexia Echevarria, Lisa Hochstein & Larsa Pippen Return Reflecting on her "favorite moment" from the romantic day, Echevarria told Us "a big sea turtle came up to above the water." She added, "I knew there was a symbolic and spiritual meaning and the universe [was] trying to tell me something. Sea turtles symbolize longevity, peace, perseverance, healing, steadfastness, wisdom and emotional strength. I am a sea turtle!" Echevarria wed Nepola four months after the death of her mother, who died of COVID-19 on the day she and Nepola were previously set to get married. Echevarria shared the devastating news in August, writing on Instagram at the time, "What was supposed to be the happiest day of my life today has turned out to be the saddest." Alexia Echevarria's Mom Dies of COVID on Her Wedding Day: 'A Rollercoaster of Emotions' The reality star also told Us that while her mom wasn't there to see her walk down the aisle in St. Barths, she was thinking of both of her parents at the ceremony. "Another special moment was when I closed my eyes, kissed and tossed my flower bouquet into the ocean while thinking of my mom and dad," Echevarria said. "They both loved flowers and the ocean. I could feel both of them right by my side." Echevarria and Nepola got engaged in late 2019 after dating for two years. Their Dec. 16 wedding marked the second time they rescheduled their special day — the couple first planned to marry in early 2021, per the Daily Dish, and later pushed their wedding once again after the death of Echevarria's mother. Echevarria was previously married to Herman Echevarria, who died in 2016. She and Herman separated in 2015. The Real Housewives star shares two children with Pedro Rosello, her ex-husband. Close