Bride & Partner: Sheyanne & Scott

Wedding Date: 10/16/20

Wedding Venue: Palmer's Garden & Goods

As we all know, love is like a garden. Love grows and blossoms over time in the most beautiful way. Where better to get married in a place that perfectly embodies that? Sheyanne and Scott tied the knot in their very own botanical garden venue in Orlando, FL at Palmer’s Garden & Goods.

Styled by Co-Owner of The Bridal Finery, Roberta Noronha, Sheyanne wore ‘Estilo’ by Pronovias. Her bridal day look was finished with small statement earrings by Maria Elena and a veil by Girl and a Serious Dream.

Vendors & Their Instagram Handles : 

Food- @lafemmedufromage & @recesspizza
Flowers - @passe_orl
Hair & Make Up - @bridalbyouab & @shelbynicolegeorge
Photographer - @josiebrooksphotography
Videographer - @tampabayphotographer
Custom Tux - @tomjamesclothing
Rentals - @orlandoweddingandpartyrentals
Rings - custom made by @bayhilljewelers
Spray Tan - @southerntann

Dress - ‘Estilo’ by Pronovias

Earrings - Maria Elena

Veil - Girl and a Serious Dream

Stylist - Roberta Noronha

How did you & Scott meet?

We both went to college at UCF and therefore had mutual friends. Our paths briefly crossed once or twice but then we quickly forgot each other existed. Fast forward 6 years and while I was visiting one of those mutual friends here in Orlando, Scott and his best friend (one day Best Man) met up with us for dinner. It was not intended as a set up, but after a few margaritas at Rocco's Tacos the chemistry was just there.

I did not live in Orlando at the time, I had moved home to St. Pete about 2 hours away. After coming home after the quick trip, I told my friends that, "I met a cute guy this weekend!" To my surprise, a few days later, that "cute guy" had tracked down my phone number and reached out to me. We talked over the phone constantly over the next few days and before I knew it, he asked if he could come visit me the very next weekend.

We spent an entire year doing long distance. We spent the weekends exploring each other's cities, slowly learning more and more about each other. In that year, we experienced the loss of a loved one, the weight of tough decisions and came to the realization that our "fun, long distance, fling" had really turned into something special.

Where was your first date?

A week after meeting, he came to St. Pete to visit me. It was a 48 hour first date! We went to my favorite brewery, 3 daughters and listened to live music, played games and had a great time. It was fun, relaxed and comfortable. The next morning, we made breakfast burritos and ate on the sailboat docked in the backyard. Again, that comfortable feeling rushed over us, as we took it easy and lazily watched tv the next day and just talked and got to know each other.

How did Scott propose?

We bought a house together in 2019 and our closing date kept getting delayed. I was so stressed out and was only thinking HOUSE, HOUSE, HOUSE. Little did I know, Scott had big plans for the closing date. We were at our final walk through before signing the papers. We got there before our realtor and went inside, just the two of us. He had a gift inside... a little animated book of "our story" that he said was for our coffee table in our new home together. It perfectly depicted our last 3 years together and had me laughing at his attention to detail. The very last page was a cartoon version of him proposing and it read "will you marry me?" At that moment he bent down on one knee and pulled out a rose with an engagement ring inside of it. It was a surreal moment. I was so surprised, I think he had to nudge me for an answer! I happily accepted and thanked him for asking me in private, just the two of us... he knows me so well! He told me that he wanted to buy our new home together and sign the papers as an engaged couple.

What was your wedding dress shopping experience like?

I wasn't excited. I wasn't feeling confident and certainly wasn't in the mood to try on dresses the day after Thanksgiving! I thought for sure that I was just going to see what I liked, I had zero intention of finding "the dress" that day.

The Bridal Finery was my very first appointment, I went based on a friend's recommendation. I was lucky enough to be paired with Roberta. I had no idea what I was looking for. Dress #1 was a no-go, Dress #2 changed my mood immediately! All of a sudden, I was like "I feel great in this!" Every dress got closer and closer. By the time I put on Dress #5, I had found my dress. I knew it immediately and so did my Mom and my sister. We didn't even say it out loud, the 3 of us just knew that this was it! I'm still amazed at how quickly Roberta was able to hone in on exactly what I was looking for (before I even knew). She took every critique in and had in nailed down perfectly in 5 dresses.

What bridal accessory was your favorite?

I was able to wear a vintage ring that belonged to my Great Grandmother. It had beautiful light blue stones on it and counted as my something blue, something old and something borrowed. It was really special to wear something from my Mom's side of the family and made her really happy to hand it down to me.

What did you love most about your Botanical Garden Venue?

The magical oak tree with lights strung in it! It was the most beautiful backdrop to our ceremony and our first dance. And because we got married in a plant nursery, we were surrounded by greenery, flowers and seasonal plants. Our dinner was picturesque, surrounded by greenery, candles and market lighting above. Absolutely dreamy.

What is one thing you wish you knew before you started wedding planning?

Not to bring up any negativity but I wish I would've known that Covid was about to happen and force us to replan our entire wedding. We changed the venue, caterer, guest count, etc... 2 months before our wedding. Although it caused some stress and some disappointment... I honestly would not have changed a single detail of our plan B wedding. Knowing what I know now, this was the wedding I had always wanted and I'm so happy at the way it turned out. Sometimes you're forced to make tough decisions and make compromises but if you allow it to happen and you roll with the punches, it can lead to something far better than you could have possibly planned from the beginning. Trust that, at the end of the day, you're marrying your love and the details don't matter as much as you think they do.

How would you describe the overall feel of your Botanical Garden Venue?

Dreamy garden dinner party.

What wedding planning advice do you have for other brides?

Stay organized! Keep lists, notes, payment records, etc... Also, don't get so caught up in the small details that you lose sight of what the wedding represents. It's more than just a day, it's the beginning of the rest of your life with the person you love. Don't fight over the color of the napkins, NO ONE WILL NOTICE.

Where will your honeymoon be?

We had our honeymoon in Italy planned and booked. 2020 had other plans in store for us. We spent an amazing week in Northern California: Sausalito, Napa/Sonoma, then finally Northern Lake Tahoe. We had perfect weather, phenomenal food, far too much wine and the most unbelievable natural beauty you could ask for. We were high on life and living our best life!

What are you enjoying most about newlywed life?

We feel very bonded, more so than before. Our families really came together for the first time at the wedding and it genuinely felt like two families were becoming one. It's a cool feeling. Also, it's fun to see him wear his ring and to change my last name.