Bride wears Ines Di Santo to her Orthodox wedding ceremony
Congratulations Marriette & Michael!
From a dreamy proposal, to an even dreamier wedding day, our real bride Mariette shares her story of planning her and Michael’s dream wedding! Keep reading to here about Mariette’s dress shopping expierience, what she wish she knew before her wedding, and tips she has for all new and future brides!
Your Name: Mariette
Partner's Name: Michael
Event Type: Wedding Ceremony and Reception
Event Date: July 18, 2020
Event Location:Ceremony: St. Rebekah Coptic Orthodox Church
Reception: Four Seasons
Vendors:
Planner: Plan It Event Design and Management / @planit_events
Dress, Veil, Hairpiece and Earrings: The Bridal Finery (Ines De Santo, Maria Elena)
Photography and Videography: Nate Puhr / @natepuhr
Hair and Makeup: Makeover Station / @makeoverstation
Floral: Bluegrass Chic / @bluegrasschicweddings
DJ, Lighting: Fyerfly Productions / @fyerflyproductions
Seating Assignments/Custom Menu and Monograms: Two Peas Paper Co. / @twopeaspaperco
Dancefloor: Letz Dance On It / @letzdanceonit
Draping: Swag Decor / @swagdecor
Chargers and Cake Stand: A Chair Affair / @achairaffair
Linens: Over the Top / @overthetoprentallinens
How did your partner propose? Since Mike is from Rhode Island, we typically planned ahead and alternated our visits. Last July, Mike visited on my birthday weekend (July 28). At the end of his visit, he mentioned coming again in August. I thought it made sense since I am a teacher and the beginning of the school year was nearing. I figured he would come again in August since I would be busy preparing my classroom. I was slightly suspicious that he had something up his sleeve, but I tried not to overthink it! Fast forward to the weekend of August 17, Mike had arrived in Orlando and we were planning out how we wanted to spend the weekend. Eat at a couple of restaurants, walk around the farmers market Saturday morning, and of course, church on Sunday. On Saturday morning, I kept mentioning we needed to get moving if we wanted to go to the farmers market, but Mike didn't seem interested. We were with my family, and they were saying that we should all hang out together. Again, I was a bit confused, but I figured "just go with it." We ended up going to The Wheel at Icon Park (Orlando Eye), which was where Mike and I went on our first date.. again, I tried not to overthink it - I didn't want to get my hopes up for nothing! We walked around and ended up going for a ride on the Eye. When we reached the very top, I was pointing around with my back towards Mike, trying to show him where the house was, where the theme parks were, etc. and he was oddly silent... I turned around to see why he was so quiet and he was on one knee! He said some meaningful things, followed by a special question, and of course, I answered that question with a "yes!" It was the perfect day :)
How was your dress shopping experience? Prior to wedding dress shopping, I had a pretty good idea of what I liked. I wanted a fitted dress that was simple, elegant, preferably incorporating mikado/satin, as well as an illusion neckline and maybe some lace. I was not interested in having much beading or tulle. I went to three wedding dress boutiques, tried on various dresses, and felt as though the dress I had in mind may not exist. At the third shop, I almost bought a beautiful fitted gown, with lots of beading and lots of tulle... it was absolutely beautiful, and completely opposite of what I had always envisioned myself in. It wasn't "me" at all. Thank God I was convinced by my family to sleep on that purchase and revisit the idea the next day. That's where The Bridal Finery came in! I had heard of the boutique from my planner, Caitlin at Plan It. I decided to give it a shot, although I was very close to feeling defeated. After a quick phone call with Jamie, followed by a few texts with Tali, I was ready to come in for my appointment. I had sent Tali a few photos, and she said she had a dress in mind that may be exactly what I was looking for. I was nervous but excited! I can't say enough great things about the ladies at The Bridal Finery. The minute I walked in, I felt like I was hanging out with friends! Not to mention, the very first dress I tried on with Tali was the dress of my dreams. She took an already perfect dress and pinned some more lace appliques, shortened sleeves, added coverage, and literally made the dress perfect for me. I can't wait to have the opportunity to recommend The Bridal Finery to friends and family that are on the hunt for the perfect wedding dress in the future!
What was your favorite memory from your event? I honestly cannot say I have a specific memory that is my favorite from our wedding day. It all went so smoothly, and every single moment of the day was perfect. Getting ready was relaxing, it rained as we were all getting dressed and ended just in time for first looks and photos. The first look was so special, and I loved seeing Mike's big smile when he turned to see me for the first time on our special day. The ceremony was so meaningful, and Mike and I found ourselves so focused on the prayers and the meaning of it all. The quiet time we spent taking photos and relaxing before the reception was perfect. We were able to reflect on everything and just process it all together. And finally the reception, again, was just a dream come true! It was amazing to see all of our hard work come together and to have our closest friends and family there to celebrate with us. From start to finish, it was all around the most perfect day!
What wedding planning tips do you have? Give yourself enough time to take the planning process slowly. Having more than enough time to plan the wedding really helped ease the stress of it all. Also, get yourself an amazing wedding planner! While many of the "this or that" decisions were stressful, having a wedding planner to give us a timeline, keep things in order, communicate with all the vendors, and guide us throughout the process made a world of a difference. Between giving ourselves ample planning time and working with our awesome wedding planner Caitlin, at times I felt so relaxed that I found myself asking her if there was something else I should be doing! Overall, I would just say take a deep breath and enjoy the process. It was so much fun planning our dream wedding and then living it out on the day of. It goes by so quickly! I'm still so shocked by how quickly it all became a memory for us. But it is surely our best memory yet!
What is one thing you wish you knew before you started planning your wedding? Enjoy the planning process, but don't lose sight of the fact that it's only one (fun!) day. I wish I told myself that more beforehand, and in the midst of the stress/decision making. It was always something I heard, but never something that applied to me. When I finally found myself planning our wedding, I completely threw that out the window! While the wedding planning process will likely consume most of your spare time, keep you up at night, and probably distract you from your real job at times, it's important to keep reminding yourself that it's just one day. All the little details that you stress over are things that your guests won't even notice. Honestly, you yourself most likely won't notice on the day of! Because when it's all said and done, it isn't about all the little details you spent hours searching for on Pinterest, and it isn't about the wedding at all frankly, it's about your marriage!
