Real Bride weds in a lace open back wedding dress at The Sydonie Mansion
Congratulations Kristine and Justin!
Kristine and Justin’s love story began with a simple “swipe right”, and the rest is history. From their first date at a bowling alley, to an incredible trip all across Europe, their love was quickly writing a fairy tale. In the word’s of Kristine’s grandmother, Justin finally “got the hint” and proposed in the presence of their friends and family. With only four and a half months of planning time, Kristine went on a journey to the perfect wedding day, all leading up to that special walk down the aisle at Sydonie Mansion in her gorgeous Calla Blanche wedding dress. Read below to learn more about Kristine’s love story with Justin, wedding dress shopping experience, and tips for future brides!
Name: Kristine
Partner's Name : Justin
Event Type & Location (wedding, rehearsal dinner, bridal shower, bachelorette party, or honeymoon): Wedding: Sydonie Mansion in Mount Dora, FL
Event Date : 11/23/19
Vendors & Their Instagram Handles: Videographer: OT (@dp_ot)
Photographer: Jessica Leigh (@Jessica.leigh.photography.fl)
Coordinator & Florist: Jeane (@jeane_cognac_designs)
Cake: Michael Anthony (@michaelanthonycakes)
Hair & Makeup: Lauren (@laurareynoldsartist)
DJ & Photo Booth: Hector (@creative.entertainment.orlando)
Catering: Mission BBQ (@missionbbq)
Officiant: Hank (@hank.porcher)
Muscles: Tough as Nails (@cftoughasnails)
How did you & your partner meet? : Our paths first crossed while he was on the job, but it was a missed connection. Later we both swiped right and the rest was history.
Where was your first date? : A bowling alley in Altamonte Springs, he didn't even let me win!
How did your partner propose? : A couple weeks after our epic, backpacking across Europe trip, we went down to Key Largo for a friend's birthday, and on the way back to Orlando we stopped to have lunch with my family at Restoration Hardware in West Palm Beach. After lunch, we went downstairs in the patio area and took pictures near the fountains. Come to find out, he carried the ring all the way through Europe but decided to bring it home and ask me in front of my family. Apparently my grandma and I were the only ones who didn't know it was going to happen after lunch that day. I'll never forget her yelling "Kristine, after all this time he finally got the hint!"
What was your dress shopping experience like? : Short and sweet! The Bridal Finery was the only place we went to and my gorgeous wedding dress was the first one that I tried on.
What did you wish you knew before you started wedding planning?: I wish I had known how much planning and details actually went into a wedding. We had a 4.5 month engagement before the wedding and while I don't regret it, I certainly wouldn't recommend it.
Where was your wedding? What did you decide on that space?: Sydonie Mansion. From the moment I saw the cocktail area garden, I knew that was my dream wedding venue. The vine walls and the koi ponds are breathtaking.
What's your favorite memory from your event? : The Father-Daughter dance was one of my favorite memories, even though there was more talking than dancing. I decided to take that moment to tell my dad how much I loved him and how big of a role he played in raising me to be the woman I am today. So many tears.
What is a 'must have' for brides on wedding day?: Wedding Coordinator. There will be one million things that go wrong and your coordinator will be the one making things right, sometimes before you even know what happened. And if you happen to almost have an anxiety attack before you walk down the aisle because you ran out of time and didn't write your vows, your coordinator can magically calm you down and keep the show going.
How would you describe the overall feel of your event? : Antique, Fairy tale Garden
What wedding planning advice do you have for other brides? : There comes a certain point in planning when you just have to start crossing things off your to-do list because you've run out of time. Don't be afraid to cross things off because no one will ever know what they "missed" and you'll save yourself so much stress by just crossing them off and moving on. I would recommend that whatever isn't finished by the day before rehearsal, should be crossed off so you can relax and enjoy the time before the wedding.
Where was your honeymoon? : We haven't gone yet, but we booked an Alaskan cruise with our Matron of Honor and Groomsman. A few years ago we crashed their honeymoon in Iceland so we're excited for another honeymoon with them.
