Congratulations to Taryn and Darin on their wedding that made guests say “Wow!”

Congratulations to The Bridal Finery bride, Taryn and her husband, Darin! Taryn and Darin celebrated their big day with friends and family at the Maitland Art and History Museum in October. Roberta styled Taryn in an A-line wedding gown by Alyne by Rita Vinieris. This gown was perfect for their fun filled day. The skirt layers and strapless bodice allow for endless movement and relaxation. Congrats, Taryn and Darin! We wish you the happiest first year of marriage.

Name: Taryn Palumbo

Partner's Name : Darin Jones

Event Type & Location: Wedding - Art & History Museums, Maitland

Event Date : 10/19/19

Vendors & Their Instagram Handles: Hairstylist: Katie Perry @KatiePerryHair
Make Up: Denise Marie @DeniseMarieBeauty
Photographer: Sara Kane @SaraKCKPhoto
Rentals: Orlando Wedding & Party Rentals @OrlandoWeddingandPartyRentals
Bartenders: Bartini @BartiniOrlando
DJ: Danny Kasler @DannyKasler

Where was your first date? : Darin and I met in Orlando at Buffalo Wild Wings where I was bar-tending. As with any good love story, there were a lot of free drinks, creepy staring (by me), and an extremely awkward phone number exchange initiated by a co-worker who was, basically, sick of me googly-eyeing Darin and then hiding. While you might think the flames of love were roaring, this is where our love story ended... or so I thought. About a month later, Darin and I ran into each other again and joked about how uncomfortable our last meeting was. He asked me if I wanted to go out with him that night and we've been together ever since.

How did your partner propose? : We were on a trip to San Francisco with some of our friends and decided to spend a day in Sonoma, California. Our first stop was to the Ledson Winery; it was a weekday afternoon and there was no one at the vineyard but us. We walked up the driveway to an enormous castle surrounded by Alice in Wonderland-like rose bushes with a giant stone fountain in the middle. Trying to seize the opportunity, I asked our friends, Nick and Emily, if they would please take our picture. Now, they knew what was coming and of course, I did not. They started asking if I wanted them to hold my purse and my phone and directing us to move closer to the fountain to which I replied "You guys are so bossy! Just take the picture!" Next thing you know, I turn around and Darin is down on one knee.

What was your dress experience like? : Being a huge fan of "Say Yes to the Dress," I was determined to get on the show. I hadn't put much thought into wedding dress shopping otherwise, especially since my family all live out of state. One weekend, my mom and aunt flew in to help with some wedding planning and we decided to just look at some dresses for fun. We went to a couple of boutiques and tried on around 15 dresses, but nothing really made me say WOW! I was starting to get discouraged and asked my mom how anyone was supposed to find a dress, they all just looked fine but I really felt like maybe that “THE ONE" moment was just for TV. The day my family was flying back to Texas, we showed my aunt our wedding venue and had some time to kill before they needed to be at the airport. We found The Bridal Finery on a whim and I am so glad we did!

Right off the bat, the boutique was gorgeous and Roberta greeted us instantly. She took the time to sit down with me, learn about our theme, and look at pictures of our venue to help me find a dress that would fit. We tried on a couple that were okay, and then my aunt pulled one off the rack and said to just try it. It was a gorgeous dress but I wasn't sure that it was really what I was going for, it had a lot of layering and looked very puffy on the hanger, but let me just tell you, I had my "THE ONE" moment! Roberta could see how much I loved the dress before I even turned around to show my family. She went and grabbed a veil and helped me pin my hair up. As soon as she was done, tears just started streaming down my face and I knew I had found my dress.

After twirling around the boutique and pretty much refusing to take the dress off - it was time to call my grandma and break the news that we would not be going on "Say Yes to the Dress" after all!

Where was your wedding? What did you decide on that space?: Our wedding was at the Art & History Museums, Maitland. We were looking for a space that was a little different and would make our guests say “WOW!” As soon as we pulled up, I knew we had found our venue. They gave us free rein of the spaces and allowed us to bring in our own caterers and alcohol, which was a big perk! The venue itself had a gorgeous garden area with a beautiful Lilly pond that was perfect for the ceremony. Across the street, there are unique stone elements and a hidden cathedral that we knew would give us one of a kind pictures and accentuate our color scheme. Lastly, the reception hall had beautiful art pieces all around and so many great backdrops for photos! We wanted a space that would be both simple and elegant but also provide a wow factor for our guests and this was it! We didn't have to compromise a single thing.

What wedding planning advice do you have for other brides? : The most frequent advice I received was to not let other's influence what we wanted - it's our day after all! But I think it's also important to ask for help when you need it. Give tasks and let other people help out so you are not overwhelmed. Lastly, be willing to go with the flow and know overall that it will work out. It POURED all morning on our wedding day and I was feeling so defeated, but my team of incredible vendors and friends pulled together to make a plan B and by the grace of the universe it stopped raining just in time! I became so focused on trying to impress our guests during the planning stages, but on our wedding day it was all about Darin & I being together and surrounded by our loved ones. The little details didn't matter and if something changed, no one knew how it was supposed to be anyway!

Where was your honeymoon? : We are doing a European honeymoon next May, but did a "mini-moon" to Nashville the weekend after our wedding. It was absolutely incredible and so nice to spend a few days alone together. Even if it's just a stay-cation, plan some alone time together if you can! The opportunity to decompress and just be alone together was the best feeling in the world.