Our bride Erica absolutely glows in her romantic spring wedding at The Mulberry. Styled by The Bridal Finery co-owner, Roberta, Erica wore ‘Mercer’ by Sareh Nouri. ‘Mercer’ is a gorgeous, feminine sleeveless v-neck mermaid gown with an open v back. Paired with Maria Elena earrings and a french lace veil.

Keep reading for inspiration for your wedding at The Mulberry!

Bride & Partner: Erica & Evan

Wedding Date: 02/27/2021

Wedding Venue: The Mulberry at New Smyrna Beach, FL

Vendors & Their Instagram Handles:

Planner - @envyeventdesign
Photographer - @bystephanievelez
Videographer - @moguefilms
Hair & Makeup - @beforetheaisleweddings
Florist - @gatherandgracedesigns
Rentals - @orlandoweddingandpartyrentals
Cake - @thesugaredoven
Gelato - @gelatogo
Catering - @corwinscatering
Band - @baykingsband

How did you & Evan meet?

Evan and I met through mutual friends while we were in school at Florida State University. GO NOLES! I was hanging out at my friends' place after our 8 am class and Evan came up to grab something from his friend (he lived in the apartment below). It looked like he had just woken up with his hair all disheveled with a hoodie and joggers on. Even when he had just woken up, I knew I was into him.

Where was your first date?

Our first date was at Masa which is an Asian-inspired seafood and sushi restaurant. Our first date was actually on my 19th birthday! That restaurant quickly became one of our favorite restaurants and we went there for many more celebrations thereafter.

How did Evan propose?

 Evan proposed in the most magical way. Evan's mom was planning a family trip to Europe for her 50th birthday and had invited us to come along. I was so excited since I had never been to Europe before! My parents love to travel so I asked them if they wanted to come too and to my surprise, they said yes. On the first day, we arrived in Venice, Italy. We took a water taxi to the hotel, got some incredible seafood for lunch, and freshened up before heading out again. Evan's mom told us we were getting family pictures taken so I got all dressed up, as I usually do. We arrived at our "family photo" location. We pulled up to a magnificent island that a Palladian church sat upon overlooking the lagoon known as the San Giorgio Maggiore.

What was your wedding dress shopping experience like?

INCREDIBLE! I only have the very BEST things to say about The Bridal Finery! It was the first day of trying on dresses for my wedding and I had gone to two different shops prior to visiting The Bridal Finery and neither two could even compare to how wonderful my experience was at The Bridal Finery. When I arrived, my party and I were immediately welcomed and offered drinks and snacks. One thing (out of many) that I love about The Bridal Finery is that only one bride will be trying on dresses at a time which makes the experience feel so much more special. My bridal stylist, Roberta, welcomed me and my party with open arms and invited us all to sit down. She asked me questions about myself, my fiancée, and my wedding. No other place that I went to took the time to get to know me beforehand. When it came time to try on dresses Roberta knew exactly what I wanted before I did! I found my gown at The Bridal Finery and I couldn't be more pleased with the women that own and work in this salon! And to top it off, the next day I went to visit a prospective venue, and Roberta texted me asking how it went. They also have many recommendations on vendors which is also a plus! I recommend The Bridal Finery to everyone I know because you won't have a better experience anywhere else SERIOUSLY!

What bridal accessory was your favorite?

This is so tough to choose from since I had so many incredible pieces. I really loved my shoes from Bella Belle Shoes. They were beautiful, romantic, and timeless. Even though they weren't shown much with my dress, I really loved the look and feel of them.

What do you love most about The Mulberry?

 When Evan and I first stepped onto the property, we knew it was the perfect venue for us. The second anyone arrives, it feels like you have stepped into a little oasis tucked away with a beautiful breeze, lots of trees, and the most stunning minimalist barn.

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

 I wish I knew everything that went into a wedding day. There are so many things I had never thought about before like making sure I had a beautiful hanger for my dress so the pictures look nice. Another thing I had completely forgotten about was a professional steamer for my wedding gowns! Roberta reminded me only a few days before the wedding, made some calls, and I found myself a steamer...all thanks to Roberta from The Bridal Finery. There are so many more details that go into the day but those are just some of the ones that can easily be overlooked but make such a difference.

How would you describe the overall feel of your wedding at The Mulberry?

It's hard to find the words to describe the best day of your life but the words I would choose are warm, elated, and blissful. The entire day just felt so magical. I remember when I was walking down the aisle with my dad. The sun was shining, there was a beautiful breeze and the man of my dreams was standing at the end of that aisle. It truly felt like I was in a dream. The entire day embodied love in so many ways. Love was shared all day, not only between Evan and I, but between friends that had not seen each other for years, between slow dances shared by couples...old and new, and between family members sharing laughs.

What wedding planning advice do you have for other brides?

Don't sweat the small stuff. I would scream this from the rooftops if I could! For the most part, I thoroughly enjoyed planning my wedding especially with the help of Jessie from Envy Lifestyle & Event Design. But every now and again, I would get caught up in the smallest details and I would get stressed or discouraged if something I dreamed up didn't turn out how I planned. Well, I am here to tell you that no one is going to notice what you didn't do. Your guests are going to see that magic and hard work you and your vendor team put into your day. Be present and enjoy every second because it flies by.

Where will your honeymoon be?

Evan and I want to go to Spain and Greece but obviously with everything going on in the world right now, it doesn't seem like the right time. We are thinking about doing a minimoon in the near future maybe somewhere in the tropics.

What are you enjoying most about newlywed life?

Evan said "I love being able to finally call you my wife". We love the feeling of getting settled into married life. We have been together for about 6 years and it feels right to call him my husband. We are happy that we have some more free time too after planning our wedding for over a year and some. We can't wait to see where life takes us and we will be celebrating all of life's small and big victories together.