We sat down with another beautiful Wonderland bride to get her love story. Meet Carli & Johnny, who were married June 11,2016.
When and how did you meet?
I met him through my 2 best friends who went to high school with him in 2008. Our very first time meeting each other was at a Halloween party, but I never knew what he looked like because he had a mask on the entire time. I met him a few times after that, but I didnt really know him until he came to church with my best friends. After seeing him at church for the first time, I learned that he lived across the street from me and we would all hang out together with a few other friends.
How long did you date before he popped the question?
We dated for a little over 5 years before he popped the question. We were high school sweet hearts.
How did he propose?
At the time, I was in the college group at church. Johnny Asked Josh, who was the college pastor, to tell the group that we were going to have a game night one Saturday night, when really it was a clever way of getting me to church without me noticing anything suspicious. I arrived at church with my best friend, Laura. The game night was going to be held in the youth room, so I naturally walked into the youth room and became completely shocked. As soon as I stepped foot in the room, our song started playing and he made a path of flower petals with little chalkboard signs that had sweet memories on them. The pathway got bigger and ended with a shape of a heart and a chair in the middle. Then I looked up and noticed a slideshow was playing of pictures of us. I sat in the chair and just started crying tears of joy. I prayed a quick prayer, and as soon as I looked up, there he was. He took my hand and started telling me how he wants to spend the rest of his life with me, wants to start a family with me and wants to grow old with me. He told me how much he loved me and how he believed The Lord has chosen me to be his wife. Then with tears in his eyes, he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. I could not have imagined a more romantic, special moment.
Where were you married and how did you pick the place?
We had our ceremony at our church, which is Victory Life Church in Plantation, Fl. For the both of us, it felt only right to get married at the church we grew up in, so there was really no desire to get married any place else. We had our reception at a separate location about 10 mins away.
What theme and/or colors have you chosen for your wedding and why?
We didnt choose a theme, however I love rustic and shabby chic. So there was a mix of those 2 themes throughout our wedding. Our colors were navy, soft pink, and our accent color was shimmery gold. I was just looking through ideas on Pinterest of colors. I kept on finding pink and gold so I liked that idea and just added navy.
Where did you go for your honeymoon?
We went on a cruise, Allure of the seas by Royal Caribbean. We went to Nassau, Bahamas, St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, and St. Kitts, Virgin Islands. It was a very nice and memorable experience and I HIGHLY recommend it as a honeymoon.
Why did you choose Wonderland Bridal for your dream dress?
Wonderland Bridal looked like a cute bridal boutique online and it was the very first bridal store I visited. Sure enough, they had the winning dress!
Share your experience about your time with Wonderland Bridal.
My first appointment was with Sonia. She was so sweet and made me feel so comfortable and beautiful inside and out. I could tell she truly cared for my experience to be a memorable one. At my first appointment, I tried on my winning dress but didnt know it was the winner yet. It wasnt until my next appointment with Wonderland Bridal that I made the decision to go with my dress. From there, I got to know Patti very well, and she too made me feel so beautiful and truly cared for me. Wonderland Bridal was by far the best bridal store and experience out of all the stores I visited.
What was the best part of your wedding day?
The ceremony! At that point, we were almost together for 6 years before marriage, so I couldnt wait to call him my husband. I also loved spending it with our friends and family.
Any advice to future couples currently planning a wedding?
If you have a friend who you are considering to capture the moments of your wedding, just be sure you are aware of their past experiences with weddings and photography. I had a friend do mine, and while I am very thankful for the pictures that I do have, there were unfortunately many photos that I wished to be present that werent. As a bride, I had many moments in my head that I wanted to be captured. Even though my friend is extremely talented, she is not a professional. I thought I would save tons of money by using her. And even though I did, I wish I would have looked for a professional so my wishes could be more easily met. Again, I am very grateful for the photos that I do have but there were some moments that didnt get captured through a lens and I wish I could have a picture to look back at them.
[gallery ids="2334,2332,2341" type="rectangular"]