James and I met when I was home for spring break from college. A friend of mine invited me to the beach with a bunch of her friends and James and I went on a walk and got to know each other that day.
How long did you date before he popped the question?
We dated for 1 year and 3 months before James proposed.
How did he propose?
We were walking down Fort Lauderdale beach where we had one of our first dates. After a long walk, we came up to a heart in the sand that looked like it was deeply shoveled into the ground and rose petals all around and inside the heart. He took my hand and walked me inside the heart. James started to tell me some memories we had together and then he got down on one knee and proposed. After, my family and friends were all at the beach hiding out and came to surprise me. We ended our night celebrating with all of our family and friends.
Where were you married and how did you pick the place?
We got married at The Flamingo Gardens. We toured several venues but all I ever really wanted was an outside wedding with lights and trees all around us. Flamingo Gardens was beautiful during the day time but it was MAGICAL at night so we went for it!
What theme and/or colors have you chosen for your wedding and why?
Picking my colors was one of my favorite parts of planning our wedding! Mauve, ivory, gold accents, and greenery! I wanted my wedding to really have a garden/whimsical feel.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken Ecclesiastes 4:12 was our theme Bible verse for our entire wedding. James and I agreed that our wedding day was more than the trees, the lights, and the colors. To us, the meaning of our marriage goes beyond just one day. During our ceremony we literally braided a three strand rope in the shape of a cross to symbolize the meaning of this verse. Our theme was and is to keep God at the center of our marriage.
Where did you go for your honeymoon?
We decided to bundle up and go to Asheville, NC during November and see the Fall leaves. Since we are from Florida and all.
Why did you chose Wonderland Bridal for your dream dress?
The dress shopping experience at Wonderland was peaceful and stress-free. I always had in mind what kind of dress I wanted. Wonderland Bridal showed me dresses that matched what I had in mind and they were at such a reasonable price!
Share your experience about your time with Wonderland Bridal.
I chose my dress during my first visit there! I really felt like the ladies at Wonderland knew my vision and understood what I was looking for. All the dresses I tried on were exactly what I wanted. They allowed me to take my time and made the experience of finally choosing my dress so special for me and my guests who were with me.
They were with me every step of the way especially since they helped with my Bridesmaids dresses as well. The Wonderland ladies really went above and beyond to make sure my girls and myself had everything we needed.
What was the best part of your wedding day?
Where do I start? I had FUN from beginning to end!
If I had to choose though it would be the time spent with my husband during our first look. It really was the only alone time we had during our wedding and I loved it! Not to mention I cried like a baby.
Any advice to future couples currently planning a wedding?
Yes! I know its hard to imagine BUT there IS life after wedding planning so dont get so caught up in the details for one day that you forget marriage is more important than the wedding day. AND HAVE FUN! Things might not go as planned but just embrace the day and enjoy the people!
Photos by Andrielle Photography [gallery ids="4737,4741,4742,4738,4740,4746,4745,4744,4743" type="rectangular"]Please specify any that apply
- Flowers: Petals and Stems @petalsandstemsflorals (Facebook)
- Cake: The Cake Lady www.thecakeladybakes.com
- Catering: Exquisite Catering
- Entertainment: DJ Jayson Escalona Media (Insta: J.Escalona Media).
- Singer (Ceremony): Josh Bramos www.joshbramos.com
- Invitations: Minted @mintedweddings
- Hair: Jackie Olivera
- Make Up: Nina Bradley
- Photographer: Andrielle Photography
- Videographer: None
- Decor: My Mom and I (we got a bunch of stuff off of Offerup.com for pretty cheap and of course Etsy.com)