Obviously, there is little I love more than a beautiful wedding. My husband, yes, my son, of course, but really, the list stops there. I live for weddings like this. With gorgeous florals from A Garden Party. With beautiful light, captured by Tanya Salazar of Craig Paulson Photography. With a couple so sweetly in love, you can’t help but celebrate right along side them.
From the beautiful bride… Scott made a childhood dream of mine come true when he took me to Monet’s Garden in Giverny, France on September 4, 2011. He made another dream of mine come true when he asked me to marry him on a quiet bench in the middle of the lush gardens. It was from that day on that we started looking forward to celebrating our love for each other and wedding, surrounded by our families and great friends. Upon seeing the uniqueness of Bonnet Island Estate and speaking with the wonderful Staff at Merrimakers, we were ready to start planning our wedding for April 27, 2013. With the love, support, and assistance of our families and friends we had the most beautiful and unforgettable wedding weekend. Tanya and Kim from Craig Paulson photography did an amazing job of capturing our special moments together, our [large] families, and the fun that our guests were having that day.
It was important that our wedding day represent the two of us and our tastes a wedding that was classic, elegant, and comfortable for our guests. Personal touches were important. I walked down the aisle to the song Claire DeLune that my Grandmother used to play for me as a child. I used her broach as a bouquet ornament so that a piece of her was close to me during the ceremony. We displayed Scott’s fathers artwork throughout the Estate so that all of our guests could enjoy his beautiful photographs of places that he and his wife had traveled.
Saturday April 27th was a perfect day. The sun was out and the temperature was right for our quasi-outdoor wedding ceremony that took place in the quaint barn on the Estate. A breeze was blowing off the Bay, which made for great pictures with my Monique Lhullier gown. Gillian Moritz and her makeup artist Crystal, from Beauty Artist Group, amazed all of the ladies and myself with the gorgeous hair styles and makeup application. The girls looked stunning in their Amsale dresses and light pink bouquets.
Our florists, The Garden Party Sisters, created the romantic environment we had envisioned, with rose pedals and candles blanketing the mantle and fireplace where the ceremony took place. Cherry blossoms decorated the archway as I walked down the aisle to my soon to be husband. Our Priest, Monsignor Ronald Rozniak of my home Parish, and Rabbi Dennis Tobin did a wonderful job working together and incorporating both of our familys religious traditions into our memorable ceremony. My favorite memory of the day is the glow of the sun on Scotts face as he said his vows to me and the smiles and tears of our families and friends in the background.
Bud Maltin Metropolitan Music performed all of the music for our wedding day and had our guests dancing the entire night. We walked out of the ceremony to an acoustic version of Bob Marley’s “Is This Love” which put a smile on our guests faces. Scott and I had our first dance to Paul McCartney’s “Maybe Im Amazed” and then were joined on the dance floor for a lively rendition of the Hora as well as some Salsa music for my Cuban family.
We left for our honeymoon in Thailand the next day, feeling so lucky and blessed not only to have found each other, but also to have so much love and support from our amazing family and friends who traveled from all over to share in our day. Our wedding day went off without a hitch, thanks to Meghan our Bridal Assistant, the entire Merrimakers staff, and all of vendors.
Photography: Craig Paulson Photography | Floral Designer: A Garden Party | Wedding Dress: Monique Lhuillier | Jewelry: Nordstrom | Catering: Merri-Makers Catering & Special Events | Hair + Makeup: Beauty Artist Group | Entertainment: Bud Maltin Metropolitan Music | Venue: Bonnet Island Estate | Invitation Design: Carlson Craft