November 18, 2014

Amy + Brandon / Spectacular Bella Collina Wedding!

Interview with the gorgeous Amy + Brandon:
HOW DID YOU MEET? I had known of Brandon for a while before actually meeting him. I was in an organization with his college roommate (and best man) and went to parties and get-togethers at his apartment long before speaking to him. Then in February 2011 I held an event at her house called “Kegs for Kids” to raise money for Dance Marathon and Children’s Miracle Network. Clayton brought along Brandon and I finally had the chance to meet him! I was chatting with some friends when he smiled this huge grin from across the table and said hi. We spent the evening talking about indie bands and traveling (he was planning his trip to China!).
Now I say I met him at a charity event. Brandon says he met me at a keg party.
WHAT ATTRACTED YOU THE MOST TO YOUR HUSBAND/WIFE?
Brandon– I was attracted to her happiness and warmth. She was so enthusiastic on our first date, and her face was beaming through several hours and even more stories. It was so easy to stay engaged with her.
Amy– What most attracted me to Brandon was his enthusiasm. Our first date last 4 hours and our second lasted 9, the whole time just spent talking. He was so excited about everything, from school to music to my long and probably boring stories! His enthusiasm and joy has kept us laughing and having fun for the past 4 years.
HOW DID HE PROPOSE? Brandon went above and beyond when planning this proposal! My parents were in town for Labor Day weekend and Brandon sent the three of us off to brunch while he was “working” (i.e. getting everything ready). When we left brunch, a town car was waiting to take me on a scavenger hunt around Boston. At each stop, I had to answer three questions about our relationship to get my next clue. Best of all, he had brought in my friends and family from New York, Vermont, Georgia, Alabama, and Florida and had one person waiting to see me at each stop! After sending me to all of my favorite spots around the city, the day ended at the top of Boston’s famous Clock Tower where he popped the question!
WHAT INSPIRED YOUR VISION FOR YOUR WEDDING? Growing up I loved several different fairytale movies, especially Beauty and the Beast and Ever After. I wanted to incorporate the lush, whimsical feel of those movies without blatantly referring to them. I looked at a lot of inspiration weddings that had lush flowers and antique centerpieces to try to find ways to incorporate the feel of those stories while still keeping the focus entirely on the two of us as a couple.
TELL US ABOUT FINDING YOUR VENUE: Finding Bella Collina was actually really easy for us. Back in 2008, while I was studying in Italy, my mom saw it and said, “Amy’s going to want to get married there one day.” The same day Brandon and I got engaged my mom showed me the website and I fell in love for a second time!
WHAT WAS YOUR BIGGEST PLANNING CHALLENGE? The biggest challenge was planning from afar. We are located up in Boston, so I had to rely on a couple meetings and the knowledge of Brandee Gaar with Blush (my wedding coordinator) and my mom to make sure everything was ready. I had one weekend of initial meetings with vendors; another weekend to see finalized table settings, invitations, etc.; and then showed up at the wedding praying that it all ended up the way I expected. It was absolutely perfect!
WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE DESIGN ELEMENT OF YOUR WEDDING? Hands down the chandeliers over the dance floor! I had always wanted one, but there were no trees. When I mentioned to Brandee that I was sad that we couldn’t have chandeliers since there wasn’t anything to hang them from she said, “Oh, I have a guy for that!” Ben with Kaleidoscope Event Lighting is a genius and found a way to hang not 1, but 3 chandeliers over the dance floor. At night it looked like they were just floating over the lawn!
DID YOU HAVE ANY DIY DETAILS? We didn’t have much in the way of DIY. Though we grew up in Florida, Brandon and I live in Boston now. We didn’t even get in town until a few days before the wedding, which didn’t leave too much time for crafting, especially with my crafting skills.
WHAT WAS THE MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT OF YOUR WEDDING DAY? My most memorable moment was the same as Brandon’s, when we finally got to see each other. The aisle was slightly curved, so for the first bit of the walk we couldn’t see each other. It built up the suspense so that it was even better. My other most memorable moment was standing with my dad right before I walked down the aisle. The whole morning was a complete whirlwind of curling irons, makeup brushes, and tulle. With so many people around me, I couldn’t really think about what was about to happen. Those few moments gave me a minute to quietly think about how big this event was in our lives and allowed me to walk in to the ceremony with a clear head.
CAN YOU DESCRIBE YOUR DRESS? I absolutely loved my dress! It was a tulle A-line Monique Lhuillier that I got from the Collection in Winter Park. It was everything I had wanted from the start. It has the look of a tulle ball gown without all the bulk. Really, it’s just a few layers of tulle, so it was really light and comfortable. On the upper half of the dress there was lace and beaded applique that gave it a soft, romantic feel. The dress is actually made strapless, but when I mentioned to my alterations lady, Judy at the Seamstress in Winter Park, that I was worried about being in a strapless dress all night she added some little straps on for me. Overall the dress was able to give me the look I wanted without sacrificing comfort!
HOW WAS YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH YOUR PHOTOGRAPHER? We had so much fun with Sara and Jason both times they photographed us. Shooting our engagement photos around Boston was amazing and allowed us to feel even more comfortable on our wedding day. When I first saw their pictures I was ready to book them without asking a single question and I remember Sara saying she wanted to meet me first to make sure we got along. I’m so happy we did! They are the first people you really spend time with after you get married, so it’s so important that you enjoy being with them (and don’t mind kiss in front of them. A lot.)
WHAT’S NEXT FOR YOU AND YOUR HUSBAND AS A COUPLE? Well, we just got back from a two-week honeymoon in Thailand, which was an absolute dream!! Now we are just settling into real life and enjoying being able to finally say “husband” and “wife”!
CAN YOU PLEASE LIST YOUR VENDORS:
Wedding Coordinator- Blush by Brandee Gaar
Venue- Bella Collina
Officiant- Rev. Glynn Ferguson, Sensational Ceremonies
Photographers- Concept Photography
Videographers- Shutter Life Productions
Florist- Lee James Floral Designs
Dress – Collection in Winter Park
Lighting- Kaleidoscope Event Lighting
Band/DJ- The Buzzcats
Ceremony Music- Beautiful Music
Stationary- Dogwood Blossom Stationery & Invitation Studio, LLC
Cake- Party Flavors
Hair/Makeup- Lejeune Artistry
Chairs- A Chair Affair

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