1. Tell us about your wedding! What was the inspiration behind your day? Did you have a specific theme, style or color palette? Did you incorporate any cultural or religious traditions in any part of your day?
The venue and Church have beautiful wooden architecture. Sussex Conservatory was a stunning high ceilings with glass all around. We knew we wanted to incorporate a warm rustic theme throughout our day since it was a late fall wedding as well. The colors palette resolved around a maroon and dusty blue color. These colors are ones that you would not naturally place together but brought in a fall spirit once you see them together. Religious traditions were seen throughout our wedding day, with our ceremony taking place at the church we both grew up in. It felt special to be able to celebrate such a momentous occasion in a place with such significance in our lives.
2. Let's talk wedding decor. How did you decorate your space for the ceremony and the reception? Was any part of the decor DIY?
We had long known we'd have our ceremony in the sanctuary of our home church. A bright space filled with stain glass windows; the sanctuary's walls, vaulted arch ceiling, and pews are made of rich oak. Similarly, we had fallen for the wood interior of our venue, Sussex Conservatory, along with the walls full of windows. Since both spaces offered the depth and color of natural wood grain, we were able to focus on the details in a complementary way. The focus point of the sanctuary became the square frame arch my father hand built for us. With a simple draping of white fabric and an addition of florals that matched our bouquets, the arch became the most decorated element of our ceremony. Additionally, we used candles to illuminate the reception tables as we allowed the natural darkness through the walls of windows to set the ambiance. The final personal touches were our engagement pictures displayed throughout the cocktail hour and signs I had hand written used to welcome and direct guests to the ceremony and display our personalized drinks at the bars.
3. What were the florals like in your wedding? Did you use flowers in any of your design elements like the bridal bouquets, centerpieces or ceremony backdrop? Did they play an important part in the overall style of your wedding?
The focus point of the sanctuary ceremony backdrop was the square frame arch my father hand built for us - a simple draping of white fabric. The floral design that hung on the arch was created by the maid of honor with extra wooden flowers that were given to us by the florist and that matched our bouquets - the arch became the most decorated element of our ceremony. On the note of flowers, we chose to have flower wooden bouquets for myself and the bridesmaids, for longevity purposes. The bouquets were then laid across our sweet heart table before the reception began, to once again create one ornate focal point in a room full of structural beauty. The flowers were in the muted tones of our color palette - blues, greens, maroons, and pinks.
4. Did you personalize the day in any way (food trucks, guest entertainment etc.)? What were some of your favorite parts of your wedding?
Family, friendship and fun have always been at the center of our relationship. We wanted to display these characteristics of our relationship throughout our wedding day. My family is of a Hispanic background so throughout the wedding day there were details that represented that. During the ceremony we had the bible scripture be read allowed in both English and Spanish. The cocktail hour also featured a table with well loved Spanish foods such as paella and pulled pork empanadas. The grooms father is a cigar aficionado and was gracious enough to supply the cigars for guest to enjoy. It was a wonderful touch as the evening was not as chilly as we anticipated and guest were able to enjoy the Sussex County sky. We always believe in a late night pizza run so we were thrilled that we were able to offer individual slices of pizza to our guests as the evening ended. Our amazing caterers handmade many options of pizza for our guests to enjoy after a long night of dancing.
5. Let's talk fashion. How did you both choose your wedding day look? Describe the looks in detail.
I went into the wedding dress process with an open mind. I tried on many different dresses because I truly did not know what type of style I was interested in. When I tried on the wedding dress I ended up choosing I became silent. It simply just fell right. The dress had intricate beading through out with and overlay that glistened like freshly fallen snow. The dress had straps that resembled a wintery ivy with a V neckline. The groom and groomsmen wore a dark navy shade to compliment the bridesmaids dresses and tie in the romantic and moody fall wedding we were hoping for. The groomsmen wore maroon ties to complement the maid of honor dresses. In order to have the groom stand out we had him wear a three piece suit to tie everything together.
6. How did you meet? Tell us about the proposal.
Zak and I met at Church. We actually went to high school together. I knew of Zak but wasn't really interested. One day, Zak decided to attend a young adult group at our church. He came home excited to tell his parents not how the group went, but that he met a girl. That girl was me! It was here that our love story began, with God at the center, and full of adventure. We centered our early years of dating around camping, motocross races, dirt bikes, trips to chase the snow and motor oil. Whenever people saw us, we were always laughing and taking care of those we loved. One of my favorite things in the world is snow. No matter if it’s a little flurry or a giant blizzard, I will always turn into a giddy girl when snow is on the ground. It was fitting for Zak to propose outside of the Church courtyard after an intense snowstorm. I was very confused as to why he had decided to build a bonfire in the middle of piles of snow but soon I realized. When Zak proposed, I screamed for what seemed like forever. When I looked up, I saw my best friends in the window watching it all unfold, and my maid of honor, Jillian, was even photographing the entire thing. It was the perfect day.
7. What was the most anticipated or special moment of your wedding day?
The whole wedding was truly the most anticipated day. It was filled with small, meaningful touches. I was really adamant about all the children in my life being in the wedding and Zak wanted the service to be surrounded by the well known passage in the Bible of a cord of three strands. A special moment we were happy to have experienced was having a car service drive us from the church to the venue. It allowed us to take a breather and discuss the ceremony, the day, and get all pre-party jitters out. It was perfect for us to have a moment just to ourselves on our big day.
8. Do you have any wedding planning or marriage advice that you'd like to share with other couples planning their day?
Tell your story throughout the day. Find moments and details that represent where you came from and the couple you will become. It is true that most of the details may not be noticed by the guest, but they are meaningful to you, and are a part of the story that brought you together.
Venue: Sussex County Conservatory
Floral Designer: Little Wooden Flower
Favors and Gifts: Tiffany & Co.
Invitation Designer: Cam Turner Design
Hair Stylist: Amac Hair Artistry
Lighting: Lifetime Entertainment
Makeup Artist: Makeup by McKenna
Photographer: Laurel Creative