Location of Wedding:             Grand View- Mendon, MA

Location of Reception:           Grand View- Mendon, MA

Cake Maker:                         Gerardo’s Italian Bakery- West Boylston, MA

DJ:                                      Unique Sounds Entertainment

First Dance Song:                 “From the Ground Up”- Dan & Shay

Dress Boutique:                    David’s Bridal

Caterer:                               Grand View- Mendon, MA

Florist:                                 Katydid Flowers- Mendon, MA

Limo Service:                       Able Limousine- Milford, MA

1.)    How did you two meet?

We met through mutual friends. Our friends were hosting friends at their cape house and Ryan and I became good friends from there. It wasn’t until a couple years later that we realized there was more there.

2.)    How did he pop the question?

Ryan surprised me after my softball game with a bouquet of flowers and a card. My birthday was in a few days, so I figured it was just an early gift. When I opened up the card, it said that we would be going to Newport for the weekend. When I turned around to tell him how excited I was, he was down on one knee and asked me to marry him!

3.)    What was your favorite moment(s) from the wedding?

I loved absolutely every moment from the wedding. It’s hard to choose just one; but, one of my favorite moments was when Ryan and I were sitting at our sweetheart table looking out at everyone and realizing that all of the people we love most in the world were there with us in one room. It was very moving.

4.)    How long have you been together?

We’ve been together for 5 years and friends for 8.

5.)    How would you describe your overall wedding experience?

Our overall wedding experience was amazing. It seemed almost too easy while planning and everything just fell into place. The day of the wedding was absolutely beautiful and far exceeded our expectations. It truly was a perfect day!

6.)    What advice would you offer to other couples planning a wedding?

I would offer to couples to take their time with decisions and to really just enjoy the experience of being engaged and wedding planning. It’s a really special time but wedding planning can be overwhelming- so make sure to spend time together and enjoy it.

7.)    What photography-related advice would you offer to a couple?

Make sure that you meet with the photographer before booking. You get a real sense of who the person is and their style.

8.)    Tell me about your dress. Where did you find it, how did you choose it, how did you know it was the one?

I purchased my dress at David’s Bridal in Natick, Ma. I went to the salon with my mom, sister and now mother-in-law. We had a great experience; I tried on several dresses and when I tried on the last dress we all knew that it was the one. Our consultant was very helpful with finding the right dress for my style and body as well as extremely helpful finding the right accessories that would help make the dress perfect for me.

9.)    How was your experience taking photos/working with me on your wedding day?

We had a great experience with Stephen on the day of the wedding. He was punctual, fast-moving and had a great eye for detail. He had great ideas for photos and captured so many little moments we didn’t even realize happened. He really is fantastic and a pleasure to work with.

10.) Did you see each other before the wedding? If not, did you like waiting or would you have rather done it differently? Tell me why or why not!

We decided to not see each other before the wedding. I had always envisioned seeing Ryan for the first time as I walk down the aisle and we are so happy with our decision to do that. It was still felt like an intimate moment- even though it was in front of everyone.

11.) Any tips on how to prepare for the wedding photos?

I would suggest being open to ideas from your photographer since they are the real professionals in the business. You can also research ahead of time any shots you know you want to do and make sure to provide that information with the photographer. Ryan and I just went with it and enjoyed the moment!

12.) Any tips that you have about preparing your wedding party for the photos? What did you tell them, how did you get them to cooperate, what did you do or what would you have done differently?

We didn’t really prepare our wedding party for photos- besides telling them an idea of timing. I felt like that was all they needed as the process was so smooth!

13.) Any tips on what to bring?

Definitely bring lipstick/lip gloss for touch ups and an emergency sewing kit. I didn’t have a small sewing kit with my but thankfully my friend did! She had to sew my dress right before the wedding ceremony because it became a loose after losing some weight after the final fitting.  

14.) We love to hear about vendors you love. List any vendors here and feel free to share your experience. Be sure to include the name of the vendor, their profession, city/state, site or Facebook page and how your experience was!

We loved all of our vendors! They were all a pleasure to work with and really made our day so special!

Make-Up: Brighteyes Beauty Bar- Worcester, MA -stylist Angella. I first met with Angella for a trial and fell absolutely in love with her work. She does a great job of enhancing your features and making you look and feel beautiful. On the day of, she was outstanding; I had never felt so beautiful before!

Officiant: Claire Miller, JP- Grafton, MA. Claire was an absolute pleasure to work with and she made us feel so comfortable on the day of the wedding. She takes the time to get to know you as a couple and really personalizes the ceremony. She had us fill out a fun questionnaire about each other that she added into our ceremony; it was really touching to hear the things that Ryan wrote. We had so many compliments about Claire and would recommend her to all!

DJ: Unique Sounds Entertainment- Raynham, MA- DJ Alex. Alex was amazing; he really pays attention to detail and can keep everyone entertained! He had an amazing way of getting the party started; which our friends and family are still talking about! He had a great selection of music and was able to understand exactly what we were looking for.

Cake: Gerardo’s Italian Bakery -West Boylston, MA. Our cake was fantastic! We had two in-person meetings with Gerardo. He gave a generous tasting with several different options- which made it hard to choose from! We met with again about the design on the cake and it turned out even better than we could have imagined. It was beautiful and delicious!

Venue/Catering: Grand View- Mendon, MA. We immediately fell in love with our venue from the moment we saw it. It has beautiful grounds and a gorgeous ballroom; even the bathrooms were outstanding and over the top! The Grand View caters their own event and the food was remarkable; everyone commented on how delicious the food was! We couldn’t have imagined our wedding anywhere else and the staff were beyond helpful and easy to work with.

Florist: Katydid Flowers- Mendon, MA. The Grand View recommended Katydid Flowers and we were so happy they did. They were easy to work with and everything turned out exactly as we envisioned. My bouquet was gorgeous and came out even better than I imaged.

15.) Did you find a store/site that had everything you were looking for? Use this space to talk about favorite shops. You can include where you got your dress, sites you got your veils/décor/accessories, etc.

We got most of our accessories from Etsy- including our guest book, card holder, signs, place cards and gifts for our wedding party. We got our invitations and save the dates from Vistaprint. All were great to work with!

16.) What were you most anxious, nervous or fearful about regarding your wedding day and what was the outcome?

THE STAIRS! The venue was absolutely gorgeous but there were so many stairs to walk down during the wedding ceremony that I was terrified I was going to fall! I successfully made it down the stairs but I’m sure it could have been more graceful.

17.) What’s one piece of advice you would give to other couples for planning their wedding?

I would say just to be calm and take it easy- your wedding is an important day but it is only one day. Make sure to spend time together and focus on other things besides the wedding as well!

18.) What kind of food was served at your reception?

We had lots of food at our wedding. We had several appetizers passed around including bacon wrapped scallops, fried mac and cheese, seared tuna wontons and more. We gave the option of beef tenderloin, chicken scaloppini or salmon. There was also a chocolate strawberry and cookie station for dessert.

19.) What was the first song you danced to as husband and wife? Father-daughter dance? Mother-son dance?

The first song we danced to was “From the Ground Up” by Dan & Shay. We really loved that it was a song about building your life together. My father-daughter dance was “Never Grow Up” by Taylor Swift and the mother-son dance was “My Wish” by Rascal Flatts.