• How did you two meet?

Steve and I met at a tiny local bar called the Sly Fox in Quincy.  It has since become our favorite neighborhood bar, and we are good friends with the owners who were guests at our wedding.

• How did he pop the question?

Steve popped the question on July 6, 2014.  He told me we were going to one of his brothers’ house on the Cape to go out on his boat.  We got to the Cape early, so he suggested we get breakfast sandwiches and go down to the boardwalk in Sandwich, my hometown, to eat.  We walked around on the beach for a little while until it was time to leave.  I started to put my sandals back on, and Steve was behind me and said, “Wait, before we go.”  When I turned around, he was down on one knee and asked me to marry him.  From there we went straight to my parents’ house down the street to share the good news!

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

I don’t think I can narrow it down!  The entire night was amazing, and we did not want it to end.  Seeing Steve waiting for me at the altar in the church while my father walked me down the aisle was one of my favorites, as well as our first dance.  And just having the chance to celebrate with all our family and friends was unforgettable.

• How long have you been together?

We got engaged after being together 2 years, and were married at 2 years 7 months.

• How would you describe your overall wedding experience?

Since we got married 7 months after getting engaged, there wasn’t too much time to be stressed out in the planning stages.  Once the wedding day hit, everything went perfectly!  We had so much fun and didn’t want the night to end.  And the Marriott was so accommodating….The reception ended at midnight, so we all moved to the bar in the lobby.  Once that closed at 1 am, the staff let us all back in the ballroom and put out the leftover pizza from the late night snack table, and we all brought our own drinks and kept the party going until 4 am!

• What advice would you offer to other couples planning a wedding?

Don’t get stressed out, it will all come together and be your perfect day.  Brides, keep your groom informed about everything.  They even want to know about the small details, even if it’s just so they feel involved.  And set aside date nights to go out with no wedding talk!

• What photography-related advice would you offer to a couple?

Interview a few different photographers, and go with the one that you feel the most comfortable with.  And definitely do a session prior to the wedding to get comfortable in front of the camera and comfortable with your photographer!

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

I was the last one in my wedding party to find my dress, and it started to get frustrating.  I swear I must have tried on 75 gowns at 7 different bridal salons and nothing was right.  Finally I went to the Cape to Chantilly’s in Hyannis, and the first dress I tried on there was perfect.  It even fit perfectly, and since it had just come into the shop, I bought the dress off the rack.  I am not a “girly girl” so I wanted something simple and elegant, not poofy or frilly.  My dress was a strapless, fitted sheath by David Tutera, with lace and crystals throughout.  It had a detachable train which made getting into “party-mode” a cinch!

• How was your experience taking photos/working with me on your wedding day?

Taking photos and working with Steve on our wedding day was a breeze.  I really think that doing our engagement session a few months prior was a huge help.  We got to know each other and were comfortable, which was a big help.  The photos from my house when the wedding party was getting ready are great, as are the ones of my family at my house.  At the reception, Steve was very patient as we tried to gather all 40+ members of the groom’s family for a picture and it came out great.  Steve literally captured every important moment of the night, and the candid photos perfectly depict how fun the whole night was.

• 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 did not see each other before the wedding.  We are both very traditional, and wanted to wait to see each other at the church.  I wouldn’t have changed a thing, and seeing his face waiting for me at the altar was one of the best moments of my night.

• Any tips on how to prepare for the wedding photos?

Leading up to our wedding, many people told us to make sure we were smiling all night, because you never knew when the photographer might be snapping a picture.  This was great advice, and our pictures are all awesome!

• 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?

Luckily, most people in our wedding party had been in weddings before, so they had some experience.  The only slightly hard part was gathering all our family members for the family pictures because everyone was socializing and enjoying the cocktail hour.

• Any tips on what to bring?

The only things I brought were pretty standard: lip gloss, chapstick, compact mirror, and my phone.  I also brought flip flops but didn’t need them because my shoes were so comfortable.  To the church we all wore our snow boots and brought our shoes.

• 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 can’t say enough about all our vendors.  The Boston Marriott Quincy was so easy to work with and every time I started to worry about a little detail, they had already thought of it and put my mind at ease.  Amanda Hartley, Marriott’s wedding coordinator was so helpful in all the planning, and was there all night ensuring things were perfect.  The entire staff at the Marriott were there for our every need, and very helpful.  Fabiano Florist in Quincy was easy to work with and perfectly captured my vision for the black and white centerpieces.  And everyone is still raving about our band, Devri (www.devriband.com ).  They had the dance floor packed all night, played music that appealed to all ages, and bring DJ equipment for the last hour of the reception.  Our cake from Montillio’s not only looked amazing, but it tasted even better.  And of course our photographer, Steve Sedman, was awesome.  All of our guests have commented on how he captured such great moments throughout the night, and love how he distributed cards with the website and password to view/ purchase any of the photos of the night.  We also absolutely love the photo of us outside in the snow, it is our favorite!

• 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 used a variety of sites to get accessories and favors.  www.oreintaltrading.com has great wedding favors and accessories, and we bought things from here for the reception and the rehearsal dinner.  I used Amazon.com to find the perfect shoes and purse to go with my dress, and took a ride to Frugal Fannies in Norwood to find my wedding jewelry.  They have a great selection of wedding jewelry at very reasonable prices.  Considering the various vendors I used, everything ended up going together very well and I couldn’t have been happier.

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

When I woke up on my wedding day, it was snowing pretty hard, and I was nervous that some of the guests wouldn’t make it.  It turned out that only 6 people couldn’t make it because of the weather.  But on the upside, more people stayed at the hotel because of the snow, so it made the after party much more fun.  Also, we got some AMAZING pictures in the snow!

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

Have fun!

• Have you had any prior photo sessions? If so, what type, and where?

We had an engagement session with Steve at Houghton’s Pond.

• What kind of food was served at your reception?

We had three choices for adults: Braised Short Rib, Herb Crusted Chicken, and a Vegetarian strudel. Children were served Chicken Fingers and Fries.  And an hour before the reception ended, we had assorted pizzas served.

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

First Dance: Forever by Dropkick Murphys

Father/ Daughter: My Wish by Rascal Flatts