I was referred to Nicole by a mutual friend back in 2013. The first time I talked with her, I knew we'd get along great. She was sweet and funny and easy-going....all while being THE most organized person I've ever met. I love organization. :) I'm so happy I got to play a part in Steve & Nicole's big day. It was a glorious, emotional, beautiful day. Read on to get a glimpse of the day through Nicole's eyes and to see what advice she's passing along to future brides.
Who are you and who is your husband? I am Nicole, my husband is Steve
How did you meet? Steve and I officially met one evening in the Spring of 2010 at 501 City Grill. I was there for dinner with some girlfriends to celebrate one of their birthdays. A group of gentlemen walked in and out of them all, Steve caught my attention. We talked the night away and exchanged numbers, but nothing transpired immediately after. A few months later, I ran into him again but at another local establishment, Waterman’s. We’ve basically been inseparable since! Our rehearsal dinner was held in The Attic at Waterman’s and it was a neat way to share our story with family and friends that weekend.
How did he propose? Steve proposed
in 2012. I call it the “year of the weddings” because between us both we
attended a total of six weddings that year. Naturally, we began discussing our
own future and wedding someday. On Friday, December 21st that year, we decided
to exchange Christmas gifts early because as usual we were splitting our time
between both families for the holiday. I opened a small wrapped box and found a
card inside. It was a Hallmark singing card that played Hall & Oates, You
Make My Dreams Come True (which on a side note, was the song we chose to dance
to for our first dance at the wedding). He then asked me if I was ready for my
real gift, went outside, and brought in...a beach cruiser bicycle!
The next
morning, on December 22nd, we were getting ready to make a trip to the grocery
store to prepare for holiday meals. I was literally still in my pajamas, when
Steve walked up to me with another wrapped box and told me “you forgot a gift.”
Puzzled, I sat on the couch and began opening the gift. Inside was another
card, with a black and white image of a boy holding a bouquet of roses. Inside
that card read one of the sweetest messages imagined, but more importantly
asked one of the sweetest questions: Will you make another dream come true?
After reading this, tears were streaming down my eyes of course, and that is
when he knelt down and asked me to marry him!
Describe your wedding in 5 words: Romantic, rustic, vintage, DIY (I count that as one word), and most importantly - FUN!
What was your favorite part of wedding planning? Together, one
of our most favorite parts of wedding planning was the tasting and selecting
the menu (because who doesn’t love being served a variety of delicious food to
choose from?). But mainly, we got a chance to work together and we included food that
represented each of us, from the petite Maryland style crab cakes, representing
Steve’s family in Baltimore, to a mozzarella and tomato caprese, which
incorporated my Italian heritage.
Some of my
other favorites were dress shopping (of course!) and our engagement photo
session. Our engagement session was definitely a blast. Our photographer is not
only the best around but also super fun and it was great to get some practice
in before our big day!
What was your least favorite part of wedding planning? My least favorite part of wedding planning was trying to please everyone. It’s just flat out impossible. We stayed true to ourselves with our decisions and in the end everyone was extremely happy for us on our wedding day.
Where did you go on your honeymoon? Antigua. We knew we wanted to stay at an all-inclusive resort because we wanted to fully relax after all of the work and effort that went into planning a wedding. We actually saw a commercial on TV for Sandals in Antigua, looked it up and fell in love with the resort and area. So, yes television advertising works haha!
Who were your vendors?
Ceremony: Star of the Sea Catholic Church
Reception: Cavalier Golf & Yacht Club
Photographer: Andi Grant, Andi & Zoe Photography
Second Shooter: Brooke Tucker, Brooke Tucker Photography
Cocktail Hour
Musician: Swell Luck
DJ: John “Rab”
Rabulan
Vintage
Rentals: Bluebird's Garage
Cake: Jenn Cakes-A-Lot
Florist: Trellis and Bloom
Dress: Pure English
Invitations: Minted
Wedding
Coordinator/Planner: YOU! :)
If you could do one thing differently, what would it be? Ask for help. I am terrible at asking for help and maybe it’s because I am an only child and have been pretty much independent for so long. It wasn’t until the Friday before, that I realized I signed myself up to do too much, but luckily I had incredible support that day. Steve, my mom, and Maid of Honor all came through and pitched in to help pull many of the last minute items together. I just wish I had asked sooner so that I wasn’t stressing out to get things done so close to the wedding day.
Do you have any advice for future brides?
Focus on the love you have for each other. That’s what this event is about after all! It’s easy to overlook this major part, with all of the many details that go into planning a wedding (and there are a lot!), but it is so important to keep in mind throughout the entire engagement/wedding planning process and especially important on the day of. That love will really shine (especially in your pictures) and outweigh anything throughout the day because let’s face it, you can expect that not everything will go exactly according to plan on the day of. But as long as you have each other, any little detail that is not perfect will seem perfect anyway.
Photos courtesy of Andi & Zoe Photography
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