The best man said it best… Andi is the reason people still go on blind dates. After a well timed witty email from David, they agreed to meet on a train platform. David couldn’t believe his luck as he walked toward a beautiful brown-haired girl, fate stepped in and the rest is history. They are connected at the heart and the head, each one “gets” the other down to an identical mole on the same arm. Their wedding day was a wonderful celebration on all 3 floors of the Ravenswood event center, surrounded by their closest friends and family. They did everything right (cocktails first!), and even spiced things up with not one but two wedding dresses (and 4 dress changes!). One word to describe this wedding: p-e-r-f-e-c-t. Oh, and did I mention it was David’s birthday? He said marrying Andi was the best birthday present ever. Big thanks to SQN events (such a pleasure to work with), Dilly Lily, and Toast and Jam DJ’s (Dustin was super). Congrats Andi and David!
The girls toasted in their matching monogrammed towels (cutest bridesmaids gift ever!).
The tallest bridesmaids towered over the shortest bridesmaid.
Beth helped zip up dress #1.
David was waiting downstairs for Andi.
David was anticipating the first look…
Andi’s “sassy dress” made her want to shake her tail feathers.
We headed to the lily pond for some photos.
Such a beautiful couple!
Time for dress #2!
They couldn’t have been happier.
The lower level of Ravenswood event center, cocktails with fancy cars!
Once the dance floor opened things started to get crazy (and all the photo booth props became accessories).
Beth and Ashley indulged in some silly photos (SQN events).
Someone asked to take my photo, do I look frightened?
Everyone was loving Dustin’s DJ expertise (Toast and Jam).
Two of the groomsmen brought the robes from their Palomar hotel rooms to “pimp” the dance floor.
You can’t make this up…
Congrats Andi and David!
Hair/Makeup: Beauty on Call
Florist: Dilly Lily
Ceremony location: Ravenswood Event Center
Reception location: Ravenswood Event Center
Event Planner: Beth Bernstein, SQN Events
Cake: Bake
Caterer: (Ravenswood)
Dress: Vera Wang (long), Cymbeline (short)
Accessories: on loan from mother of bride
DJ/Band: Toast and Jam DJ’s (Dustin)
First Dance: “Such great heights” by Iron and Wine
Father/Daughter: “The Way You Look Tonight” by Frank Sinatra
Q&A with the bride and groom:
What was the most memorable moment of your day?
Andi: Saying our vows. It was simultaneously the most nervous I was all day (my knees were shaking like crazy–because of all the people, not the getting married part!) and the most calm and focused I was because it was just David and me, telling each other how much we loved each other, and that was all that I cared about when it came down to it.
David: Seeing Andi (in her “sassy” dress) is a close second, but for me listening to the toasts–and especially Scott’s father-of-the-bride speech–at dinner was the most memorable experience. That’s when the step we had just taken really started to sink in and we both, I think, began to relax.
What was your favorite detail?
Andi: Probably the vanda orchids in our floral arrangements. They were a late addition to the plan, but I think that they were so beautiful and really made the arrangements stand out.
David: The lovely cufflinks that one of our ushers, Jeremy Hagee, rushed out to buy for me when I realized that ‘french cuffs’ require them. They were a beautiful touch in their own right, but they also symbolize Jeremy’s cheerful willingness to do anything and everything to make the day go smoothly. That enthusiasm and thoughtfulness, shared by all of the groomsmen and bridesmaids, really made the whole day–from my morning jog with my sister and best man to the pictures to the ceremony and reception–so special.
Funniest memory from your wedding day?
Andi: Everyone’s favorite groomsman, Alex Pellerin, deciding it would be a good idea to take his shirt off and slide across the dancefloor, belly first.
David: Pellerin’s dry-land belly flop was funny, but I laughed the hardest while having lunch downtown with the groomsmen. Later in the day, Michael Ragusa’s sweat-soaked windsor knot also made me chuckle.
Any advice for future brides/grooms?
Andi: Start planning early so that you have the most options available and so you don’t hear “no”s right off the bat. Surround yourself with professionals who you like. Don’t freak out when something goes wrong when it’s crunch time; if you have done the other two things, then you will be able to reach a happy solution, and that’s all that matters.
David: Don’t sweat the small stuff. Something inevitably will go wrong, but if you remain focused on what really matters and surround yourself with the right cast of supporting characters (loved-ones and professionals alike), everything will turn out just fine. Which reminds me, and this is important: hire Beth Bernstein! She’s the best. Period!
If you could do it all over, would you change anything?
David: I would break in my fancy new dress shoes in the days leading up the wedding instead of just lacing them up and standing/walking/dancing for twelve hours. Ouch.
Andi: I agree with David; I would have broken in my shoes more. Even though they were “sooo comfortable” before-hand, I had my first blisters by the time we were done with the photos and I still had to walk down the aisle! (Thankfully Mom let me borrow her extra flip-flops that she brought for later in the night!). And I would have been sure to eat my piece of cake. Things got busy and I forgot.
Where did you go on your honeymoon?
Slight change of plans–that’s still TBD. 🙂