I’ve been talking on Something Pretty about my best friend getting married since she got engaged back in January, right on through her beautiful October 7th wedding, and today (their two month anniversary!!) is the day I finally get to share the pictures with you! Mine and Angela’s families have been close since 1993 when they moved up the street from us. Even though we haven’t lived anywhere near each other since 1997, we’ve only gotten closer over the years, and now we rarely go a day without at least a text or two. We have been there for each other through our awkward stages, finding ourselves throughout college, and of course, our discovery of bridal magazines–we made wedding scrapbooks together years ago! Her now-husband Mark has become like a brother to me over the years as well, and as a couple, they could not be more perfect for each other. I’m so thrilled to show you their beautiful wedding pictures, by Tom Sanderson Photography, and share the interview I did with Angela about all the special moments!

 {What was your overall vision for your wedding?}
We wanted our day to be a true reflection of us. Both of us come from mostly Italian backgrounds, so the Williamsburg Winery was the perfect choice. With the dim lighting, and a multitude of lit pillar candles, our reception hall radiated a rustic but classy feel. Combined with the marble and pillars of St. Bede Catholic Church, the “Italian” feel was definitely there. It was also very important to me to incorporate as many DIY projects as I could. I love being crafty and it was so much fun adding little details and elements here and there that I created myself—from handmade save-the-dates to cork place cards.  {Tell me about your dress!}
We actually stopped by Bridal Elegance, a locally owned shop in Richmond, on a whim. We had some spare time before our other appointments and decided to give it a try. I’m so glad we did! I chose the very first dress I tried on, though I didn’t come to that decision until after I tried on about 20 other dresses at four other places. There were so many dresses I loved, but only one that completed my overall wedding vision. This dress was simple and classy and I knew it would look perfect with the Winery as a backdrop. It was a slim, fitted A-Line with a sweetheart neckline and pickups—pretty much the complete opposite of the dress styles I had picked out in magazines!  {Something old/new/borrowed/blue?}
My somethings new and blue were pretty typical—my new wedding dress and a cheap toss garter with some blue ribbon on it. That blue garter actually helped me out with my something old as well. Last December, I found my mom’s wedding dress in not the best condition. Since no one would be wearing it yellow and slightly ripped, I decided to cut off pieces of the lace. Using the blue garter as a template, my bridesmaid, Nicole, and I fashioned the lace and some ribbon around elastic to make a keepsake garter. I also ended up using Nicole’s veil from her wedding as my something borrowed.  {What was your favorite moment of the big day?}
It’s so hard to pick just one favorite! I loved every little moment of that day…from randomly screaming in excitement with my girls, to stepping into my dress; from walking down the aisle to meet my husband-to-be, to rushing through a cloud of bubbles to the vintage car awaiting us. Declaring our vows to each other was most certainly a powerful and love-filled moment. But, I do believe the moment that sticks out to me the most from our wedding day followed directly after my father-daughter dance. It’s been an inside joke in my family that my dad randomly starts singing “That’s Amore,” very much off-key, for as long as I can remember. As a surprise to him, as soon as the soft, slow chords of our father-daughter dance ended, “That’s Amore” began. It took a few seconds for the song to register to my dad, but as soon as it did, the look on his face was absolutely priceless. I’ll never forget the look of surprise and joy on his face. It makes me so happy just thinking about it!
 {What would your biggest advice be to brides planning their weddings?}
I definitely suggest good time management to allow at least a week of being stress-free. I remember for a little more than a week leading up to the wedding, I felt like I had to create more stuff for myself to do because I had done everything I could think of. That was really nice!

{Vendors: Ceremony: St. Bede Catholic Church| Reception: Williamsburg Winery| Photographer: Tom Sanderson Photography| Dress: Casablanca| Shoes: Macy’s| Jewelry: Macy’s| Veil: borrowed from Nicole, which she and her mom handmade| Cake: Cakes by Charlie| Florist: Morrison’s Flowers| DJ: DJ on the Side Entertainment}

I’d also like to include this little gem—it’s my personal favorite memory of Angela and Mark’s wedding day! The DJ played “Wannabe” by the Spice Girls, which Angela and I have been dancing to since we were seven and nine years old. Back then, we jumped on the bed and made all of our parents watch/video tape our “shows,” and this time, we were bustin’ a move at her wedding. I’ll never forget it!

:)
Love,

Lisa