Tones of browns and forest green accents make this Martha’s Vineyard wedding an absolute must-see! Lovers of autumn will adore every carefully curated detail artfully designed and planned by My Vineyard Elopement. The day was filled with incredible florals that perfectly played off textural elements like velvet bridesmaid dresses and foliage.
The bride, Sara, looked stunning in her All Who Wander raine gown paired with the nieve jacket for a bridal look that is equal parts boho, whimsical and romantic. After trying on several dresses at Boca Raton Bridal, Sara, with the help of her mother, opted for this one-of-a-kind A-line wedding gown with leafy details that flawlessly matched her fall-inspired wedding theme.
Sara and Julio’s entire love story is simply heartwarming, starting with the delayed proposal that included a family heirloom to the first look before the wedding ceremony. Larisa Stinga Photography beautifully captured the love and joy of the day in imagery that is sure to stand the test of time. See every last detail below!
Tell us about your proposal!
Julio knew that I wanted my grandmother’s engagement ring. It is a round diamond with pear-shaped sapphires on either side. He asked my grandmother to bring it when she came to visit us for Christmas in 2019. He had a plan to propose when we were in Paris the following June, but she didn’t feel comfortable leaving the ring with him for six months, so she ended up taking it back to New York with her after the holidays.
Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit, so we had to cancel our trip and Julio was unable to fly to New York to get the ring. Finally, in July of 2021, we were able to visit my family in New York, and we made plans to go to breakfast with my mom and my grandmother. My grandmother brought the ring with her to breakfast and secretly handed it off to Julio under the table.
Then Julio got up to “go to the bathroom.” Instead, he went behind me and got down on one knee. I was so shocked and caught off guard, I didn’t think he would actually propose in front of my family! I wish I could remember more of what he said, but I pretty much blacked out with shock and couldn’t stop crying for the rest of the meal. Unfortunately, my grandmother passed before our wedding, so it means so much more to me now that she was included in and experienced our proposal.
Describe your bridal style. How did you want to look on your wedding day? Tell us about your dress-shopping experience.
My dress shopping experience was overwhelming, as I wasn’t exactly sure what I was looking for, but I knew I wanted lace, not a big skirt or train and preferably something with sleeves.
I had two of my bridesmaids and my mom with me. I must have tried on almost 20 dresses within my appointment. At the end of the appointment, I was trying to decide between two dresses, and my mom just pulled me aside. She asked me to close my eyes and picture my wedding day and then asked me what dress I was wearing at that moment. Immediately I answered the All Who Wander raine gown.
Our wedding was outdoors in the fall, and all of our colors were fall-inspired. I wanted my dress to be beautiful but also fit in with the outdoor, relaxed atmosphere of the day. I knew I wanted a more boho-chic bridal style. I didn’t want anything about my wedding to be traditional, especially the dress. Because I am a bigger woman, especially in the chest area, I added straps to the gown using the extra fabric from the hem. This allowed me to not have to wear a bra with the dress, which was totally amazing and unexpected.
I also took in the sleeves on the jacket to make them tighter and more flattering to my body shape. I wore the jacket again with a white jumpsuit to a party we had back in Miami a few weeks after our wedding. I love the jacket so much!
Tell us more about your wedding. What were your theme and colors? How did you make your wedding personal to your love story?
We got married in October in Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts, which is a very special place for me! I spent my summers and most holidays growing up going to Martha’s Vineyard, so it was extra special to me that Julio agreed to get married there – especially since his family was traveling all the way from Grand Cayman.
I wanted the theme to really just be fall. We had all the fall colors. Julio wore a green suit with a champagne tie, his groomsmen wore champagne suits with green ties. I had four bridesmaids that wore a mix of terracotta and rust-colored velvet dresses and a man of honor who wore the same champagne suit as the groomsmen but with a rust tie to match my maid of honor.
Our wedding was very small and intimate, with only 28 people in total. We wanted the day to be about us and have a chance to enjoy every second of it with the people who are truly closest to us— so we settled on a small destination wedding. The woman who officiated our wedding personalized our ceremony and vows to our love story, and we both shared personal vows that we wrote ourselves in front of everyone. We had been friends for 12 years and dating for the last six years — I wasn’t sure if actually getting married would feel any different! The fact that we kept the wedding so small allowed the focus to be truly on our love story, and I loved every second of it.
The wedding was right after Hurricane Ian, and it had been raining all weekend, but thankfully on the actual wedding day, the rain stopped. It was, however, incredibly windy, but that made for even more beautiful photos. We were still able to have our ceremony outside and our dinner under the tent before moving inside for dancing. Even though we live in Miami right now, we both love fall weather, and I’m really glad it worked out that we got to experience a true fall weekend in New England for our wedding.
What was the most special memory from that day?
The most special part of the day for me was when Julio got choked up during his vows. I had never seen him really cry in the six years we’d been together. His lip started quivering, and he couldn’t get through his vows until his brother came over and gave him a little pep talk. It was so sweet, I will never forget that feeling! It was when I really realized how much he loved me!
Cheers to Sara and Julio!
Photography: Larisa Stinga Photography
Bridal Salon: Boca Raton Bridal
Venue: Atria
Flowers: Aubrey Maria Designs
Officiant/Planner: My Vineyard Elopement
Hair: Katie Stafford Stylist
Makeup: Emily Kleinhenz
Suit: My Grooms Room
Bridesmaid Dresses: Revelry
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