Not even a hurricane could stop these two lovebirds from getting married! After years of dating, real bride Renee and Will tied the not in sunny Florida in front of close friends and family. The Grand Oaks Manor provided the perfect backdrop for a ceremony that was filled with fun and emotion. Get ready to swoon!
From the bride:Â My husband and I met in college at the University of Central Florida through mutual friends. We dated for 3 years, 1 of which was long distance after he moved back to his hometown for a job opportunity. We decided to take a trip to New York City after I finished nursing school and finally had some free time. Our second night in the city, we headed to Central Park to explore before a dinner reservation. Our first stop was the Cherry Hill Fountain which I was dying to see. He took off his backpack to grab his camera, and when I turned around he was down on one knee. A photographer who ended up photographing our wedding captured it all and then took our engagement pictures throughout the park. We sat on a bench afterward to call all our family and friends. The evening ended at this gorgeous restaurant, Robert, atop the Museum of Art and Design overlooking Columbus Circle and Central Park. It was dreamy, to say the least.
I wanted to look like myself on my wedding day. I found my dress at CC’s boutique in St. Petersburg, FL, where I tried on a variety of silhouettes. I was completely surprised by what I ended up liking the most- not at all what I thought I would choose for my wedding gown. The overall feel was romantic and regal; I fell in love all over again.
After having to replan our entire wedding in 3 months due to our original venue filing for bankruptcy and taking half of our budget with it, we were so pleased to have our wedding day go off without a hitch. Everything must happen for a reason however because it ended up being exactly the wedding day we had envisioned. Huge live oaks flanked the ceremony site with rich burgundy and gold accents to create a theme of rustic elegance. Our kitty cake toppers were a hit at the reception. Family and friends danced the night away poolside.
The entire day was full of special moments, but my favorite memory by far is walking down the aisle to my husband to be. I had both my mother and father walk me down the aisle which was extremely important to me. Just as we had made the turn to face the aisle, a train nearby came barreling through, blaring its horn. The venue owners had tried to find a schedule of the train and analyze its pattern, but it seemed completely random. No one could have predicted when it would come by. However, it made our ceremony all the more memorable as everyone giggled. I made it down the aisle and kissed my mother and father, then our pastor opened with, “You know we paid a lot of money for that train to be here.”
