An unexpected location turned out to be the wedding venue of Martina Liana bride, Bianca’s dreams. The romance and glamour of the Italian villa-inspired venue matched perfectly with the romantic and glamorous Martina Liana wedding dress she wore down the aisle to her happily-ever-after.
From the bride: Our proposal was fairly simple, but very much “us.” It was Christmas Eve and we were spending Christmas together as both of our families were far away and unable to be present. We were having a cozy Christmas Eve, just talking and having a drink by the Christmas tree, enjoying each other’s company. He got down on one knee and proposed to me right as the clock struck midnight. He didn’t even have to say a word, as I already knew in my heart how he felt about me and all that he dreamed for our life together.
My mother actually found our wedding location. I had originally not even considered looking at hotels as a venue, as I thought they were too common and I wanted something different. But after much scouting around the area, I finally decided to take a look for good measure. I fell in love with our venue, which took me completely off guard. It reminded me of an Italian villa, and did not feel like a hotel. Plus, everyone who worked there was so nice, they really added a personal touch. The venue was right by the beach at the heart of the town I was living in, and I knew it would be a perfect place for us to get married and for our families and friends to gather. We had 115 guests, and over 60 were from out of town – over half of them flying in from Brazil!
I DIY’d some decorations, like monograms of our initials, as well as the table numbers. I wanted them to look elegant, so I purchased various picture frames from Home Goods, then bought numbers at Michael’s and spray painted them to pop in the frame. They turned out beautifully, and now I have the frames to use in our home to remind us of our special day. Since I am half-Brazilian and my husband is Brazilian, I also had special Brazilian wedding desserts flown in from Brazil. It really added a special touch and reminded us a bit of our home.
My most special memory from the day was seeing my husband’s emotional reaction when he saw me for the first time. We both felt like nervous teenagers. It brought tears to his eyes (and mine) but he never cries! I’ve never felt so beautiful before!
