A dress with a “wow” factor, a sentimental proposal and a wedding filled with boho-inspired touches, real bride Danielle stunned at her Pennsylvania wedding. Wearing Martina Liana Style 905, Danielle and Josiah said “I do” in front of family and friends in a ceremony that honored their family and friends.
The Proposal
Josiah told me that his sister was being honored at a dinner in Philadelphia and that his mom asked that we be there. He knew he had to have a reason that would require me to put on makeup and look semi-presentable since I typically don’t wear makeup or dress up on weekends. As we were approaching Boathouse Row, one of our favorite spots in the city back in college, known for the illuminated row homes along the Schuylkill River, he pulled over on a bridge because he said he wanted to take a picture of the view for his sister. Sometimes he does random things like that so I thought nothing of it. Then he told me to get out of the car so he could take a picture of me looking out at the view. Again, random, but I still wasn’t suspicious. When I turned back around after the photo, he was on one knee asking me to marry him. The most impressive part was that he hired a photographer friend of ours from college to capture the moment! After that, he took me for a celebratory drink and dinner at my favorite restaurant in the city!
Finding the perfect Martina Liana wedding dress
I knew I wanted to wear something form-fitting that had a “wow” factor, something sexy and fun that would compliment my “Jersey Girl” personality while still being tasteful. When I put the 905 on I immediately fell in love, it hugged my body in all the right places, gave me the much-needed illusion of curves, and had the wow factor I was looking for with the lace detail, open back and long, show-stopping train.
My dress shopping experience was AMAZING. I came in with some inspiration pictures and within a few minutes, my consultant came back with options that were spot on and within my budget. My dress was the second one I tried on, the first was also a Martina Liana and they were my two finalists. It took less than an hour for me to find my dream dress!
The wedding details
We got married at Terrain Gardens at Devon Yard in PA. We met in college in Philadelphia and wanted to pick a midway location for both of our families so we took it back to where it all started. The location itself was personal to our love story because we met, became best friends, fell in love, and got engaged all in this beautiful city. We visited a few venues but we fell in love with Terrain as soon as we walked in. From the stunning gardens surrounding the venue to the outdoor ceremony and cocktail spaces to the jaw-dropping open concept reception room, it had everything we were looking for and more.
The overall theme of the wedding was boho-inspired rustic elegance with romantic and whimsical elements. We incorporated soft pinks and creams with touches of brights for some color pop and mixed in textural pieces to add dimension to the centerpieces and bouquets. JJ and his groomsmen looked dapper in navy tuxes. To personalize his jacket, I also had the names of JJ’s two sisters embroidered on the inside of his jacket, over his heart, as they sadly passed away a few months before our wedding. I thought this was a nice way to honor them and I wanted to remind JJ that they would always be with him, both in spirit and in his heart.
I have so many special memories, but probably two that stood out most were the first look with JJ and the first look with my Dad. JJ looked at me with pure happiness and my dad with such love and pride. We definitely had a strong appreciation for being able to share the day with our loved ones together. The most special memory for me was looking around the room and seeing how blessed we are to have such amazing and supportive family and friends.
Photos by Minh & Lauren Fair