Martina Liana Style 948

Real Martina Liana Bride Elena + Michael

Real bride, Elena, and husband, Michael, had a beautiful spring wedding that paid respect to all of the love stories in their lives. Elena made sure to include many touching tributes throughout her ceremony.  Elena wore a beautiful Martina Liana dress, Style 948. Perhaps our favorite part of her big day was her partnership with Forget me Knot Flowers to donate her centerpieces to charities and care facilities. How amazing is that?

Martina Liana Style 948

The Proposal

It was a typical February Saturday for us, filled with errands and things to do. We had a birthday party for a close friend that evening. It was also Superbowl weekend and our beloved home team, the Philadelphia Eagles, were in it. I was getting ready for the party when Mike told me that he had to run downstairs to pick up a package that was delivered. He came back up and handed me a tiny Chat Book (photo book). I make one for every year we have been together. The cover said 2018. I was confused, since we were only one month into 2018. I flipped through and the first page said “Will You Marry Me”. Mike was on one knee! I don’t remember much else, but I know I said yes! After the proposal, we went over to Mike’s parent’s house where he had gathered all of our family and friends to celebrate! To top it all off, my dad surprised us that night, and we flew to the Superbowl in Minnesota. THE EAGLES WON! It was the best weekend of our lives (until the wedding!)

Martina Liana Style 948

The Dress: Style 948

I wanted a dress that was timeless and romantic. I wanted it to be feminine and classy, but also low-key sexy. For my wedding look, I wanted my hair to be soft and romantic, and my makeup to have a natural glow with a berry lip. I wanted a bit of an antique look, so I took my hair down to big curls for the reception and added a beautiful jeweled hairpiece to one side. I also paired a custom jean jacket it with it!

Martina Liana Style 948

The Bridal Salon Experience

I found my dress at Philly Bride in Philadelphia, PA. I had the absolute BEST experience there with my consultant, Jen. Philly Bride was my third bridal shop, and I felt good the minute I walked in. It was a small boutique, and we were allowed to shop the dresses on our own – plus they were NOT in bags! I almost bought Style #967 on my first trip, but something was holding me back. I went back to Philly Bride the following week to make a decision. As we were about to put on 967, Jen told me she had just gotten in a new Martina Liana… we tried it on, and that was it! The tears started flowing. I felt so beautiful in the dress, and I could imagine myself walking down the aisle in it.

Martina Liana Style 948

The Wedding Details

I picked out mauve (English Rose) dresses for my bridesmaids. I wanted the whole feel to be soft and romantic. The wedding was in April so the weather can be hit or miss. I wanted to incorporate soft spring-like colors. The flowers were a mix of dusty rose, blushes, and eucalyptus. In case the trees and grass weren’t too green, I wanted to make sure those elements were in the bouquets. The cocktail hour and reception had similar colors – with lots of candlelight. Our centerpieces were a mix of low arrangements, high gold posts, and gold candelabras. I love candlelight, and our ballroom was set on a lake, so I wanted all of those colors to glow together at sunset. We paired the centerpieces with rose gold candle votive holders and table numbers.

Martina Liana Style 948

I had personal and DIY touches throughout the wedding, My card box, hashtag sign, and cake topper were hand made my cousin. I wanted to pay respect to all the love stories in our lives, so I framed generations of wedding photos from both our families and had them on display during the cocktail hour. I love photos – so we had a Polaroid photo guest book station, and also an adorable camper Photo booth outside! My favorite vendor/personal touch to the wedding was that we partnered with a re-purposing service called Forget Me Knot Flowers. At the end of our wedding, volunteers came to pick up our arrangements, they were then re-purposed into smaller ones and delivered to charities and care facilities the following day!

Martina Liana Style 948

When asked about her favorite part of her wedding, Elena said “Our first dance came to mind immediately. I remember feeling so happy and loved. Not only had I just married the love of my life, but as we danced I remember looking around and seeing all the faces of our family and friends. It’s an incredible feeling to be surrounded by so much love. We felt every ounce of it!”

So sweet! Congratulations Elena and Michael!

Photography by @welaughwelove