In a day full of tradition, Stella York bride, Melissa, and her husband tied the knot at their alma mater, Notre Dame surrounded by the buildings and scenery they grew to love – and are full of memories. Melissa looked radiant in her Stella York wedding dress, and was perfectly complemented by their navy and gold color palette.
From the bride: We had planned to spend the day at Notre Dame (our alma mater, and the place where we first met) to celebrate being done with our medical school exams, so we drove up early that afternoon. When we arrived, Jimmy handed me an envelope (hand-sealed, with a homemade “J&M” seal) that contained a poem explaining that we would be going on an adventure across campus to all of the places that were important to us during our four years together. At each location was a box with a present, as well as a poem-clue that would direct us where to go next. The last location was my dorm, Cavanaugh Hall, which is where Jimmy first asked me out, and that is where he got down on one knee and proposed. Of course I said yes! Then, to top it all off, he surprised me with both of our families waiting for us at our favorite restaurant in South Bend! It was the perfect proposal!
Our wedding was also at Notre Dame, a place obviously very important to us. The ceremony was in the Basilica, we got to take pictures in Notre Dame Stadium, and the reception was in the basketball arena. And the colors were blue and gold! The bridesmaids looked stunning in navy blue Sorella Vita bridesmaid dresses with gold jewelry, and the groomsmen were dashing in gray tuxedos with navy ties.
For our first dance, we started with a slow song, but then broke out into a choreographed mash-up. We had been planning this forever, and it was so awesome to see it come to fruition! None of the guests knew it was coming! We had a ton of fun doing it, and I couldn’t imagine a better way to start off our marriage!
It’s hard to pick just one memory, as the entire day was absolutely perfect. However, one moment that stands out in my mind was at the beginning of the ceremony, right after I came down the aisle. As I took Jimmy’s hand, I felt an incredible urge to kiss him, so I went for it. He followed my lead, and it was then that I realized that we weren’t supposed to kiss yet! I immediately pulled back, and everyone (including us) began to laugh. This set the tone for the rest of the day – we were obviously very much in love, but we were also just ready to have fun!
We were both truly honored and blessed to have so many family and friends there to share in our love and celebrate our marriage! It was an amazing day!
