How did you meet? Chris and I knew of each other through a mutual friend. It wasn’t until I moved home after college when he asked me out on a date to dinner 6 years ago. We immediately hit it off as we had many similar interests. We enjoyed every moment of falling in love and always reflect back to those earlier times with such joy.
How did you get engaged? Chris and I got engaged at the Loews Portofino Bay Hotel in Universal Orlando, Florida. Chris made a reservation at Mama Della’s Ristorante on our first night of the vacation. With no speculation or hint of anything out of the ordinary, we got dressed and walked to dinner. Once we arrived at the hotel, Chris wanted to take a picture as the sun was setting. Moments after, he was down on his knee and asking me to marry him! During the proposal, Chris had hired Flytographer to capture the moment while we relished in our special moment.Â
Once we were brought to our seats, we had chocolate covered strawberries, champagne, and a beautiful bouquet of yellow flowers waiting for us. Everything was so beautiful and well planned by Chris. To cap it off, during our dinner we had an older man singing Italian songs and playing the guitar while we ate and tried to soak it all in. The night was absolutely magical. The rest of the week we continued our celebration at Disney. The magic never stopped. Everything that entire week was so beautiful and with little surprises that crept up everywhere.
Details of the day! I would do anything to travel back to my wedding day. After looking back at it all, I believe I could make a killer event planner as I was surprised to get many questions from other brides after it was over. Everything planned was sincerely from the heart and orchestrated by my mother and I. I wanted the overall day to be romantic and chic. With this in thought, my colors were white, gold, and a touch of pink. I picked those colors to resemble the season that falls in between of leaving winter and entering spring. I had the majority of the flowers of the color white with pops of pink sporadic through each arrangement. I also wanted pink blossom branches incorporated in the wedding as it fit with an early spring wedding. This to me was simple but elegant.
My overall wedding theme came from my roots of being Moroccan. I loved the lattice look that all of Morocco encompasses in its decorative culture and design. This was carried out from the beginning of my wedding starting with the engagement party, incorporated in the wedding invitations, and ending during my henna rehearsal dinner party. All were inspired through this Moroccan theme. Lastly, the wedding favor was a rustic rose gold key. This resembled the key to mine and Chris’s heart!
Why did you choose your venue? I always dreamed of being married in an enchanted castle. When I saw Park Chateau, I knew I have found it. Everything about the Park Chateau will always bring a warm and happy feeling to my heart. Not only was everything pristine and perfect, the service was exceptional. I felt like a true princess marrying her prince charming somewhere in the countryside of France. The Park Chateau illuminated that and made Chris and I feel like royalty all night. I also loved the fact that our wedding was the only one on site. This made the night intimate and filled with people who knew and shared our love. Lastly, I fell in love with the Park Chateau for its magnificent Chapel. The entire grounds was draw dropping and so white and pure in every corner you turned.
What was on your menu? Each guest had a pink Cymbidium flower upon their menu to continue to transpire with the romantic theme of the night. The first meal started off with a spring salad. After, each guest was given a butler passed Intermezzo before their main course. For dinner there was three selections of your preferred choice. The selection was the Chateaubriand, the French Breast of Chicken, and the Pistachio Encrusted Salmon. Each meal was exquisite. During Dinner we also had a Frankie Vallie impersonation band which was a surprise for everybody who attended. Through out the night we had our signature drinks “on tap” which was a white cosmo with a edible flower topper and a spicy margarita. After much dancing, we had our cake. It consisted of a yellow sponge with lemon icing inside. To our surprise when selecting it, it was the perfect amount of sweet which we liked. The entire wedding cake had cascading flowers from the very top of it falling to the floor. To top it off our cake topper read, and now they lived happily ever after. It was a dream come true!
All about your gown! My wedding gown will always be one of my favorite moments during my entire wedding process. It is the Summer Bella Gown by Galia Lahav and it was purchased at Bridal Reflections in New York City. I knew it was the one from the moment I tried it on. It shined and sparkled and I knew it was the one meant for me. The Color was Ivory which I felt carried a new edge from the traditional white. The Dress had intricate beading and lace through out its design. It also had a detachable train which was perfect for the ceremony and transitioned well for more of a simpler look meant for the reception when I took it off. My Galia Lahav dress was so special to me not only because of how it made me feel, but also that the designer is from Israel just like my mother. It made the dress more special to know that it was made in Israel just for me!
What was your favorite moment? My favorite moment was our first look. Chris’s reaction of seeing me for the first time as his bride and almost wife made me feel so special. I will always remember that moment and how teared up he was when seeing me for the first time. It was so special, I have very few words to describe this most powerful moment in my life as it is really is indescribable if that makes sense!
One detail you couldn’t live without? One detail I could not live with out was our DJ. We had specific songs that we wanted played throughout the entire day and our DJ, PAE Entertainment exceeded our expectations. During the ceremony, we asked for Beauty and the Beast to play as the bridal party walked in. The song then changed to an hebrew version of Andrea Bocelli’s Con te Partiro when I walked in. This song signified both families coming together as I am Israeli and my husband is Italian. After the ceremony, we had a violin version of Justin Beiber , Let Me Love you. All these small details go unnoticed but takes much planning and implementing with an amazing team to deliver the wedding of your dreams.
First dance song? Our first dance song was Ed Sheeran Perfect. Typically every bride gushes over the choice of their wedding song, however mine was a complete surprise. Chris wanted to surprise me in our first dance. I thought it was so cute how persistent he was in choosing it on his own. The song selection couldn’t have been anymore perfect as it fit us in every way.
Any advice for future brides? My advice to other brides is enjoy every moment. Planning a wedding could get stressful, but looking back at it now every minute was worth it. I always joke that I have post wedding depression, but truthfully I miss being a bride and each step along the way leading up to our wedding.
Honeymoon Location Chris and I went on a mini moon after our wedding to New York City. We were unable to take an extend vacation at the time as Chris was very busy at work due to tax season. We did manage to get away for a few days after where we enjoyed our time going to good restaurants, hitting the spa in Soho, and staying at the One Hotel in Dumbo that overlooked the skyline of Manhattan. It was beautiful! Now , I am currently impatiently waiting to go on our 17 day honeymoon to Italy! We plan to fly to Rome then continue to travel to the Amalfi Coast, Lake Como, Venice, and Florence. We are super excited to continue our wedding celebration in Italy.
