Certified Coordinated Bride Tori
Journal Entry # 5
Happily Ever After
It’s been four months since my wedding day, and simply put, I MISS wedding planning! I was that needle in a haystack bride who didn’t stress and loved every minute of planning, and I mean it. Planning my own wedding A-Z was a dream come true for me, and seeing all of my hard work come together on the day of the wedding was an indescribable feeling.
Anyone who knows me knows that I am not an emotional person, at all, but the day-of the wedding was definitely a roller-coaster of happy moments, tears, and excitement. Because I chose to plan the entire wedding myself, I think that a lot of the nerves of everything going “perfect” built up until that day. That, in combination with the fact that the day was finally here – the day that I get to become one with the love of my life, created butterflies in my stomach to no end.
One of the best decisions I could have made was doing a first look. After getting ready for hours, reading emotional love letters from my husband, and hanging with my girls all morning, I was ready to be with Frank. As soon as I got to see my then-fiancé I felt a sense of calmness and excitement come over me. We had so much fun taking pictures together and with our friends and family before guests arrived, it definitely made me enjoy the small moments of the day before the show began.
Our ceremony was beautiful and one aspect that I absolutely loved was that we wrote our own personal vows to each other. Frank and I had been dating 10 years up until the week of our wedding, so I really wanted to make sure that there were many personalized aspects apart of our ceremony that reflected who we have grown to be with one another for the past decade. To me, the ceremony and professing your love to one another is the most important part of the day and our ceremony was everything that I hoped and dreamed it would be.
When I saw our reception ballroom for the first time it absolutely took my breath away. There were SO many extras that toward the end of wedding planning we were hesitant about (the expenses can really get to be no joke when you’re in the home stretch), but those extra details made all of the difference. From hanging ceiling crystals to first dance special lighting effects, my visions came to life in front of my eyes and it made for some stunning wedding pictures! I had no regrets.
The day was nothing short of perfection and I felt so much love and happiness between my husband and I. Looking back if I had to offer one piece of advice for any bride-to-be, is to make SURE you give yourself enough time the day-of the wedding to enjoy alone time, picture time, and celebration time with your significant other. Whether that means incorporating a first look into an earlier portion of the day or reworking the day-of timeline for example, the small moments with Frank that day made me so calm and helped me to enjoy every minute that went by!
I’m happy to have been able to share our special day with you all and look forward to spending the rest of my life with the man of my dreams.
Until Next Time,
Xoxo – Tori
Vendor Collaboration
Photographer: Amy Rizzuto Photography || Ceremony / Reception: Nanina’s In The Park || Wedding Dress: Pronovias || Wedding Shoes: Jimmy Choo || Wedding Jewelry: Swarovski || Engagement Ring: Lauren B. Jewelry || Bridesmaid Dresses: White Runway || Groom Suit: Dante Zeller Tuxedo || Cake: Joshua John Russell || Invitation: An Invitation For You
Florist: Belle Fiore LLC || air: Hair by Aferdita || Makeup: Vjosa Pacuku
