Matthew and I met in 2010 at the gym where we worked, and from very early on we knew we’d found the person we’d spend the rest of our lives with in each other. We started spending every spare minute together, and pretty soon we were living together and had our two dogs. In July 2015, I came home late from running errands to find Matt all dressed up and sitting at our kitchen table. He told me our Doberman, Jasmine, had something for me and she came right up to me with my gorgeous engagement ring, an emerald-cut diamond surrounded by pave halos.

I loved planning our wedding and choosing all of the romantic, elegant details for our reception and ceremony at the charming Avon Old Farms Hotel in Avon, Connecticut. I first went dress shopping with a group of family and bridesmaids over the course of a few weekends. I found many dresses that I really liked, but was having trouble finding one that I thought was perfect and didn’t need tons of alterations to fit me. A few months later, I was still undecided, so I drove to Mariella Creations by myself one evening after work;– my first time visiting this beautiful shop. I was looking for something modern, elegant, and fitted that stood apart from other dresses. The first gown my consultant pulled for me was the Satin and Lace Paloma Blanca gown that I ended up falling in love with. I brought my mom to see the dress the next weekend, and was able to take home the very dress I tried on!

Our wedding day went perfectly, and was intimate but fun. It exceeded all of my expectations and I felt like I was in a fairy tale in my stunning Satin dress, which paired beautifully with my husband’s midnight navy tuxedo. Our day was filled with so much laughter and love and all of our favorite people. It was such a beautiful and emotional day- the time of our lives.