It’s challenging to accurately portray what meeting your life-partner is like – I truly believe it to be something of a feeling. To put it best, the love of my life gracefully crossed my path after a mutual friend separately told us, “I think you two will really like each other”. Needless to say, she was our fairy godmother. Interest turned into friendship, like turned into love, and love turned into choosing each other, day after day. I haven’t always believed in fairytales, but from where I stand today, I know they do exist.
Every summer, for the past 20+ years, my now-husband‘s family travels with friends, that have become family, to Montauk for the Fourth of July. Prior to Gordon (my husband) and I meeting, the weekend getaway consisted of two families spending precious time together by the beach. But in 2019, each family gained a new guest. Our family-friends added on Kate, our later-to-be best man’s now-wife, and I became Gordon’s plus one. On July 2nd, 2021, during our annual trip, all 12 of us planned to gather for a waterfront dinner at Montauk Lake Club.
Upon our arrival, Gordon’s mom greeted us at the hostess stand. She escorted us towards the back of the restaurant, where the rest of our company was already seated. As we neared the patio, I spotted my mom and dad sitting at the head of the table. Though ecstatic, I was shocked to see that they were not in Vermont, where they annually celebrate the holiday. In the midst of my astonishment, I noticed that my dad, who only recently learned how to properly use an iPhone, was holding his phone up, and (what I assumed was) taking pictures. As I turned towards Gordon, in confusion, he got down on one knee, and asked me to be his partner for life. I was in such shock, I couldn’t catch my breath long enough to say “yes!”. I nodded my head a minimum of eight times, as tears of joy streamed down my face, to ensure that he knew my response. After we embraced, I looked down to admire the flawlessly perfect ring that he had personally designed. I then looked over at my parents, motioning for them to look at my beautiful new ring, and realized that my dad was still holding up his phone. As it turned out, my younger sister (and best friend), who wasn’t able to join the surprise due to a pre-booked travel, was on FaceTime and part of the special moment.
The proposal was more than I could have ever imagined, and filled with so much love. The rest of the weekend was spent celebrating our engagement, AND my new fiancés birthday. To slightly portray the selfless human that he is, he chose to propose a day before his birthday, well-knowing that the celebrations would be focused on our engagement, and not solely him. I still did my best to make sure his born-day was celebrated – because without him on this earth, I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to say yes to forever with my person. That weekend was, and always will be, one of the happiest moments of our lives.
Finding my dress for our day felt as big of a decision as signing on for a new job. I knew that my dress would be a statement of my personality. I equally felt as though it was the most important outfit choice I’ll make in my lifetime. Though reluctant to wear long sleeves for our mid-June wedding, I felt the most “me” in the Mikaella dress. The silhouette draped over my body like it was custom-made. The stylists at Kleinfelds had chosen exactly what I didn’t even know I was looking for. The buttons down the back, that cascaded down to the end of the train, were the perfect detail. Before I said “yes to the dress”, we decided to add a custom-made Pnina Tornai half-skirt and an additional belt that I could swap with the original dress belt from ceremony to reception. The additions to the Mikaella dress allowed me to showcase completely different looks, without doing much of an outfit change.
The days (a.k.a. eleven months) leading up to our wedding were filled with sleepless nights, pure excitement, tedious detail choices, and every ounce of love and support I could have ever dreamed. Our venue choice, found after what felt like a research project I was being graded on, was an industrial setting rich with culture. The Boylston Rooms, though not our initial vision of an outdoor garden reception, was absolutely perfect. Located in an old textile mill, with a waterfront setting, this venue just felt right. It was different from any wedding we’ve ever attended, and that seemed perfect for us.
Our ceremony was held at St. George Greek Orthodox Cathedral, where I grew up attending church. I was baptized at the Cathedral, and my grandparents are regularly-attending parishioners there. My mom is originally from MA, and also grew up as a parishioner. My heart was so happy when we decided to hold our ceremony there. The church’s proximity to the reception venue was the final piece to complete our wedding-planning puzzle.
June 18th, and the days preceding, were purely magic. The best way I’ve described our wedding weekend is in saying that it was the best family and friend reunion Gordon and I will ever attend. Our closest people gathered, all in the name of love, to connect, dance, eat delicious food, and celebrate my new husband and I. It’s a feeling I’ll likely never be able to accurately portray. It’s truly heart-warming to be surrounded by everyone in your life that you hold near and dear. I most certainly would not have had the same wedding-day experience had I not chosen the perfect dress. Not to mention … I say with complete humility, I received an incredible amount of praise. Everyone, from guests at our wedding to acquaintances that saw photos on social media, complimented the classic elegance of my Mikaella dress. I’m eternally grateful for this company making my wedding day a dream come true.
DJ – EXLR8
Custom Wood Wall – Dream Wall Design
