Bride's Name: Bryce
Groom's Name: Jacob
Venue: First Baptist Church of Alexandria | Springfield Golf & Country Club
Photographer: Timeless Photo + Video
Videographer: Timeless Photo + Video
Hair and Makeup: Nina Renee Beauty
Dress: Serendipity Bridal - “Paulina” by Casablanca
Bridesmaids: Fame and Partners | Revelry
Tuxedos: Generation Tux
Flowers: Something Borrowed Blooms
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Special moment of your day?
One of the most special moments from our day was the father-daughter dance. My dad is known in our household as the big teddy bear who will cry at just about anything that pulls at the heartstrings. However, he said over and over again that he didn’t think he would cry during our wedding. And he didn’t…until the father-daughter dance. Ever since my sisters and I were babies, my dad would sing each of us “All My Loving” by The Beatles while rubbing our forehead to put us to sleep. I decided this was going to be our song that we danced to and that it would be a surprise. I found a slowed down version by Rita Lee and sent it to our DJ. When we were called up to the dance floor to do our dance, the DJ actually announced the name of the song, but my dad didn’t hear it as he was talking to me. So it wasn’t until the singing began and he heard the words that it hit him and he immediately started crying. After we finished dancing he went up to the DJ booth and grabbed the microphone to try to explain to our guests the meaning behind our song. All he could get out was “I used to sing-“ before he broke down sobbing, silently pointing to each of me and my sisters. My older sister went up to finish the explanation for him. All of our guests were crying.
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Best memory of the day?
I think my favorite memory of the day was walking down the aisle to my groom. Our church has glass doors in the back so as I was standing there waiting to walk down the aisle I could see a lot of guests looking back at me. I actually swear I could see everyone except Jacob. The wood paneling of the door just happened to block my view exactly where he was standing, so while he could probably see my dress, we could not see each other’s faces. The doors opened and as soon as I saw him I gasped in a way that I basically choked on the air and started crying. I could see his hand cover his face and wiping his eyes. When my dad and I got to the alter I discreetly let go of his arm to grab my tissue out of my bouquet and catch my tears before they ruined my expensive makeup. I was shaking so much and when Jacob stepped into my dad’s place, I was squeezing his arm so tightly to stabilize and calm me.
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Wedding Theme - Color
Our colors were champagne, gold, white, and green.
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Why did you choose the dress you picked?
The Paulina, simply put, is just stunning and unique. From the moment I saw it online before coming in, the excitement I felt about it (especially seeing the tulle ruffle hem), I knew it was probably my one. When I tried it on in person was when I knew for sure that no dress I had tried on before it could come close to comparing and I did not need to try on any more. I immediately said yes to it. My original idea of what I wanted was A-line, but the fit and flare of the Paulina surprised me with how much I loved it. The detailing of this dress from the sheer corset bodice to the appliqués to the sparkly under layer, all of it is just one-of-a-kind. I’ve received countless compliments on it.
A few sentences about your wedding?
Our wedding was absolutely perfect! We loved having all of our most special people with us. One thing I was so worried about in the days leading up to the wedding was the weather. Even though our wedding was indoors (and I know there’s no use in stressing over something you have absolutely no control over) I still wanted outdoor photos and prayed that it would be sunny and dry on our wedding day and it was! Though, I know rain is good luck so part of me also wanted some rain. All day it was warm and sunny, we were dry traveling to and from venue to venue, and we got all of our outdoor photos. After we’d gone inside for the reception it started raining! Jacob and I snuck away with our photographer for an amazing shot in the rain. Then when it was time for our send off it was warm and dry again! It was truly the best of both worlds.
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How did you and your groom meet?
We’d known of each other since high school since our two schools would hang out and party together. We always saw each other at these social events, but never officially met until April of 2021, about three years after graduating high school. I shared a song on my Instagram story (Falling in Love by Dennis Kruissen) and he slid into my dms (classic) saying that he loved that song too and didn't know many other people who knew it, too. (Fun fact: this was our song we used for our grand entrance into our reception). From there we got to know each other and started dating, we got engaged a year later in May of 2022, and tied the knot in May of 2023!
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How did your groom propose?
Our date began on May 14th, 2022 at The Melting Pot, which I later found out was a sentiment to make up for my “failed” birthday dinner that past winter. (Jacob had taken me to The Melting Pot for my very first time on my 22nd birthday that past December…but I had tonsillitis. So, as good as the food was, it was very painful for me to eat and I could not enjoy it as much.) After dinner he drove us to Old Town where we walked the waterfront until we came upon this beautiful picnic in the grass. White bedding, white and sage green pillows, candles, flowers, champagne, strawberries, grapes, and a cake that said “Will you marry me?” I actually did not see the cake at first so I was taking off my heels to step on the bedding and I turned around to see my Jacob down on one knee. (We both “blacked out” and could not tell you what he said while down on his knee if our life depended on it).
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Advice to bride planning her wedding
Be proactive! Stay ahead of your to-do’s. And as hard as it is, do not stress over the perfection of everything! As for staying on top of things, when we got engaged I obviously had no idea where to begin so I got a wedding planner off Amazon that was perfect in helping me plan our wedding. The satisfaction in crossing off another thing off the to-do list drove me to get as much done as soon as I could. As for stress, the further out we were from the wedding the more stressed I felt about things going perfectly. My head was full of “what if the rental company doesn’t deliver the decor,” “what if the DJ plays the wrong first-dance song,” “what if I wake up with a sore throat,” or a million other “what if”s (again, no use in stressing over what you can’t control, but that’s easier said than done). But to my surprise, the closer we got to wedding day the more relaxed I became. I think a major part of that relaxation was credited to how much I had gotten done ahead of time, but also knowing that no matter what went wrong with decor or music or illness, as long as I married my Jacob, the day would be perfect.
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What favorite part/thing/experience about shopping with Serendipity?
I had an amazing experience with Serendipity! I was so impressed with the aesthetic of the boutique upon my first appointment and the abundant collection of dresses they had in stock. And even though everything is by appointment, Serendipity was always very accommodating scheduling me when needed. My dress needed to be taken in and was done so PERFECTLY and quickly by Oksana. Janice and her staff are very professional, kind, and attentive. The boutique was an hour away from my home and if I had to do the whole process again, I would absolutely make drive to use Serendipity again. It was worth it!
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