Bride's Name: Shannan Bonner
Groom's Name: Tony Steiner
Venue: Ceresville Mansion
Photographer: LifeGallery Studio
Videographer: Nylad Media
Hairstylist: Tenacious Makeup
Makeup: Samiya Aziz Artistry
Dress: “Blaine” - Maggie Sottero Serendipity Bridal
Bridesmaids: JJ’ House
Flowers: TCevents Wedding Planning & Design
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Special/favorite moment of your day?
My favorite moment had to be Our Ceremony. From my grand entrance to our blissful send off, every little detail was perfect. It was every girl’s dream of having a magical heartfelt Ceremony. There were tears, laughter and a lot of cheers throughout the ceremony. The reading of our personal vows to each other made all of the difficulties of planning worth all of the stress. It was a time in our lives that we would never forget.
Favorite Moment of Day?
My bridesmaids and I were able to take a sneak peak of the decor before the guests arrived. It was so special to see the setup of the Sweetheart and Guest tables with the grand beautiful centerpieces, all hand crafted by our wonderful planner Tani from TCevents Wedding Planning & Design. The moment was very surreal to finally view my dream vision come to life, it was a once in a lifetime experience.
Best memory of day?
The best memory had to be the awkward moment when I mistakenly called Tony my wife during the Ceremony. I was repeating the vows from the officiant while also reading the printed version from her binder. I did not realize what I said until I saw the confused look on our officiant's face. It turned into an amusing moment of laughter from Tony and I, the officiant and our guest. This moment was a perfect representation of how goofy our relationship can be, we often turn a serious moment into a lighthearted and joyous occasion.
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Wedding Theme - Color
We chose to have a mostly White wedding, with hints of gold and blush pink throughout the floral arrangements and decor.
We did not have an official theme for the wedding, but we did have a few Disney themed pieces in our decor. One of which, a replica of the “Enchanted Rose” from Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” placed on our welcome table. The Rose was gifted to me a few years ago from Tony as a Valentine’s Day present. The Rose was accompanied with a framed illustrated sign of Belle and the Beast, with the message “Be Our Guest”. The sign was significant to us since it’s one of my favorite movies and we actually spent our Honeymoon in the Walt Disney World parks.
Why did you choose the dress you picked?
I had always envisioned wearing a ball gown with a skirt so full that it swayed when I walked. I tried on about five gowns before finding the “One”. When I did the first look in the mirror wearing the Blaine gown I was struck with disbelief. I couldn’t believe I found a dress that I always dreamed of since I was a little girl. The gown was everything I wanted, the details on the dress were immaculate. I especially loved the off the shoulder sleeves that were added to the gown. I felt like a Disney Princess every time I tried on my gown.
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TELL US about your wedding!
Tony and I started planning our wedding in 2018. We had exactly two years to plan our big day and even though we had hit a few roadblocks, I could not have asked for a better outcome. Our wedding was everything I envisioned it to be and more. We had an elegant ceremony on the terrace at Ceresville Mansion. Everything turned out perfect from the elaborate decor to the perfect weather.
How did you and your groom meet?
We met the first year at Stevenson University. He sat in the seat next to me in my Intro to Information Systems course. Long story short, we did not have a chance to speak to each other in class. I ended up dropping out of that course and he reached out to me on Instagram a few months later. We met up in the school’s library for a study session after becoming acquainted online. The rest is history.
How did your groom propose?
Funny story, Tony planned an elaborate date weekend in Virginia in 2018. The itinerary included dinner at an upscale restaurant, followed by a night at a nice hotel, then a romantic dinner cruise on the Potomac for the next day. After the first night’s festivities, we returned to the hotel to turn in for the night. Tony had already planned on proposing, so he asked the hotel’s concierge to record my reaction as he asked for my hand in marriage. Little did I know that this plan was being arranged. As soon as we returned to the room, I made sure to get comfortable and got ready for bed. Tony saw that I was ready for bed and had to quickly improvise. He kindly explained the situation to the concierge and proposed while I was in bed winding down from the night. The proposal was so unexpected, I had a lot of different emotions while trying to comprehend the moment. Even though the outcome was unexpected, it was flawed and authentic which perfectly represents us as a couple. I couldn’t have asked for a better proposal.
DO YOU HAVE ANY Advice to brideS planning THEIR wedding.
During this difficult time try to remember what is important. Planning a wedding can sometimes mask the true reason for the celebration, which is the love between yourself and your partner. Even though the state of the nation has caused many complications for couples preparing for a wedding, it can be looked at as a positive to re-evaluate what is the best route to take when planning. Whether that is to postpone, cancel or elect for an intimate wedding with a limited number of guests. My advice to any bride is to do what is best for you and your partner. We have all been put under a state of uncertainty and there is going to be a lot of unsolicited opinions coming your way. Try to remember the only opinion that truly matters is yours and your partner’s.
What favorite part/thing/experience about shopping with Serendipity?
It’s hard to narrow down a certain aspect of my experience since the service I received has been extraordinary. If I had to redo the entire process over, I would like to relive my first dress fitting at Serendipity. From the moment I walked through the entrance of the boutique I felt like a queen bride. The feeling of elegance and charm of this renown boutique was truly magical. I was treated like royalty and found my gown on the second dress I tried on. It was truly a celebration when having the complimentary champagne and posing for pictures with the “I Said Yes to the Dress” sign. I could not stop smiling. It was an experience I will never forget! Thank You Janice and the Serendipity staff for making this possible.
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