I am so thrilled to share pictures from Alannah and Gabriel's wedding at The Bradford this past fall. You may remember this post from the Monday after their event. They were my (Dana's) couple from Hurricane Matthew.

I loved working with Alannah. She was so easy to get along with and was always so kind and appreciative. I knew when we met and I heard her vision for the day - it was going to be gorgeous. She wanted a very Italian/Tuscany feel with lots of food! They had such fun little touches all over. Guests were welcomed into the house (by the bus load!) and ushered into the ballroom for the ceremony. Guests were then welcomed back into the house for the cocktail hour while the ballroom was flipped for the reception. We did have to separate some guests into the house because of the weather, but guests were pretty understanding. The guests enjoyed a photo booth, a food truck (for drunk food!!), and an endless bar of premium drinks. We ended up extending the night an extra hour to account for time lost during dinner and no one left until midnight! It was such a fun evening and some of my favorite wedding stories have stemmed from this night.

The wedding aside- it was a tough day for everyone. There was a point where everyone had to mourn for the true vision of the event- but all the vendors pulled together to deliver an event that was the best it could have possibly been during a category 3 Hurricane. The Bradford staff did not stop moving all night. We were all drenched from head to toe, and worked endlessly to flip space after space to accommodate all the guests. No one complained, no one grumbled. It was the most epic of a team I could have asked for. On top of all that -I had a bride that kept it together and smiled, laughed, and had a great time. It was an event that I look at and realize that I love what I do! I love that these two trusted to me with so much. I know on the outside people look at a wedding planner and think it is so trivial. But what they don't see is how much relief we provide people. A wedding day is a day that you start your life with another person. It is a day of pure joy and celebration when you stand in front of your friends and family and commit your life to another human being. It is emotional that fact alone. Add in circumstance beyond your control and it gets downright overwhelming. There is nothing that makes me more satisfied than getting the chance to be the calm in someone's literal storm.

Alannah and Gabe - Thank you for trusting us. Thank you for being calm. Thank you letting me be your "person" on one of your biggest days. Thank you for letting my console you when you needed it. You two will always hold a special place in my heart. I know the future is bright and full of joy for you both!

Enjoy the pictures from Caroline Lima!