Our Engagement Portraits - All the Details!

As we have approached the year-mark to our wedding day (April 16th) the list of wedding accomplishments continues to grow! One big task to check mark? The engagement portraits!

I have been so excited to have our portraits taken. After years of scrolling through pictures on Pinterest and seeing our friends' portraits, I couldn't wait to experience that ourselves and have precious moments of our engagement to capture.

We also intend to use theses picture for Save-the-Dates and possibly invitations and other pieces of the wedding, so it made a lot of things feel very real.

Our AMAZING photographer, Ashley Bartoletti, was recommended to me by a good friend of mine from work. I was blown away by her wedding portraits and had to have the same photographer for mine.

When Ashley asked me where I wanted to have them taken, all I knew was that I wanted it to be somewhere with lots of trees, floral features, and overall scenic and beautiful. I asked for her recommendation and she suggested the Morris Arboretum at the University of Pennsylvania. I was sold on the place, it was exactly what I was looking for.

With the photographer and location settled, the big task next was what outfit to wear. I wanted Dave and I to look like ourselves but just a little extra nice. My sister helped me choose a simple white lace dress from Nordstrom and Dave chose a blue striped button down and khaki pants. What I was most pleased about was that we blended into the scenery really well, I didn't think we clashed with the trees or flowers.

We chose to take the pictures in early May when everything is in the peak of its bloom and it was breathtaking! We got very fortunate with the weather as well. There were countless places to take pictures and try new poses and angles. When we got the proofs back I couldn't believe these were mine, they were more beautiful than any pictures I've ever seen. We are so thrilled to share a few of our favorites and hope you enjoy them as much as we do!

Finding My Dream Wedding Gown...

Probably one of the most fun parts of wedding planning is shopping for the wedding gown. With the advent of so many reality shows dedicated to brides-to-be finding their perfect wedding gowns, there is a lot of expectation that comes with these appointments.

I am no stranger to the experience of wedding gown shopping. For 10 months I worked as a bridal consultant at the largest bridal salon in New Jersey, Castle Couture. It was truly a magical experience and the scenes created from Say Yes to the Dress are just as real and exciting in person.

But this time I was on the other side of the appointment. Finally I was the bride and it was my time to shop for the wedding dress of my dreams. I went back to my old place of business and brought with me my mom and my sister. It was an experience that we've been dreaming of and talking about for years. Two is the perfect number of opinions as well, it's not too overwhelming but it offers some great perspective.

I often joke about the stamina I had to wait so long into my engagement to finally go wedding gown shopping. I got engaged on December 8th and made it all the way to March 22nd before slipping into a wedding dress. It was fantastic though, because in that time I was able to find a venue, book other vendors and have a solid foundation for what the wedding would be like. It also gave me time to do research and have firm ideas in what I was interested in trying on.

I came in with 3 buzzwords for my consultant: traditional, classic and elegant. I had in mind two styles but was truly open to trying anything on. Of course I had my Pinterest pictures out and ready and that gave my consultant a great visual of my overall taste. She also let me walk around the salon and pull some dresses too, which I really appreciated.

When we started getting the first dress clipped, I could tell immediately that this would be the dress to beat. It was spectacular to say the least. I practically ran out of the room to show my family and it couldn't have been longer than 30 seconds before my mom and I were crying. I could not believe how perfect the first dress was. I was so relieved that I found something I actually loved so much. We tried it with a veil and it just solidified the whole look for me.

But it was the very first dress and it's always a good idea to try on a few others before committing. Plus it's also so much fun and you should never rush the appointment, after all, how many more chances in life will you get to do something like this?

We tried on a few other dresses, all of which were beautiful and there was at least one that I also really loved. My mom and sister gave great feedback and were so positive and encouraging during the whole process. It was so fun seeing other silhouettes. Since I wasn't locked into trying on only one style, it was really important to get a taste of everything, all the way from a ballgown to a mermaid. But that first dress just spoke to me. I could actually see myself walking down the aisle and getting married in that dress.

Finally we put it back on and matched it with a great veil and side comb. It was so exciting to put the whole look together. If you have the time to do it, I definitely recommend selecting everything all at once.

My sister asked me if this was the dress and I laughed nervously. I loved this dress but I think it's a little scary when it's time to make the decision. It's a gown that I've dreamed of my whole life but to actually say the words is harder than you might think. But in my heart I knew it was right so after a moment I said "Yes, this is totally my dress!"

I am so thrilled to have had such a positive experience and to have shared it with my mom and sister makes me feel incredibly blessed. My advice for anyone about to start this experience is to stay open-minded and positive. Wear a strapless, nude colored bra and nude colored underwear. Wear heels similar in height to what you would wear on the day of your wedding. Think of general buzzwords that capture your style. Try on different silhouettes, get a taste for everything. Also have your hair and make up done extra nicely so you can see the whole look come together.  But most of all have fun, laugh and enjoy every moment, because these are the moments that you look back on and cherish forever.

How to Get the PERFECT Curls

Our Engagement Party! All the details...

When Dave and I initially discussed having an engagement party we were torn about how big of an event to make it. We definitely wanted to do something to celebrate becoming engaged but were unsure of how many people to invite, where to host it, and so on. We realized that it could quickly get out of control with a long guest list and potentially be a mini-wedding which is not want we wanted.

We decided to do things sweet and simple and invite only our immediate family. What we also wanted to take the opportunity to officially ask our family members to be in our bridal party. In the end we had a dozen people join us for an engagement dinner and it was absolutely perfect!

We went to Water and Wine Ristorante which is close to us so we asked everyone to meet at our apartment and head over together as a big group. We chose this restaurant because it was a nice place but not too fancy and the food was fantastic! We had a table at the end of the dining room so it felt very private and special for us.

Water and Wine

In the end we are so happy we kept it intimate and everyone seemed to have a great time! We are so blessed to have amazing families and look forward to having more occasions to all be together again soon.

My bridesmaids!

My sister and Maid of Honor

Our families :)

Our bridal party

Tour Our Apartment!

Dave and I moved into our first apartment together in September and it has been an amazing adventure so far!

Me and Dave getting the keys to our apartment

I am thrilled to finally be finished with the decorating, I'm sure I will still be buying knick knacks and little things in the future, but all of the big things are in place.

Design Process

The design theme for the apartment was "cozy neutral." I loved the tan and white colors for big pieces of furniture and thought it would be an appropriate color scheme for us as a couple living together. Neutrals are very warm and inviting in a space and it was important to me for the apartment to feel like home.

Living Room and Dining Room

The apartment has a great open concept design in the living room and dining room. We arranged our furniture to keep this space as open as possible. The couch and love-seat were from Raymour and Flannigan. The entertainment center is from Ikea. The coffee table and dining table were from my parents' house. The dining table was actually my parents' first kitchenette. To give an accent to a very muted color scheme, I chose an abstract patterned throw blanket and area rug. I hope this gives the room a nice contrast with the big pieces of furniture. I also chose glass lighting fixtures and a glass coffee table to break up the white pieces of furniture and give the illusion of the space being more open.

Our living room and dining room

Kitchen

The kitchen is fantastic! It offers lots of counter space and was recently renovated with granite countertops, dark wood cabinets and stainless steel appliances. When we took our first tour, my jaw dropped when I saw the kitchen!

Bedroom

The bedroom stayed in the same "cozy neutral" color scheme. The bed and frame also came from Raymour and Flannigan and the bed spread and vanity came from Bed, Bath and Beyond. The mirror came from my room at home, orignally bought from P.B. Teen. The cabinets came from Ikea and the space worked out perfectly so that they could be used sort of as "end tables" as well. 

When we first saw this apartment, there was no furniture inside, it was a completely blank slate. I am so proud of how we made this apartment into a home, it took a lot of time, work and energy but it was all worth it in the end.

Our Proposal Story...

Dave and I met in April 2011 at a Relay For Life event. It didn’t take long for me to realize that this is the right guy for me. Dave is everything I had ever hoped to have in a partner and more. He is the most generous person that I have ever met, there is not single thing he wouldn’t do for me just to see my smile. He has the most infectious laugh and an awesome sense of humor. I could go on for hours talking about all the things I love about him.

In March 2013, Dave and I were planning our first vacation together and we decided Disney World would be the perfect place. We had the most amazing time! It has been almost 2 years since that trip and we still laugh at inside jokes we made and flip through pictures and reminisce at how much fun we had that week.

Me and Dave in Disney March 2013

When we were ready to book our next vacation, Disney World was a no brainer! We chose the first full week in December after Thanksgiving so we could experience Disney during Christmastime and bypass most of the holiday crowds. What I didn’t know was that Dave was planning to propose on this trip and had been making arrangements ever since we booked the trip back in September.

On our first day in Magic Kingdom, I felt like a little kid on Christmas morning, I could barely contain my excitement! Unfortunately, Mother Nature had her owns plans in mind. For the entire morning, there was a heavy mist, not a typical Florida down pour that clears up in an hour. It was just enough to make us really uncomfortable and throughout the day I needed to buy a hoodie and a new pair of shoes!

You can actually see the ponchos and puddles behind us!

Dave had a plan to propose in the Rose Garden overlooking the castle. It is a beautiful sight and somewhat private which is why Dave liked it so much. He wanted to ask a photopass photographer to take a picture of us and then propose. Unfortunately, that day was also a filming for Disney’s Christmas Day parade. Ariana Grande was performing at the Castle and they stuck a giant camera right in the Rose Garden! Poor Dave! He had hoped to propose first thing in the morning but now was at a loss as to what to do next. The whole morning turned into an awkward episode of trying to stay out of the misty rain, which refused to stop, and Dave desperately trying to figure out where to propose.

By 2pm we were both frustrated with the day, I was ready to go back to the hotel and get warm and dry and Dave was still struggling to find the right place to propose. As we were heading out of Magic Kingdom Dave said how about we take one more picture on the train platform. It’s an area that overlooks Main Street and straight down is the castle. It’s a sight to behold if you’re a Disney fan. So we went up to the platform and there was one woman already standing there. Dave asked the woman if she would take a picture of us and quietly tipped her off that he was about to propose. I can only imagine how nervous she must have been!

Our last picture as boyfriend/girlfriend

Dave and I took a picture and as I was about to get my camera, Dave turned to me and said, “I have something I want to ask you.” I realized immediately what was about to happen was filled with more joy and excitements than I’ve ever felt in my life. Dave dropped to one knee and asked me if I would marry him. Even while writing this I still tear up. I was so happy I could barely get “yes” out (I think it was more of a squeak) so I kept nodding my head vigorously.

"I have something I want to ask you"

I have dreamed of this moment for my whole life and when I met Dave I knew that moment would be with him. Though it might not have gone quite according to plan, it was more perfect than I could ever have imagined. We made a memory in Disney that I will treasure forever. Dreams really do come true.