Here are two people intertwined by destiny to become one. Danielle & Steven are true soulmates. When we asked the bride what makes them the perfect match, here is what she shared with us:
In some sense Steven and I are complete opposites, but we know each other so well that he usually knows exactly what I’m thinking before I even say it. But in some ways we are exactly alike. We both love music and know the words to every song (or pretend to). We both love animals and want have a big farm in upstate NY one day! And our idea of a fun night always includes a good meal What I love most about us is that we can be together all day long doing nothing and enjoy each other’s company. Every day I can’t wait to get home just to spend time with him, whether its watching TV on the couch or walking our dog, just being together is enough for me.
And given that they both like animals, the reception venue was done in a big & spacious barn. They added romantically rustic details & chose to use a natural cream color palette tied up with hints of whites & greens that gave it that instant clean & fresh feel. The bridesmaids wore beautiful coral-colored dresses. Such a wonderful event for two wonderful loving couple! Congratulations Danielle & Steven!
What is your story as a couple, how did you meet & fall in love?
Steven and I met when we were 15 years old and I was working at a bagel store with some of my friends down the block from his house. Him and his friends would come in every weekend and talk to us. I had a boyfriend at the time but two years later we started to hangout and talk more often. We both knew we liked each other but were too shy to say anything at first. Being so young and going to different high school’s made it hard to see each other but we would stay on the phone for hours every night and even went to each other’s prom! I can still remember the night he asked me to be his girlfriend, we’ve been together ever since!
What makes the two of you a perfect match?
In some sense Steven and I are complete opposites, but we know each other so well that he usually know exactly what I’m thinking before I even say it. But in some ways we are exactly alike. We both love music and know the words to every song (or pretend to). We both love animals and want to have a big farm in upstate NY one day! And our idea of a fun night always includes a good meal. What I love most about us is that we can be together all day long doing nothing and enjoy each other’s company. Every day I can’t wait to get home just to spend time with him, whether it’s watching TV on the couch or walking our dog, just being together is enough for me.
What was the best advice you received when you were planning your wedding?
The best advice I received was not to stress about every little detail. Even though I wanted everything to be perfect, all that mattered to us was that we had each other and the people we love there to share the day with us. In the end, even with the hiccups, it turned out perfect and everything look beautiful. It was more than I had imagined and planned it to be, the best day of our lives.
What inspired your wedding decor? Why did you choose the things that you did?
Because our main focus was being outdoors I really wanted colors that complimented all the greenery of the location. Originally I was leaning towards a blush color but after looking through hundred of pinterest boards I decided I really wanted a coral for the bridesmaid dresses, with some yellows and greens in the flowers. I’m so happy I changed my mind because I think our flowers turned out perfect and my girls looked stunning!
Do you have advice for couples still in the planning process?
ORGANIZATION! One thing I regret is not utilizing all the tools available for wedding planning. I was not very organized and things got a little confusing at times. Pinterest does not count as organization! Scrolling through hundreds of pins while meeting with vendors is not as easy as you would think. Even though it all worked out in the end some of the added stress was because I wasn’t very organized.
Can you share some tips or tricks that you learned along the way leading up to the wedding or after?
One tip that I learned after the wedding was to keeps lists of things that you want to happen the day of and make sure everyone involved has a copy! One thing I regret is showing my photographer pictures I had seen that I wanted as well. I thought I would remember the day of, but there are so many things going on its impossible! Plus I was more focused on seeing my groom! While I love all of our pictures, I did want to get one with a “Thank You” sign to send to guests but since Elmer didn’t know, how could he make sure it happened?! I know if I were to go back and do it again I would make sure to be more organized and make lists for everything!
Where did you go on your honeymoon?
Our honeymoon was in Mykonos and Santorini in Greece. Both islands were so beautiful and the hotels we stayed at made the trip that much more memorable. We ate lots of gyros and feta cheese, went sightseeing, did some shopping and most importantly relaxed and enjoyed our time just the two of us.
What are you most excited about for the future?
I think I’m most excited about starting our lives together. Although we’ve been dating almost 10 years we didn’t move in together until a few weeks before the wedding. It was not exactly how we planned it but it added so much more excitement to our big day that I’m kind of happy it worked out that way. Being able to come home from work and have dinner together, or waking up on Saturday morning with the love of my life and best friend right next to me is one of the best feelings in the world. Of course we want to start a family, but right now I just look forward to being with him.
How many guests were invited in your wedding and what was the final guest count?
Our original guest list was about 230 people but we had a final guest count of 165 people, kids included!
Was it difficult to narrow down your guest list?
It was really hard to narrow down the list of invites but when you have a budget you unfortunately can’t always invite everyone. Our families were always top on our list and then we included as many friends as we could. After the fact there are always those people that you wish you had thought or had been able to invite, but everyone was understanding.
What songs did you use during the ceremony?
We had the Bernstein Bard Trio play for the ceremony and cocktail hour. The trio consists of a guitar, mandolin and upright bass, their music was so beautiful. The music we used for the ceremony was Jesus Joy of Man’s Desiring, Pchelbel’s Canon in D and for our recessional they played Here Comes the Sun. For the cocktail hourthey played various songs from all different genres, I’m a huge Beatles fan so they made sure play lots of that! For our ceremony we had a DJ to get the party going and our wedding song was Everytime We Touch the candlelight version by Cascade, it was perfect!
Was there any Do it Yourself (DIY) projects? If so, can you describe them in detail?
Our programs were actually designed by a good friend/co-worker of mine. She made the artwork and had it printed, then my bridesmaids and I spent the night before the big day putting them together with twine ribbon and this natural craft paper. I loved them, I thought they came out great and really added to the rustic theme/feel of the whole day! We also had a polaroid camera for all of our guests to take their own pictures for us to put in a guest book. It was a lot of fun for everyone and for us to look through the next day!
Vendors
Photographer: Elmer Escobar Photography
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