Real Chic Bride Nicole on Her Wedding Story

A chat with #realchicbride Nicole about her wedding…

Tell us your love story! How did you meet and how did you get to a proposal? 

Felipe and I were actually set up on a blind date from 2 very close friends! It felt like we had known each other our entire lives, it was so natural and easy from the very beginning. From our first date we were inseparable and a proposal came just a year into us dating! 

When you started planning your wedding what did you envision? How close did the actual wedding get to that vision? 

I always wanted something that was traditional but not expected. We both loved the idea of being married in a church so that was a must.

For the reception, I wanted something that had the convenience of a hotel but not the standard ballroom feel. Our wedding planner, Amber at Oh My Occasions helped me achieve the wedding of my dreams by introducing me to the one of a kind look of the basketball court at the JW Marriott Marquis. They completely transform that room and the floor to ceiling windows out showing the city lights was perfection! It is hard to envision what a basketball court can become but it is a blank canvas that can be transformed into just about anything. 

What were a few things that were important to you as a couple to include (or not include) in the wedding? 

We both wanted to include all the traditions that come with a wedding. It was important for us to have a church wedding surrounded by all of our family and friends. For the reception, we wanted everyone to have fun all night long. We achieved this by not allowing the party to stop and ending it with an amazing hora loca performance by Black and Wine which I highly recommend!!! 

How did you decide on the location? 

Because I didn't want just a ballroom, Amber knew the basketball court would be perfect for us! We wanted a large enough space where our guest count fit comfortably and we could have cocktail tables framing the dance floor to have an area where people could hang out during the wedding. With such a large space, we were able to comfortably have our guests spread out while making the checkered dance floor (which was a must for me!) by MPE Event Group a true focal point of the room.

Let's talk dress! Give us all the deets! 

Anyone who knows me knows that it is very difficult for me to make decisions, it's the Libra in me. I had heard a lot about Chic Parisian so I thought that was a great place to start. I scheduled my first wedding dress appointment, EVER, for a weekday after work with just my mom and sister. I thought we would go, try on a few different styles so I could get a better understanding of what I liked and then go another day with the wedding party to really try on and decide. Alana welcomed us when we walked in and I knew we were in good hands. She had a great understanding of what I wanted and pulled different styles that I loved! My dress ended up being the second dress I tried on! After trying on 6 different dresses I went back to the second and after trying on a different belt I fell in love and knew that was my dress.

How did your family, friends, etc play into your wedding planning and wedding day? 

I was lucky to have the support and help from both my side and my husband’s side of the family! Planning a wedding can be extremely stressful but having people who have gone through this process before helps ease your mind! It is a lot of moving parts that need to come together to make everything work. I had so much help especially from my twin sister (who was also my maid of honor), I could not have planned everything without her!

What's one specific memory you have from your wedding day that you don't think you'll ever forget. 

Aside from the feeling of the doors opening at the church and walking down the aisle with my dad, I would definitely say seeing the completed room where the reception would be held! Amber and her team had me and Felipe close our eyes while they guided us into the room. They placed us in the center of the dance floor and the said: "open your eyes". Seeing all the hard work and all the planning come together in one room was the most amazing feeling. From the checkered dance floor to the feather wall of my dreams, it was all absolutely perfect. 

How did you decide on your hair and makeup look? 

I knew I wanted my hair down so it was a pretty easy decision. I wanted something that was going to be easy throughout the whole night. I knew we would be dancing and didn't want to have my hair in my face so the sleek look was perfect. For makeup, I usually get a little nervous because I don’t wear too much makeup, to begin with, but I trusted the Marz team and knew I was in good hands. 

Was there one vendor you used that you wish everyone knew about? 

Masson Liang Photography!!!! There are so many wonderful photographers out there but I am so happy we picked him. He was so easy to work with and truly captured photos that we will cherish forever. 

Where did you go on your honeymoon and what was the best part? 

Unfortunately, our honeymoon to Greece has been put on hold due to Covid-19 but we were lucky enough to have taken a mini-moon to St. Lucia! It was such a relaxing trip, and much needed after the wedding planning madness!