Featured Bride Friday

This week's featured bride is Devon, who's getting married next Saturday! Read on below to find out more about big day!

Names of Bride and Groom: Devon and John

Wedding Date: August 27th, 2011

Ceremony Location: Old St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Philadelphia

Reception Location: Atrium at the Curtis Center in Philadelphia

How did you and your fiance meet?: We met in Venice, Italy while studying abroad during our first year of law school. We had gone to school together for an entire year but had never met until we bumped into each other in a piazza in Venice while both running late for our abroad program welcome lunch. 

Tell us about the proposal: We were in Punta Cana for a vacation with John's parents and about three days into our trip, John asked me to go for a walk on the beach at sunset. I was feeling a little grumpy for some reason and didn't want to go, but eventually I agreed to go after I finished the crossword puzzle I was working on. Little did I know how much I was making John sweat as I couldn't understand why he kept telling me to look in the back of the book for the answers I didn't know! Finally we went down to the beach and as we were walking, he asked me to stop and look at the beautiful water with him but I once again foiled his plan as I sat down so he couldn't get down on one knee to propose. Finally, after getting back up to continue our walk, he was able to get down on one knee and propose!

What is the overall theme of your wedding?: I am not too big on going over the top with a theme, but we are trying to incorporate a lot of Venice, Italy throughout our wedding since we met there by doing things such as our Gondola cake topper, gondola ice sculpture, and tables named after our favorite places in Venice.

What has been your favorite part of planning?: My favorite part has been spending time with our family while planning all the details of the big day. We are both so close to our parents and it has been great getting their input in combining my family's Catholic-Irish-Italian-German traditions with John's Russian-Jewish ones. 

What has been your fiance's favorite part of the planning?: Meeting with the Priest and Rabbi to go over the ceremony, picking out the gifts for our registry and booking our honeymoon!

What are you looking forward to most on the wedding day?: Walking down the aisle with my Dad and seeing John for the first time at the end of the aisle. 

What is your fiance most looking forward to on the wedding day?: Seeing my beautiful bride walk down the aisle towards me and taking our vows to love each other forever. 

Which vendor has been your favorite to work with?: All of my vendors have been absolutely great but I felt an instant connection with Erin the moment we met her. We didn't even meet with any other wedding planners as I knew she was the one right off. Erin, Lisa and TJ have been so great and really make me feel like I can have a stress-free wedding day!

I also love Natalie Pagano (Hair by Natalie) and Emily from Cheekadee. They both make me feel like I will look gorgeous on the big day!

What is your biggest worry about the wedding day?: Trying not to cry too much when my Dad walks me down the aisle and during the father-daughter dance. Because I am so close with my Dad, this part always gets me the most emotional at other people's weddings so I know it will be emotional at mine!

What makes your wedding unique from all the others?: I think our wedding is unique because we are tying so many traditions together on our day. Our ceremony is at a Catholic Church but we are still having a Rabbi co-officiate and are breaking the glass and signing an interfaith Ketubah. Also, culturally we have such different backgrounds, so we are trying to honor John's parents who were born in the Ukraine but intersperse it with my family's Italian, Irish, and German roots.

Give three words to describe what you imagine you'll feel like the day AFTER the wedding: Excited, ecstatic and exhilarated! 

Where will you be spending your honeymoon?: Sandals in Antigua!