Featured Bride Friday

Names of Bride & Groom: Lauren and Peter

Wedding Date: July 14th, 2012

Ceremony Location: St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church, Philadelphia, PA

Reception Location: Cairnwood Estate, Bryn Athyn, PA

How did you and your fiance meet?: On vacation in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

Tell us about the proposal: Peter had been planning a trip for several months, but wouldn't tell me where we were going (despite my nagging). I thought this was somewhat suspicious, and talked to my mother about it. My mom is quite sneaky, however, and convinced me not to expect anything "big" on the vacation because Peter hadn't "asked her permission" yet. This totally threw me off since I knew how traditional Peter is and knew he'd definitely ask my mother for permission before asking me to marry him. On the way to the airport on the day of the vacation, Peter told me we were going to Italy- starting in the town of Bellagio on Lake Como, then traveling to Florence, Venice and Milan! We had been to Italy in September 2009 during our first trip to Europe, so I was ecstatic to go back and totally forgot about my suspicions. The second day in Bellagio, Peter suggested a hike through the towns around Lake Como. As a reprieve from the hike, we stopped to take pictures at a bluff overlooking the Lake. Peter began telling me a story about this time he went to brunch with my mom when he was in Philadelphia...when he actually asked for permission from her! When I turned back around, Peter was down on one knee and proposed to me with the most beautiful diamond ring I had ever seen! Fun fact: Unbeknownst to Peter, June 3rd is also the date of my Grandmother's wedding anniversary. 

What is the overall theme of your wedding?: We don't have a "theme" per se , and we don't have a "color scheme" either. We both knew we wanted our wedding to be elegant, romantic, and traditional, but we also wanted it to be fun, so we didn't want to stick to a formula and would rather let our vision grow organically along with Erin's help. We envisioned an upscale, al fresco dinner party with fabulous food, followed by an all-out dance party with a live band. I'm pretty excited to see it all come together on the day of the wedding!

What has been your favorite part of planning?: Looking at all of the pretty pictures for inspiration on various wedding websites and blogs. I also loved wedding dress shopping!

What has been your fiance's favorite part of the planning?: Planning out our menu. Definitely. 

What are you looking forward to most on the wedding day?: Seeing my fiance at the end of the aisle as I walk towards him and knowing that I'll be his wife. We're not doing a First Look- we're very traditional in that respect- so I bet that walk will be emotional. 

What is your fiance most looking forward to on the wedding day?: If I were to ask him, he would probably say he's looking forward to just being married, but deep down I know he's most excited for the awesome food and the spectacular band! 

Which vendor has been your favorite to work with?: Does anyone ever NOT answer "Erin from Proud to Plan!"? If so, they're crazy. Erin has been an absolute blessing while planning this wedding and I definitely could not do it without her. Other than Erin, I really clicked with Brittany from Petals Lane the first time I met her and I could not possible be more excited for our flowers! Bernadette from Jimmy Duffy's Catering has also been amazing to work with. 

What is your biggest worry about the wedding day?: I'm definitely worried that it's going to rain, but like Erin says (via Outkast) "You can plan a pretty picnic, but you can't control the weather."

Where will you be spending your honeymoon?: We're going to Mauritius, an island in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Africa, for one week of relaxing on the beach. After that, we're heading to South Africa for a 5-day safari at a luxury resort in Kruger National Park. We both cannot wait!