Why did you decide to get married where you did?
Darian’s family has had a beach house in Boca since before he was born, and we spend so much time at The Boca Raton Resort + Club every time we visit. We stayed there for 8 months during the height of the pandemic, and though we hadn’t officially moved in together yet back home in Philly, it’s the first place we woke up together every day for nearly a year. Boca Raton felt like first place we really lived together and took our relationship to the next step.
How many guests did you have?
215.
What was your budget?
$300,000.
Tell us about your outfits.
I wore a custom Chosen by Kyha skirt and top. The big, floaty skirt felt very extra and appropriately bridal, but the asymmetrical layers kept it modern and gave it a little edge. It went back and forth between several stages of being all one dress vs. a skirt and a top, but ultimately a two-piece outfit felt super “me”—I’m always wearing sets and co-ords. People are sometimes concerned about a look being too trendy and how it will hold up in 20 years, but I got married in 2023, not 20 years from now—I’m okay with it looking like 2023! I love that my dress was a total reflection of me right now.
The groom wore a Tom Ford suit with a velvet jacket and Louboutin velvet loafers—love the casual-chic no-sock look. The coolest part was the gold parrot brooch he wore; neither of us are super into flowers, so boutonnieres didn’t feel interesting to us to be such a major part of his and his groomsmen’s look. We found this gold parrot brooch from Sonia Petroff, which was the perfect accessory in so many ways. It had topaz and onyx stones—we both have November birthdays, so it was both of our birthstones—and the parrot tied into other tropical accents throughout the wedding. His groomsmen all wore custom lapel pins, each tied to a memory or inside joke.
What was the most important aspect for you, in terms of planning your wedding?
Our dream was for all of our guests to feel like a part of our wedding, and let them participate in uniting us as a couple—not just witness it. Our interactive ceremony gave everyone a role, and we minimized the elements that solely involved us as a couple; dances and speeches were short and sweet, and we invited guests to join us on the dance floor less than a minute into our first dance.
Were there any elements that were important for you to incorporate?
We really wanted our ceremony to be engaging and have an interactive element. Our officiant prompted the audience to raise up a sign—we printed smiley faces on the back of our programs for this purpose!—in response to questions about their memories and experiences with us, like if they’d been to a concert with us, played a drinking game with us, or ever seen us in coordinating outfits (all of which are common occurrences in our lives). It was a great way to stir up memories and have people reflect on the time they’ve spent with us as a couple, which made everyone really tuned into the ceremony and feel more connected to the experience of celebrating our marriage.
Any tips for couples getting married?
We wanted to relive the day over and over as soon as it was over, and something we’re so glad we opted for was an “iPhone footage” add-on from our photographer Sydney Marie. We got hundreds of 4-5 second clips literally the day after the wedding, and it was the best thing ever to see footage immediately. It was so cute to relive all the little moments and see the small interactions we wouldn’t have just gotten from stills.
Are there any vendors that you would like to tell us a little more about?
They were all amazing!
Photographer : Sydney Marie @sydneymarie.co | Videographer : Densmore Films @densmore_films | Ceremony + Reception Location : The Boca Raton @thebocaraton | Celebrant : Julia Alter (Groom’s sister). | Entertainment : Andrea Smith, The Band Method (The Miami Project)/@thebandmethod | Planner : Jason Mitchell Kahn + Co @mrjasonmitchell | Rentals : Unearthed Rentals @unearthedrentals | Flora : Boca By Design @bocabydesign | HMUA : Bellelite @bellelite | Catering, Beverages + Cake : The Boca Raton @thebocaraton | Stationery : Homestead Ink @homestead.ink | Wedding Dress : Chosen by Kyha @chosenbykyha from The Ivory Concept @ticbridal | Tux : Tom Ford @tomford | Engagement Ring : Oscar Heyman @oscarheyman | Wedding Rings : L. Priori Jewelry @lpriorijewelry | Bride’s Shoes : Salvatore Ferragamo @ferragamo + Chiara Ferragni @chiaraferragnibrand.com. | Groom's Shoes : Christian Louboutin @louboutinworld | Groom’s Brooch : Sonia Petroff @sonia_petroff | Groomsmen Pins : The Brothers at OTAA @otaa.brothers | Bridesmaid Dresses : ASTR The Label @astrthelabel