Monica Afanador 2/11/18 Monica Afanador 2/11/18

the details

everyone who knows me knows that I tend to pour my heart into the details...

wedding invitations: burgundy letterpress and gold foil with hand-lettered details designed by fleurish design, printed by alee & press

something blue and old: my grandmother's blue lace that each granddaughter has incorporated in her wedding in some way
something borrowed (and also blue): my mother's blue garter

bride's look: jenny packham hermia dress and belt from kelly's closet, hushed commotion earrings, badgley mischka gold sandals
bridesmaid dresses: my bridesmaids looked stunning in an off the shoulder burgundy dress while my maid and matron of honor stole the show in a sequin, rose gold cowl back dress
groom and groomsmen tuxedos: the guys looked dapper in midnight blue tuxedos from the black tux, mark wore tar heel cufflinks and mark gifted his groomsmen cufflinks special to each of them

floral design: lindsay rae design created the most beautiful centerpieces and floral details - yes... my matron of honor and ceremony singer was also my florist, and her team nailed it!

signage: white hand-lettering on pieces of acrylic were on display throughout the venue including the escort chart display, directional signage and card box

table numbers and place cards: each table was named after a city or place of significance to mark and me - each place was written on a gold frame. once at the table, our guests found their acrylic drink stirrer with their name on it sitting in their champagne glass which was used during the champagne toast. hidden in the napkin was a thank-you note from us that included background information on why that table's city was important to us

there's so much more I could say, but I'm sure you just want to see the pretty pictures ;)

VENUE // THE LIGHTNER MUSEUM
PHOTOGRAPHER // MEREDITH BACON
FLOWERS // LINDSAY RAE DESIGN
DAY-OF COORDINATION + PLANNING // COASTAL CELEBRATIONS
WEDDING DESIGN + PLANNING // FLEURISH DESIGN
BRIDE'S DRESS // JENNY PACKHAM
BRIDE'S EARRINGS // HUSHED COMMOTION
BRIDE'S SHOES // BADGLEY MISCHKA
GROOM + GROOMSMEN'S TUX // THE BLACK TUX
INVITATIONS // FLEURISH DESIGN
HAIR + MAKEUP // AMANDA HOPCRAFT
WEDDING BAND // NIKI DAWSON
BAR SERVICE // THE PERFECT POUR
CATERING// MICHAEL'S TASTING ROOM
HAND LETTERING + DAY OF DETAILS // FLEURISH DESIGN
RENTALS // ST. JOHN'S ILLUMINATIONS + BEACHVIEW
HOST HOTEL // CASA MONICA

Monica Afanador 2/10/18 Monica Afanador 2/10/18

the ceremony

the lightner museum is housed in the former alcazar hotel which was built in 1888 by henry flagler. the hotel had a steam room, massage parlor, sulfur baths, gymnasium, a three-story ballroom and the world's largest indoor swimming pool.

yes, we got married in a pool, deep end and all.

our ceremony was exactly what i'd hoped it'd be. it began with my very best friend and matron of honor, lindsay, and my dear friend ryan, singing my favorite rendition of be my baby by bluebird. they were accompanied by lindsay's husband and our close friend, karl. I could hear them singing while I waited to walk down the aisle. it was perfect.

our families, mark, and his groomsmen walked down the aisle to the lovesong - my grandparents, our parents, mark accompanied by his two sisters and his closest friends. once the song ended, my bridesmaids began to walk down the stairs and the aisle to ingrid michaelson's version of can't help falling in love. they were stunners. if you don't believe me, take a look for yourself below. my daddy patiently waited at the bottom of the stairs for me. one of my favorite pictures the talented meredith bacon captured was the moment we embraced at the bottom of the stairs. my dad, mom and step father then gave me away.

mark's godfather, doug, officiated the ceremony. we were so thankful he was up to the task because he gave the most thoughtful message tailored to us. i am also forever thankful mark and i chose to write our own vows because it intimately captured the love we have for one another. it really was the perfect ceremony surrounded by our closest loved ones.

if my words and pictures above didn't help you picture the first part of our ceremony, take a look for yourself below. i'm sure my wonderful videographer would want you to know, we asked for an unedited video of our entire ceremony. what he provided exceeded our expectations. we likely won't share the whole thing, but this entrance was too beautiful to not share!

VENUE // THE LIGHTNER MUSEUM
PHOTOGRAPHER // MEREDITH BACON
FLOWERS // LINDSAY RAE DESIGN
DAY-OF COORDINATION + PLANNING // COASTAL CELEBRATIONS
WEDDING DESIGN + PLANNING // FLEURISH DESIGN
VIDEOGRAPHER // HH FILMS
BRIDE'S DRESS // JENNY PACKHAM
BRIDE'S EARRINGS // HUSHED COMMOTION
BRIDE'S SHOES // BADGLEY MISCHKA
GROOM + GROOMSMEN'S TUX // THE BLACK TUX
INVITATIONS // FLEURISH DESIGN
HAIR + MAKEUP // AMANDA HOPCRAFT
WEDDING BAND // NIKI DAWSON
BAR SERVICE // THE PERFECT POUR
CATERING// MICHAEL'S TASTING ROOM
HAND LETTERING + DAY OF DETAILS // FLEURISH DESIGN
RENTALS // ST. JOHN'S ILLUMINATIONS + BEACHVIEW
HOST HOTEL // CASA MONICA

Monica Afanador 2/8/18 Monica Afanador 2/8/18

before we say "i do" part two

mark and I are very lucky to have the most wonderful friends and family supporting us day in and day out. it was so special to be surrounded by our closest friends and family leading up to the ceremony.

from our first look to our bridal party and family pictures, here's a glimpse into what else took place before we say "i do"

Monica Afanador 2/7/18 Monica Afanador 2/7/18

before we say "i do"

the Casa Monica hotel was host to our pre-wedding activities. we got ready in a Spanish-style suite full of burgundy and gold accents which fit very well with our wedding design. I loved that we were only a few doors down from the guys, so we could hear each other dancing and singing the day away.

Mark gifted his groomsmen with personalized Miller Lite glasses - which is fitting because Miller Lite was also my husband's choice for his signature drink. I loved this decision because it was such a Fleury move. He also selected specific cufflinks for his groomsmen, each representing their friendship in some way.

I gifted my bridesmaids with a tote bag each marked with the city where I met each of them filled with what my maid of honor would say "practical gifts" - personalized water bottles, pampering kit, matching pajamas and more! I'll be sharing more details on my bridesmaid luncheon later, so you can get the full visual.

I received a surprise visit just before needing to put my dress on from one of Mark's dear friend's Chase Jones who was holding a small blue box... I know what you're thinking, but what was inside was even better than Tiffany's :)

when Mark and I were boyfriend/girlfriend in fifth grade, one of our "dates" was to the Chattanooga Aquarium. ok, so it was more like a class field trip, but at that age, we took what we could get. at the end of the trip, Mark gave me a gift - a turtle mood necklace. which, before we started dating, I still had. I always told Mark how much I wished I had never gotten rid of it. when I opened that little blue box, I couldn't believe what was inside...

Monica Afanador 2/6/18 Monica Afanador 2/6/18

one year

sunday marked our first anniversary. yes, yes, of course I planned to post on the day, but mark and I were lucky enough to take a fun trip for our anniversary and the day got away from us...

what a year it's been! from traveling the country to celebrating 30th birthdays to becoming home owners - our first year has been an adventure.

over the next couple of days, I'll be taking a look back on our wedding weekend in our country's oldest city - st. augustine, florida. before I take you through the details, to celebrate our anniversary, here is a quick video by HH Films highlighting our special day. if I could do it all over again, I would.

the details

the ceremony

before we say "i do" part two

before we say "i do"

one year

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