SallyAnn and Gino knew they wanted to create a more relaxed, comfortable, and inviting feel at their wedding for their guests. Their “modern love story” theme, with shades of muted dusty blue and gray came to life at the Golden Bear Club, located in Windermere, Florida. So many special details were added to their big day, including Gino and the groomsmen donning avenger cufflinks and SallyAnn and her bridesmaids incorporating converse shoes in their look.
A main focal point of the day was SallyAnn’s gorgeous cascading bouquet created by Andie, of Events by the
Flower Studio. Andie also helped accentuate the wooden lantern table centerpieces made by the groom himself with floral displays, complementing the theme.
According to bride SallyAnn, the best part of the day was getting married! She explained that because having a wedding in 2020 was stressful, they “were able to put the day into perspective.” Also, they had a getaway car after the reception, where Gino’s brother attached tin cans to the back. With the car clinking as they drove away, the newlyweds had a moment to themselves to take it all in and appreciate their new journey as husband and wife.
From Bride, SallyAnn:
How did you meet?
“We met while running in Baldwin Park. We started talking and went on our first date less than a week later at Universal Studios. We quickly found out that we both grew up in New York living 20 minutes away from each other our whole lives without ever knowing each other! We had only just met in Florida. We had so much in common from our cultural backgrounds to our religion. We shared the same life values. We both knew from the first day we were going to marry each other.”
From Bride, SallyAnn:
How did Gino propose?
“About a year after that we went on a special date, Gino surprised me with skydiving. It was so fun and exciting! Gino jumped first. When he landed he had a banner ready, so when I landed I read “SallyAnn will you marry me?” It was so special and unique. I was literally jumping for joy! I will never forget that day! And of course I said yes! I had to stop jumping around and kissing him to let him say his proposal. Even the date was special. He picked 29th of May 2019. 29 is my grandma’s special number, and also is my favorite number.”
From Bride, SallyAnn:
What advice would you give other couples about the wedding planning process?
“Make sure you have some good vendors. Our vendors were always there to reply quickly to emails and called me with concerns, especially because it was just me and Gino doing all the planning. Our vendors work with us every step of the way and all of our changing plans. We did not have a wedding planner so it was even more important that our vendors were easy to communicate with.”
Is there any advice that you would give engaged couples about married life?
“Communication is key. I think we really strengthen this skill during our whole wedding planning process. We learned about each other’s verbal, nonverbal, and emotional communication styles. We may only have six months of experience of being married, but it has been the best six months of our lives. We respect and appreciate each other every day, which makes loving each other simple and easy.”
Participating Vendors:
Ceremony Venue: Holy Family Catholic Church
Reception Venue: The Golden Bear Club
Photographer: Sophia’s Art Photography
Florist: Events by The Flower Studio
Cake: Sugar Sugar Cake Boutique
Hair and Makeup: Bride’s Sister
Rentals and Photo Booth: Chain of Events
DJ: White Rose Entertainment
