FROM THE BRIDE:

Here’s a little about Adam and I. We met in January of 2013 in a chance encounter. I had just started my first business (a blow dry bar located in West Hartford) in the summer of 2012, which left me little to no time for a social life. One day after work, I happened to meet a friend at Vinted, a local wine bar around the corner from my salon. My intention was to have a glass of wine with her and catch up, however fate had another plan for me that evening. Adam, who had recently relocated to the West Hartford area for work was having drinks at the bar with co-workers of his. One thing led to another my friend and I joined Adam and his friends for drinks and the rest is history. From that evening on Adam and I were pretty much inseparable. Fast forward to the fall of 2014, we had just about finished construction on our first home together and had begun to raise an adorable cockapoo puppy named Piper, when Adam proposed to me in our living room after I had returned home from a long day at work. To say I was surprised was an understatement, but I also could not have been more thrilled. I couldn’t have imagined a better way for him to ask me to marry him than just the two of us privately with no distractions to take us out of that moment. It was everything I could have every imagined and more.

Anyone who knows me knows, I never wanted a traditional wedding. From an early point on in our relationship Adam had shared with me that he too was on the same page. I always wanted to elope. I was never the girl who dreamed of wedding gowns and bouquets. However, after giving it a lot of thought, Adam and I knew we couldn’t elope and not be able to share our wedding day with all of our loved ones. Thus, the planning began. It was quite an easy process for us, one because we knew exactly what we wanted and two we had always been able to make decisions well together. It also didn’t hurt that part of my business entails being a wedding vendor myself so I have had the opportunity to see all the different sides of planning a wedding.

Venue:
Saltwater Farm Vineyard
349 Elm St.
Stonington, CT 06378

Picking a venue happened somewhat out of chance. We knew we did not want to get married in the traditional banquet hall type of venue and had heard that Saltwater Farm was a beautiful property. Two weeks after we were engaged we took a ride out to visit the site and from that moment knew it would be the only venue we would be looking at. The next weekend we returned with our parents to show them its beauty and charm and set the date right then and there March 21, 2015, we would become Mr. and Mrs. Cooper.

Photography:
Steve DePino Photography
www.SteveDePino.com
178 Church St,
Guilford, CT 06437
917.751.8752

Steve came recommend to me by a dear friend who is also a photographer. After speaking with him over the phone, to set up an engagement shoot and discuss a few of the details of our wedding we had planned so far I could automatically tell he understood our vision, not to mention, his work is absolutely incredible. It was a no brainer that we went with Steve. He captured our wedding day in a way that I never imagined being possible. He was beyond easy to work and his talent speaks for itself.

Flowers:
Lane & Lenge Florists, Inc.
860.523.6220
214 Park Rd
West Hartford, Ct 06119

There was never any doubt in either of our minds that we would be using Lane & Lenge for our wedding flowers. They have played a role in our relationship from the beginning and their work has never been anything other than impeccable. Since we were to be married at a vineyard we wanted a rustic yet elegant feel from the bouquets to our chuppa. When we arrived at the venue the day of our wedding we were elated our Lane and Lenge honestly put together the most exquisite arrangements. Our wedding flowers were everything we could have dreamed of and more.

Band:
The Metropolitan Players
www.metropolitanplayers.com

So we knew from day one we wanted to use a band rather than a DJ. We did some looking around online and there were a lot of bands to choose from. Our choice of the Met Players actually came from reading The Knot reviews and taking a leap of faith. Boy did it pay off! To this day our guests still talk about how incredible they were!

Dress:
Mariella Creations
www.mariellacreations.com

When it came time to find my dress my friends had set up appointments for me all of New York City, the typical circuit Kleinfeld, Saks, L’Fay Bridal etc. While flipping through bridal magazines one designer’s gowns kept my attention, and that was Paloma Blanca. I wasn’t sold on the idea of having to travel into the city for fittings so after doing a little searching I found that I would be able to find Paloma Blanca gowns right here in Connecticut. After trying on what felt like a million dresses I ended up picking on that I never imagined I would choose, but I absolutely loved it.

Hair:
Blo Blow Dry Bar: West Hartford
www.blomedry.com
860.231.0443

Hair was an easy pick for me. Being the owner of a blow dry bar it was obvious that I would have my own staff taking care of hair that day. Two of my most senior stylist came to the hotel where we were getting ready for wedding and styled my hair, making the whole process 100% stress free.

Makeup:
Pamela Contreras
KiSSandMakeUp
860. 830.4344
kissandmakeupct.com

Makeup was just as easy a decision for me as my hair was. Not only had Pam been a loyal customer of mine she was also one of my first Blo West Hartford brides. She had done my makeup for countless occasions always leaving me looking flawless and perfect for whatever the occasion called for. Her talent speaks for itself. She is professional, creative and most importantly so dedicated to giving her clients exactly what they are looking for. I could not have imagined anyone else doing my makeup for the day I married the man of my dreams.