Wed: Michelle & Andrew in Coral Gables

It is Wedding Wednesday and we are so delighted to share this beautiful celebration with you that KT Merry shot! Honestly, every time I open a wedding from KT, I know I am going to fall in love. She captured Michelle and Andrew so beautifully at the Coral Gables Country Club. A gorgeous bride, a glamourous wedding venue, beautiful decor throughout the ceremony in the round and the reception and images that have been timelessly captured by KT!

Prior to the couple meeting in Miami, Andrew was living in New York City and working on Wall Street, and Michelle was a snowboard instructor in Aspen, Colorado. They had both moved back to Miami to pursue MBA’s at the University of Miami. Andrew said that from the first day he met Michelle he was smitten with her carefree attitude. After dating for awhile it was during a get away at the amazing Little Palm Island that Andrew proposed. Michelle says it was like a movie, the sun setting in the background, little key deer frolicking about, waves crashing almost to their private dinner table in the sand.

We asked the bride to share some of her advice on planning a wedding and we think what she said is so very true! Being wedding bloggers, Laura and I spend hours looking at weddings, engagements, bridal portraits and details throughout the day. Sometimes it can all seem a bit overwhelming and what Michelle states is such a good piece of advice. "Make sure that the beauty of your wedding isn't only superficial. Yes, you want the flowers and lighting to be beautiful but that just feels good on the eyes. What really fed our souls that day was all the little sentimental and meaningful touches. Dream big and be as detailed in your planning as you (or your fiancé) can stand, but when the day comes just go with the flow. For each thing that did not go as planned something else surpassed!"

"Andrew wore his father's favorite gold cufflinks, I had little satin buttons from my grandmother's wedding dress sewn onto mine, the Chuppah was made from my grandfathers' tallits, my mother performed a special Tango during the reception, at the cocktail party all 200 guests gathered round and joined in for the chorus as my aunt sang a beautiful and powerful song just for us."

The bride told us that some of the unexpected parts of their wedding were her favorite parts. We couldn't agree more! "I had been told that when I found the right dress I would just know it and cry, to have tissues ready during the ceremony when I’m standing there next to my Andrew because I may cry and that when I danced with my father… you guessed it, I would probably cry. During those three moments instead of crying, I wanted to giggle and jump up and down with the untainted innocence and joy of a child. Those moments to me felt a million times better than rolling around in a lavender field with a litter of puppies. Don't get hung up on what it is 'supposed' to be and just let it be [what it is to the two of you]."

"Instead of a party favor we decide to make a donation to the fight against breast cancer in the memory of Andrew's mother who we miss dearly and we asked all of our uncles and my father to each say one of the blessings under the Chuppah (traditionally said by the rabbi or cantor)."

When asked what the best advice they would share during the planning process of a wedding is, "Hire the BEST people! Your wedding photographer is a self-inflicted paparazzi that will be in very close proximity to you the entire day and night of your wedding, sharing/witnessing your most intimate and special moments. It is important that your photographer not only be wildly talented but that you also have great chemistry/compatible personalities. KT and Chad were the photographers for my cousin's wedding, which I was a bridesmaid in, about a year before I got engaged and so I had a chance to not just marvel at my cousin's stunning photo album but also experience KT and Chad on the scene. They project such a feeling of peacefulness and joy that it's hard to get stressed out around them (and a wedding day can be ridden with potentially stressful situations at every turn).

And when it came to florists I met with three before finding Raffi, owner of Petal Productions. The experience reminded me of the story of the three little bears and the porridge that had to be just right. When I met Raffi he was kind, patient and soooo TALENTED! When I was having a hard time deciding on colors he told me to come over to his office to just 'play.' He made it his last appointment of the day so that we wouldn't be in a rush. We spent hours trying different candelabras and table cloths and putting together different combinations of flowers and colors while chatting, laughing and getting to know each other. While I am picky, particular and a complete controlling-OCD-perfectionist I can also sometimes be indecisive. By the time the wedding came around, I had gained so much trust and confidence in Raffi that I was able to tell him to 'just surprise me' with the things I couldn't make up my mind about. He understood my vision, my obsessive need for balance and symmetry and my love of 'fluffy flowers.' I had no idea what my bridal bouquet would look like and ended up with the most beautiful soft pink peonies (nearly impossible to get in January) framed by frosted wintery leaves (lambs ear)... gorgeous, romantic, feminine and perfect!"

Thank you so much Michelle, Andrew and KT for sharing the lovely day with us! It was beautiful and as Michelle stated, AMAZING!

VENUE/VENDOR INFORMATION:

Ceremony & Reception Venue: Coral Gables Country Club | Photography: KT Merry | Floral Design: Petal Productions | Hair Styling: Nicole Rodriguez | Makeup: Crystal Cadahia | Dress: Enzoani at Daisy Tarsi

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