As promised, here are some of my favorite pictures from our wedding day at Plymouth Congregational Church and Hotel Colonnade. My husband and I got married on June 15th, 2012, therefore, celebrating our 6 year wedding anniversary. We had a traditional church wedding at a historic church named Plymouth Congregational Church which is located in a picturesque town in Miami, FL. I felt in love with the architecture instantly and was certain we needed to get married here.
I took a tour of the grounds and was mesmerized by all the history behind it. “The interior of the vine-covered stone building was constructed on the lines of a basilica and the doors are said to have come from a Spanish mission in Mexico.” And although the church was beautiful inside and out, I still needed to make sure that the priest that would marry us was “the one”. My husband and I met him and immediately knew that he would be the person that unites us in holy matrimony.
Our wedding day reception was held at Hotel Colonnade in Coral Gables. We opted for the iconic 60-foot dome in their neoclassical, marble-tiled rotunda because it was the perfect blend of romanticism, elegance, and beauty. The rotunda is another historic site and features high windows, marble flooring, a beautiful water fountain and columned walls. During the reception, the balconies were curtained and accent lighting was used to create a romantic and festive ambiance.
The reason why we opted for this location for our reception was because of it’s stunning beauty. I was captivated by the rotunda due to it’s resemblance to structures I had seen in Rome, Italy. The elegant lines, uncluttered appearance, free standing columns, and massive structure transported me to Greek and Roman times. Exquisite staircases, water fountain, and dome ceiling created a nostalgic feeling by bringing one back to those times. I had no doubt in my mind this venue was the one.
The process of planning a wedding is time consuming and can be overwhelming at times. But, I must say that I enjoyed every minute of it. My husband was neutral about all the decorating details, therefore, I was the decision maker in every detail. Our wedding day was by far the most memorable and important day of my life. Not only was I going to be exchanging wedding vows with the love of my life but all the visions I’ve had since we’ve started dating were going to come to life.
Bouquet Details:
I opted to do a bouquet of brooches instead of the traditional flowers for a few reasons. The main one was to incorporate pieces in it that reminded me of loved one that are no longer with us. I had pieces to represent my grandfather, grandmother, aunt, and cousin. As well as, my husband’s grandfather, Pipo. I knew that they would be smiling down on us from heaven. But, knowing that I carried a sentimental memento of them down the aisle on our wedding day made it extra special. Secondly, I wanted to be able to keep it forever and be able to enjoy it’s beauty on a daily basis. Lastly, I wanted something unique and this is the one that stood out the most to me.
Dress Details:
Finding the my wedding dress was on top of my to do list. I wanted this task to be completed prior to getting everything else done because I know I can be very picky plus indecisive. I had no idea what material, silhouette, style, shade of white I wanted. For this reason, the quest to find the one was quite exhausting. I tried on an endless amount of dresses and always found something I didn’t like. Until one day, I sat down and started asking myself what type of bride I wanted to be. In the light of this, the one word that kept replaying on my mind was “timeless”. From there, I decided that my dress must be lace. The veil had to be cathedral length and the silhouette was going to be trumpet.
To summarize, this is where the quest got smoother and details came together. I tried on a few more dresses and said Yes to a Martina Liana couture wedding gown. In my eyes, this dress embodied exquisite design, glamour, and elegance.
Shoe Details:
Next, we have the shoes … boy did I search everywhere for the perfect ones. I knew that I wanted a sky high heel but the rest of the details were up in the air. Many designer houses and department stores were visited on the quest to find them. I purchased a Gucci pair of blue stilettos but something kept telling me they weren’t the ones. Then, while shopping at the Bal Harbour Shops I came across this pair of silver peep toe beauties covered in swarovski crystals by Giuseppe Zanotti. At that point, I knew that I had found the perfect pair of shoes for our wedding day.
