Laila + Jay remind me that love can be found even when you least expect it. Laila went car shopping and ended up finding the love of her life! After a New Years proposal, the two wed at {The Ocean Club} in South Florida. How beautiful are these flowers by Sarah Isaac for Isaac Farms!? The incredible {Jeff Greenough} captured the special day. Bridesmaids wore dresses by {Nicole Miller}. Brides dress by {Maggie Sottero}. Check out Jeff Greenough blog post on Laila + Jay’s fantastic wedding {here}.
How did the two of you meet? Laila came to my place of work to inquire about purchasing a new Volkswagen Beetle. The moment she walked into the showroom and walked past me, my heart stopped beating. I had no idea what was happening to me but I knew that there was something special and unique about this beautiful woman. I was not the person who helped her that day but wished that I was, just so that I could find out what it was that drew me to her. I got to speak to her that day only for a minute or two, making small talk and nothing more than that. I had asked the person who had assisted Laila that day, whom she was and if and when she would be coming back. He told me that she would be back that Friday (this happened to be my day off). I wanted to see her again! Why? I couldn’t tell you… I just had to be there. Well Friday came along and I waited from 9am in the morning until 9pm in the evening and there was no sign of her whatsoever. A little down and out I came back the following day and low and behold there she was, my heart felt like it ceased once again. I eventually gathered up the courage to go and talk to her. We made idle chit-chat for 15 minutes or so and after that, every time I would see her for the rest of the day we would smile at each other. Towards the end of the day I thought to myself that I really do want to get to know this woman a little better, so I went over to her and handed her my card. We made conversation for a minute or two and I asked her to give me a call sometime. After 15 minutes or so I thought to myself, “What if she is too shy to call?”, I turned around immediately to go and find her once more. As I walked to the front of the building I saw her car leaving and I had a feeling of uncertainty. About an hour or so later she came back to ask a question to the person that had assisted her. I told her that I would be more than happy to help her out with that and she didn’t need anyone else for that. We hung out for a little while and I asked her if she would prefer me calling her instead, which she said yes to. And that is pretty much where our relationship started.
Describe the proposal: December 31, 2007. My whole family was waiting for the New Year. Everyone was there. The clock struck midnight and everyone screamed happy New Year!!! I went to get my new years kiss from Jay – who was standing right by my side a second ago and couldn’t find him. I asked my sister where he was and she told me to turn around, so I did. There he was on one knee in front of the whole family. Everyone was in it except me. We even got it on video! It was so special and so wonderful – plus he got extra points for being so brave!
What attracted me to my husband was: He has always been very polite and really attentive over me. What really sold me on him though was that he was really willing to spend time with my family and friends. He scored HUGE points with this gorgeous eyes and beautiful South African accent!
Why do you love your husband? I think a better question is what is there not to love? He is perfect for me. I love EVERYTHING about him. Especially how he is always eager to please. He really would go all out to make me have everything I’ve ever wished for.
What attracted me to my wife was: The incredible feeling that came over me when I first saw Laila. I knew she was the one.
A date we went on that we’ll always remember: For our first Valentine’s Day together Jay planned a wonderful picnic in Key Biscayne. He drove me there and when we arrived everything was set up. Key Biscayne has the best view of the skyline. Everything looked like it came out of a fairytale book or a movie. I was in awe the whole time. The weather that day was absolutely perfect. We stayed there till sundown. It was very special.
The weather on our wedding day was: Superb! That whole week the evening temperatures were awfully chilly, but that night was like it was meant for us.
What was the design inspiration for your wedding? Being an Art Director and a Virgo I am so meticulous with details. I really didn’t have any inspiration. I looked at a lot of bridal magazines but didn’t find anything that I could say reflected me or was perfect for me (or was within budget). The first thing I did was create the invitations. Being a designer everyone kept putting pressure on me because of it! I remember hearing “You’re getting married!!! Congratulations – I cannot wait to see the invitations. I bet they are going to be gorgeous with you being a designer and all!!!” I breathed when they were done. I think they came out stunning!!! So then I got together with my mom and aunt – who happens to be a very talented florist and took it from there. I knew I wanted orchids. In the beginning I wanted an all white and green wedding. My aunt convinced me of using purple. I love the color and it was very in season. Once the colors were picked, I everything else just came together.
Favorite design element of your big day: The flowers. They were so different. I had never seen anything like them and I think that they were just so breathtakingly beautiful. Tell us about finding your wedding dress: It took a bunch of stores and 4 people to help me find the gown. We went to Miracle Mile which is a street full of bridal shops in Miami and started the search in one corner. I had made appointments in many places but somehow told my mom that I thought the dress was going to be found in a little shop called Coral Gables Bridal. After trying on about 20 dresses we came to Coral Gables Bridal and saw the dress. I was sold when I saw it on the mannequin. It was the only dress I tried on in that store but in my heart I knew it was “it” as soon as I got into it. I didn’t try anything else after that. I just told my mom “mommy this is it”. She agreed and we bought it. We had to wait 4 months for the dress to be made. It was very exciting!
Describe your wedding flowers: PERFECT! They were nothing less than what I had always dreamed of. There were flowers everywhere and they were just breathtaking. The purple was such a gorgeous color it gave the room such a nice feel. I think everything was very understated but very breathtaking. Not one detail went unseen. The room was magical!
Describe your wedding cake: The wedding cake was very plain. It was white fondant and around it, it had a satin ribbon. My aunt (the florist) gave it a special touch by adding orchids and roses to it. I really thought it looked stunning!
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: Our “millo” (Colombian Carnival Band)
What was the bigges
t challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? Picking the right photographer and we made the perfect choice!!!
Were there any special family traditions you included in the wedding? My family is very musical. So, it was a very easy decision to make to sing something to Jay. So instead of a toast or some kind words, I sang. I chose “Everything” by Michael Buble.
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? Jay: Seeing the most beautiful women in the world and her being more beautiful than I had ever seen her before. Laila: My first dance with Jay. I remember thinking… I am so lucky!!! This is my husband. I also loved dancing with my dad. It was a very touching moment. I couldn’t help it, I cried like a baby.
Scariest moment? Jay: My Speech. Laila: my singing.
Funniest moment? The speeches. They were great and made us all laugh and cry!
Hardest decision you made in planning? Jay: Just the realization that this wedding is something that my wife has always dreamed of having since she was a little girl and to do whatever it takes to make this day just the way she imagined it. Laila: For me it was getting the budget right. Deciding what was most important and dedicating bigger parts of the budget to that.
The most unexpected event on our wedding day was: Our “millo”. Laila’s sister gave us the music as our wedding present. This was a complete surprise to both of us.
Three adjectives that describe the day are: Unbelievable, fairytale, breathtaking.
What advice would you give to someone planning their wedding? Don’t leave anything until the last minute! Make sure you do things little by little so that no one gets overwhelmed. Most of your memories will be planning since the wedding goes by so fast, so enjoy it!!! On your wedding day let others worry about things. All you need to do is relax and enjoy. The day will be over before you know it!
Best advice or most memorable comment someone made to you during the wedding celebration. This is no longer about you or her, it’s about the both of you.
Who was your most honored guest at the wedding? Jay’s dad and sister who came from South Africa and my sister who came from San Diego.
What’s next for you as a couple? Right now we want to enjoy being married to each other.
What are you looking forward to in the future? Making memories together. Building our home and our family!
Congratulations to Laila + Jay. We wish you the best as you make those memories together!
Love this!
Pretty, pretty! Thank you for including a twigs & honey piece!
Pretty, pretty! Thank you for including a twigs & honey piece!
Pretty, pretty! Thank you for including a twigs & honey piece!
Pretty, pretty! Thank you for including a twigs & honey piece!
Pretty, pretty! Thank you for including a twigs & honey piece!
Pretty, pretty! Thank you for including a twigs & honey piece!
Pretty, pretty! Thank you for including a twigs & honey piece!
Pretty, pretty! Thank you for including a twigs & honey piece!
Pretty, pretty! Thank you for including a twigs & honey piece!
Pretty, pretty! Thank you for including a twigs & honey piece!
Pretty, pretty! Thank you for including a twigs & honey piece!
Pretty, pretty! Thank you for including a twigs & honey piece!
Pretty, pretty! Thank you for including a twigs & honey piece!
These are my wedding colors for my October Fall wedding! I love this post and I’m so excited to see how elegant the colors look!