Lina knew that Mario was the one for her on their very first date, so it seems only fitting that choosing their wedding venue came down to love at first sight too. They were immediately smitten with The Glen Venue after attending a friend’s wedding there during their dating days, and once they were the ones with a wedding on the horizon, there was no question where their rustic, romantic celebration would take place. Lina and Mario loved it so much, they did their engagement session there too, adding one more layer of sweet memories to this special place!
Thank you so much to J. Layne Photography for sharing this beautiful day with us!
I chose to invite only my mother dress shopping, because I wanted the experience to be a special memory between her and I. I found my dress at The White Magnolia. My mom was the one who actually spotted my dress and made me try it on. Once I had it on, I knew it was the one! I remember not wanting to take it off, and feeling like it had been made just for me!
What advice do you have for folks currently planning a wedding? Plan your wedding according to what you both want! Mario and I were committed to that, and although we felt some tension along the way, we wouldn’t have had it any other way. It turned out to be the wedding of our dreams because we stuck to our guts. Prioritize the elements that are most important to you. We knew we wanted great flowers and great photographers, so those things were at the top of our list when it came to the budget.
Did you decide to do a first look? Why or why not? We decided to do a first look because we wanted an intimate moment between the two of us before the celebrations began. We loved getting a glimpse of one another before walking down the aisle, and some of our most favorite pictures of the two of us are from our first look!
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? Our ceremony. Everything from walking down the aisle, to saying our own vows, to taking communion together for the first time as a married pair, to the blessing one of our pastors prayed over us. I remember the ceremony so clearly; it was as if time stood still. I was just so happy to finally marry the love of my life. Every worry and stressful thought disappeared the moment I started to walk down that aisle with my mother.
When Mario and I were dating, we attended a friend’s wedding at The Glen Venue. I immediately fell in love with it and knew that it would be the place where we would get married someday. We loved how naturally beautiful it was. We knew we wanted an outdoor, rustic, romantic wedding, and our venue brought that vision to life. There was also a large wooden deck surrounded with lights, which made for a dreamy reception setting. We loved our venue so much that we even had our engagement session done there.
We had such an incredible baker. We couldn’t make up our mind on one flavor, so we decided to have five different cakes, all of which were organic! Our main cake was a two-tiered Key lime cake (our favorite flavor). The rest of the cakes were ginger carrot cake with maple cinnamon buttercream, red velvet cake with white chocolate buttercream, vanilla bean cake with light almond buttercream with fresh lemon curd and raspberry preserve filling, and lastly, dark chocolate cake with hazelnut buttercream.
How did y’all meet? Tell us your love story. We met at our local church while serving on the worship team. We began spending a lot time together with friends, and we immediately sensed a strong connection with one another. Group dates turned into dates between the two of us, and on February 11, 2011, we began our relationship. We dated for three years before Mario proposed. Although I was pretty restless about not being engaged in our three years of dating (I knew I wanted to marry him on our first date!), looking back now, I appreciate all of the seasons that Mario and I went through, because they prepared us for this beautiful gift of marriage.
Tell us all about the proposal! We took a trip to Savannah to celebrate our anniversary on February 16, 2014. Our plan that day was to eat, shop, and take a few pictures of the town. When we arrived at Forsyth Park, Mario decided that he was going to show me a few simple photography tips. I was in a full “photographer stance” when he asked me to focus the camera in on his hand. I was about to take another picture when I saw the most beautiful engagement ring on the palm of his hand through the camera lens. I was in such shock that he had to repeatedly tell me to stand up. I stood, and he got down on one knee and asked me the question that I had been obsessing over for the past few years: “Will you marry me?” I immediately said yes, cried my eyes out, called my mom, and continued to cry, all while feeling like the happiest and luckiest girl in the world.
When did y’all get married? November 7, 2014
How many friends, family members, and loved ones attended your wedding? About 150
How did you plan for your marriage while planning your wedding? We went through marriage counseling with the pastor who married us. We also did a pre-marital workbook that brought up a lot of great topics for us to talk through.
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? We paid for most of the wedding ourselves, so it became very stressful at times. We just trusted that everything was going to work out and tried to be intentional about our spending.
If you are comfortable responding, what range did your wedding budget fall into? $10,000-$25,000
What was one way you saved money or cut costs at your wedding? Our venue came with tables as well as wooden benches, which shaved off a large amount of rental money! Another thing we decided on was to forgo a videographer and invest in amazing photographers. I think this was a great decision! Although we don’t have a video to look back on, we have hundreds of amazing images that still take me back to that day as if it was yesterday. I am forever grateful to our incredible photographers for doing such an outstanding job.
What’s next for you as a couple? What memories are you looking forward to making together? We are looking forward to traveling, buying our first home together, starting a family, and living our lives while always supporting each other’s dreams.
Photographer: J Layne Photography / Venue: The Glen Venue / Florist: Aime Peterson Flowers & Events / Cake Baker: Sweet N’ Flour / Caterer: Tres Leches Eatery / Rentals: Aime Peterson Flowers & Events /
Band: Who Rescued Who / Chalkboard Art and Invitations: Ashley Purser / Bridal Salon: The White Magnolia / Bride’s Gown: “Jacinda” by Watters / Bride’s Veil: Love Bridal Boutique / Hair Stylist: Jessica Rowe / Makeup Artist: Jill Bogers / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: “650I” by Wtoo and “Annabelle” by Jenny Yoo / Groom’s Jacket: Daniel Cremieux / Groom’s Shoes: Cole Haan / Groomsmen’s Jackets: Men’s Wearhouse / Bow Ties: The Tie Bar / Table Numbers and Reserved Signs: Sixpence Press / Cake Topper: Host & Toast Studio / Bride’s Dress Hanger: BHLDN
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