Bride Amanda shares her beach-side wedding on Jekyll Island at Villa Ospo (and sage advice) with us!
Please say ‘hello’ to today’s bride Amanda! She’s a perfectionist by personality and an event host by trade, so I knew her Villa Ospo wedding to Jorge would be completely dreamy. And it absolutely was! But my favorite takeaway from Amanda and Jorge’s feature today isn’t how perfectly all the details looked surrounded by oak trees and dripping Spanish moss! It’s Amanda’s ability to take the sound advice that she was given to heart and soak in each and every moment of their wedding day. She said, “It’s pretty much impossible to narrow it down to just one favorite moment, and I’m proud to say I remember it all.” Curious how she managed to remember so many special moments on what can become a somewhat blur of a day? Her advice for future brides is “to make sure you step back and take in every moment.” Thanks, Amanda!
And thank you kindly to Shauna Veasey for sharing Amanda and Jorge’s Golden Isles wedding with us!
Tell us the highlights of finding your wedding dress. I am such a perfectionist and was honestly pretty nervous about the whole “finding the dress” process. Luckily, I had the best, most supportive crew by my side! My mom and grandmother came up to Atlanta to make a weekend of it with my mother-in-law and a couple of my bridesmaids. We went a few appointments and tried on several dresses at each. We almost missed our first appointment on the second day due to lovely Atlanta traffic, but the sweet sales associate still accommodated us upon our delayed arrival at The White Magnolia. As stereotypical as it sounds, we all knew it was the one as soon as I put it on. My favorite part of the whole process was seeing everyone’s faces filled with joy and happy tears and celebrating with champs!
Did you decide to do a first look? Yes! It was very important for us to have that first moment together, just us two, to embrace all of the love and emotions of the day to come.
What was Southern about your wedding? To us, the venue really was the essence of the South. Beach-side, surrounded by oak trees and dripping Spanish moss, it was the perfect setting for our day. We had a groom’s cake which was a highlight. We also had trolley transportation which is a staple in the Golden Isles. I also did a first look with my dad which was a super special moment. I’ve never seen him so nervous or at a loss for words. Those are some of the most special photographs I have from that day. I also surprised him with an engraved gold fishing lure that he was so proud of he kept in his tux pocket all night.
What made you choose your ceremony and reception venues? I am from the Golden Isles, and with its unique beauty it was a no-brainer that we would have our celebration down there. We looked at several venues on both St. Simons Island and Jekyll Island, but when we discovered Villa Ospo, it was a done deal. It’s a gorgeous venue with so much history. We chose to have our ceremony out on the front lawn in front of the Centennial of the Oaks and our reception inside and behind the villa. Our last name, “Robles” means “oaks,” so it was a very special touch to our wedding that we really loved.
What was your favorite thing about wedding planning? I host events for part of my profession, so I enjoy having a vision of the event and then executing the tiny details to make it a reality.
We are seriously still in awe over our amazing cakes! I have never been to a wedding where the cake is such a hot topic. We didn’t even get to announce that we were going to cut the cake because the entire reception had already moved inside the villa in anticipation that it was about to happen. They were so unique and exquisite! We are lucky to be friends with one of the best people we know, Joshua John Russell, who is an amazing cake artist. We wanted something outside of the box, and wow did he deliver! We stuck with a coastal theme which he took to the next level. Joshua had molds made from real oyster shells and edible driftwood accents that were all edible. The groom’s cake was the real showstopper. It was a white octopus that stood on it’s own tentacles! The detail was out of this world and still has everyone talking. Joshua has an amazing vision and we are so lucky his amazing work was part of our special day.
Tell us your love story in one sentence. “It’s kinda like a bundle full of everything that’s wonderful – your love for me.” Frank Sinatra
Tell us all about the proposal! We were visiting my family in South Georgia for Christmas, and Jorge wanted to have breakfast on the beach on one of our last days in town. I had an awful allergy attack the night before, and the forecast was severely foggy and humid with a high of 86 at 8am. So the perfect “breakfast on the beach” weather, haha. Jorge asked what I was planning to wear (which should have been a sign) and when I replied, “Probably an over sized t-shirt,” he responded with, “Maybe not a t-shirt.” He supported his case by saying we would probably go shopping or maybe grab lunch while we were on the island so he knew I wouldn’t want to be stuck in a t-shirt all day, which is accurate. When we got to our favorite beach access, Jorge started acting strange. He couldn’t stop staring at his phone and kept making elevator talk about the beach houses near us. We walked down the beach until he abruptly announced this was the spot and I kept looking at the houses. When I scanned the sand dunes, I saw a familiar straw hat and camera pop up. Before I could gasp and look back at Jorge, he was already down on one knee saying the sweetest things and asking me to be his forever. We shared the following moments having the happiest impromptu shoot with my best friend and amazing wedding photog, Anna K Photography, and drinking champagne on the hazy beach.
When did y’all get married? March 18, 2017.
How many friends, family members, and loved ones attended your wedding? 130.
What were some of the most meaningful or special parts of your ceremony? Rev. Tom did an amazing job tailoring our ceremony to us. He did some missionary work in Spain so was able to surprise Jorge’s family by reciting the Lord’s prayer in Spanish. It was difficult keeping such a big secret, but the surprise on their faces was priceless. We also had readings from two very special ladies in our lives: our sister-in-law, Sarah, and my brother’s long time girlfriend, Shelby. “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.” Colossians 3:12-14.
Tell us about some of the songs you used throughout your wedding and why you chose them. We had a violinist for ceremony music and a band for the reception. We both love live music so having musicians throughout was important to us. We wanted to keep the ceremony music traditional and have fun with the other songs. I walked down the aisle to the Bridal March, and our first dance was to “You are the Best Thing” by Ray LaMontagne.
What was the hardest part about planning your wedding? Planning our wedding was so much fun, but so stressful! It was hard to coordinate with our vendors because I live five hours away in Atlanta. The hardest part was being such a perfectionist and knowing I wouldn’t be the one on site working the event, as I always am with my job, and things would be out of my hands. Luckily, I had amazing vendors and coordinators that made things run so seamlessly and smoothly. Even if I did drive them crazy stressing about the little details sometimes :)
If you are comfortable responding, what range did your wedding budget fall into? $25,000-$50,000.
What was one way you saved money or cut costs at your wedding? I designed the invitation myself with the help of my maid of honor, Anna Shackleford of Anna K Photography. I knew I wanted something unique and special to us and our venue. A friend from home just started a little painting business, so I had her do a painting of Villa Ospo. It turned out so perfectly that we used Photoshop to import the image and design the rest. It was fun to do together and so nice to have Anna’s expertise! We also had her original painting framed and used that as our guestbook which is hanging in our new home (..that we closed on the week of our wedding)!
What was your most memorable moment from your wedding day? It’s pretty much impossible to narrow it down to just one moment, and I’m proud to say I remember it all. I really took the advice I was given to heart, that your wedding day is so crazy and goes by so quickly, that you have to actually take time to make memories or it will all be a blur. Jorge and I both made sure we absorbed every moment throughout the weekend and these are memories we will treasure forever!
What advice would you give to someone currently planning a wedding? I would pass along the advice I received, to make sure you step back and take in every moment.
Is there anything else you’d like to share about your wedding? It was the most perfect weekend, from the weather to the little details, we’re just still on cloud nine and so happy! That means a lot coming from me who is such a perfectionist :)
Photographer: Shauna Veasey Photography | Videographer: Daniel Shackleford | Planner, Caterer, and Florist: Jay Anderson, Straton Hall Events | Wedding Coordinator: Cocktails & Details | Venue: Villa Ospo, Jekyll Island | Wedding Cake Baker: Joshua John Russell | Lighting and Rentals: Beachview Event Rentals & Design | Band: Traveling Riverside Band | Programs and Menus: That Pretty Invitation | Bride’s Gown: “Sadie” by Watters WTOO from The White Magnolia Atlanta | Veil & Earrings: Sara Gabriel | Hair Stylist: Xada Baxter | Makeup Artist: Paula Xoing | Bride’s Shoes: Badgley Mischka | Bridesmaids’ Dresses: “Inesse #1684,” “Cassie #1686,” and “Mira #1682” by Jenny Yoo | Menswear: Macy’s Tuxedo Rental | Ceremony Music: David Song, Violinist from Music By Pegge | Signage: Emily Guy | Koozies: The Drinking Buddy | Transportation: Lighthouse Trolleys
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