Wedding Date on Nov 12, 2017

Our relationship began over us mercilessly roasting each other. It sounds counter-productive but it's true. This meant we sort of fell in love without meaning to. Neither of us were looking for a relationship with the other, but it happened anyway, no matter how much we tried to pretend it wasn't. We both knew pretty much immediately that we were going to be together forever. Four years later, Tayler woke me up proposing and whisked me off on a surprise vacation before I could wipe the sleep from my eyes. I am honored to have received an engagement ring that belonged to Tayler’s aunt Dorothy. It has an Old European cut diamond that places it between 1910 and 1920. I’m filled with pride every time someone asks me about it and can’t help but tell them the story behind it. When we started planning our wedding, I knew that I wanted to strike a balance between the sentimental evening we wanted and what would be fun for our friends and family. I was mostly concerned with planning a wedding that people would want to stay at. No one waiting for enough time to pass so that it wouldn’t be considered rude for leaving. It was important to me that everyone feel comfortable, happy, and relaxed. With that in mind, we set out looking at venues. There were a few things about our wedding that I was immovable about, and the most important one was that I didn’t want our family and friends picking up chairs or taking out trash after the reception. I also knew I wanted an evening wedding outdoors, but in Florida, that can be tricky with unpredictable weather patterns and the wide array of bugs that make their appearance as the sun sets. Since Tayler’s family lives in New England, and mine is in Michigan, there were going to be a lot of people there who had never met. We wanted to make sure there were things to do during the cocktail hour and reception so that people didn’t have to stand there awkwardly trying to make conversation about nothing with people they didn’t know. Our family had been members of the Orlando Science Center, so when I found out they hosted weddings, I knew right away that it would be perfect. A rooftop with romantic market string lights that would be too high up for bugs, event coordinators who handle every moment, and a cocktail hour in the amazing exhibits on the fourth floor so people wouldn’t be bored. The panoramic windows and terrace had the most breathtaking views of downtown Orlando that I knew I wanted to be the backdrop for our ceremony and reception. It didn’t hurt that we would have the entire facility to ourselves. Megan helped me with every single detail, and I did several walk throughs over the year we planned the wedding to finalize smaller details. OSC recommended Puff N Stuff Catering, which I originally decided against because the photos and reviews I saw online were so amazing I just assumed it would be crazy expensive. Megan urged me to give them a call, so I got in touch with Nicole and Puff N Stuff and she sent me a quote based on a sample menu. We were pleasantly surprised not only at the cost estimate, but that they would be able to accommodate our vegan and vegetarian guests with something besides a salad and a plate of vegetables, which was important to us. When we went in for the tasting, my food snob fiancé was so elated with the food that we ended up adding three deserts to our menu. The coordinators helped us choose the drink selection, going as far as to tell us how much of everything we would need to purchase. We did Rum and Coke, Appletinis, and Margaritas. (Who doesn’t love a margarita?) Nicole and Christine helped us with our table settings, and linens. Even details we never would have thought of ourselves. I knew I wanted a sophisticated and timeless color palette that would go with the market lights and soft atmosphere for our decor. Lee Forrest Design listened to our choice of our navy, marsala, blush pink, and white. We wanted it to be very elegant and filled with greenery- Lee chose the perfect flowers and made our vision come to life. Our centerpieces had twinkle lights woven around the arrangements and encased in a glass vase. The whole terrace smelled gorgeous. When it came to our arch, I wanted something that would bring visual interest to the altar, but not block the gorgeous skyline view. I am not a fan of the traditional arch, so when Lee agreed to help us create a circular arch, I was elated. He ended up created the most beautiful circular arch with asymmetrical flower bundles that rivals every Pinterest wedding altar I’ve ever seen. That final detail made our ceremony everything I ever dreamed of. Filmed by Geoffry Young, Kelly Kubik, Randall Lyons, and Jesse Pagan