I had the pleasure of meeting sweet Bruna back in the summer when she was on the hunt for the perfect dress for her Destin, Florida wedding. I knew Bruna was something special when she told me she was planning TWO weddings at ONCE! She had her first ceremony in Brazil, where her family still resides. Two months later she did it again here. Simply amazing!
Bruna wore a gown by Liancarlo and married Leslie at The Destin Bay House.
How did you meet Leslie?
I used to work at a cell phone store and helped Leslie's brother a couple of months prior to meeting him, and apparently I made a great impression on the brother, so much that he told Leslie he should break his phone or something to come meet me. A couple of months later Leslie actually needed a new phone so he came in and we met! We became friends and remained that for a long time, until both of our lives took a left turn (or should I say a RIGHT one?) and we started dating.
How did Leslie ask you to be his for forever?
We started talking wedding pretty early in the relationship, and we were both very excited about it! So much that we had a date picked out and venue booked months before our engagement. I guess we just knew this was IT! In one of our trips we went to a jewelry store owned by Leslie's friend and together we built the most beautiful ring I've ever seen... and then we (aka I) waited... and waited... until a sunny saturday in April 2018. Just like every other sunny Saturday we went on a boat ride, but this time, in the middle of the Destin jetties with that Emerald water surrounding us, he pulled out that amazing ring from his swim trunk's pocket and asked if I wanted to marry him. We both cried and laughed and I obviously said yes!
What was your favorite part of the wedding planning process?
Food and cake tasting is definitely a great part of the wedding planning process!! But finding my perfect dress and having that butterflies + tears moment (that I didn't think was real), absolutely was my most favorite moment!
What is your favorite memory from the wedding day?
Our first dance, when just for a second it felt like everyone around disappeared and it was just the two of us in that moment, loving each other dancing to my husband's favorite song. And also when we took a second to look around and absorb everything that was going on around us, and we saw every one of our guests smiling and having a great time celebrating our love.
What is one piece of advice you would give someone preparing for their wedding day?
As a very organized and OCD person, it was hard for me to picture this, but the truth is: some things won't go as you planned, and that's ok! I actually planned two weddings two months apart (one for my family in Brazil prior to our 11/11/18 in Destin), so at times it got very overwhelming, but when I realized that some details only I would know if they didn't happen, that took a lot of pressure off. My focus then became me and my hubby having a good time and making sure our guests would be comfortable so they could enjoy our day and have fun. So prioritize what's important to you, and get to the secondary items when you can, if you can.
Why did you choose Margaret Ellen Bridal? How did you know your dress was "the one"?
I had visited another bridal dress store locally, but as soon as I got to the door at MEB and saw my name on the sign, a glass of champagne waiting for me, and met Maggie (the sweetest soul around), I just knew that that was my place to be!!! The individual appointments, the beautiful boutique, and her undivided attention made the experience perfect! "MY" dress was actually the first one I tried on, but I just couldn't believe it, so I tried on a few more. All beautiful dresses, but every single one of them I would compare to the very first one... and then I tried it back on and that was it. All butterflies and tears and emotions told me that was "the one"!
