How did David propose? We were spending the Christmas Holidays with my family on a boat in the British Virgin Islands. David found a private beach near Necker Island where we could have a picnic. He had the ring in a velvet pouch, tucked away in his swim trunks! There was champagne packed in amongst the treats, and after the proposal we were able to spend a few hours on our own. It was great to have a small period of time when no one else knew about our engagement. When we got back to the boat, we spent the evening celebrating with my extended family.
Standout Memory of the night: Chelsey: My most memorable moment was saying our vows. I interrupted David halfway through his, mistakenly thinking he was finished. In the end it was perfect – the moment got a big laugh from all of our guests. I was happy to lighten the mood because until that point, most of our guests were in tears! David: Walking down the aisle with Chelsey AFTER the ceremony was over, it was such an amazing feeling, the culmination of so much work, so much planning, and so much anticipation, combined with marrying the girl of my dreams, all with the backdrop of the Tuscan sunset and rolling hills.
One piece of advice that you could give to other couples: We decided to keep journals for the week leading up to the Wedding as well as during the Honeymoon. At the end of our trip, we switched and read one another’s take on our shared experiences. It was amazing how the same event could be seen so differently depending on the perspective of the author. It’s also a great keepsake from that time. The best advice – which I also received prior to my big day – is not to focus on anything that may go wrong. Once you reach the morning of your wedding, leave the worrying to your mother, sister, best friend, and/or wedding planner. Take in every moment because it only comes once – who wants to spend time on some insignificant detail you won’t remember a week from now? HAVE FUN!
Wedding Dress: Vera Wang – Vera Wang Store on Madison Avenue NYC
Groom’s Tux: Tom Ford – Tom Ford Store on Madison Avenue NYC
Bridesmaids’ Gift and Groomsmen’ Gift: I gave my bridesmaids personalized initial necklaces made by our jeweler, Suzy B. Each necklace was made in a different shade of gold. Suzy also did the groomsmen favors, which were hand engraved cufflinks depicting each man’s initials.
Something borrowed and something blue: The bracelet that David gifted to me on the morning of the wedding was my something blue. My something borrowed was Jewelry from my Mother and Nana.
Tips for a destination wedding: We planned for the wedding to look like a wedding in Italy – destination weddings can sometimes end up resembling venues where the Bride and Groom are originally from. The food, the flowers, the décor, and most of the music were all locally sourced and produced. We wanted our guests to enjoy meals, wine and flowers that were in season and native to Tuscany – so that the materials used in the wedding would be just as authentic as the beautiful view.