“I wanted to preserve my gown, retain its quality and avoid yellowing. I want the option to repurpose it in some way down the road. After a lot of research, Oceanside seemed to be the best place to get this done. And it was!”
When was your wedding?
We were married on April 15th, 2023.
What was the name of your venue and why did you choose it?
We celebrated our ceremony and reception at Casa Marina Hotel & Restaurant. I had been to Casa on other occasions and always loved the location near the beach. Once Joseph and I were engaged, Casa was constantly in the back of my mind—the courtyard and dining room layout is amazing with historic touches. We are a military family so I knew I’d be planning the wedding from afar, and I wanted to pick a venue that I didn’t need to bring in so many vendors. Casa Marina is great because they include so many options in their pricing packages (the space, food, drink, tables, chairs, silverware, etc). Also since we and many of our guests were traveling for the wedding, being by the beach felt like a relaxing vacation!
How long did it take to plan your big day? Any vendors you’d like to recognize?
It felt like forever, but the actual planning for us went so smoothly as we worked with amazing vendors! We got engaged in September of 2021 and the wedding was not until April 2023. This was mostly due to Joseph’s Navy career and navigating deployments. We probably spent 6 months actively planning.
Venue/Food & Drink: Casa Marina Hotel & Restaurant
Day of coordinator: Coastal Coordinating
Photographers: Kartsie Photography
Videographer: West House Visuals
Florist: Marble and Pine
DJ: White Tie Events – Vic Micolucci
Hair: Blush and Mane
Makeup: Lia Croke
Cake: Restaurant Orsay
Dress: White Magnolia Bridal / Allison Webb
Dress alterations and preservation: Stori Weddings and Oceanside Cleaners!
Who is the designer of your gown and where was it purchased?
I purchased my dress from White Magnolia Bridal Collection in San Marco. The designer is Allison Webb and style is Clara!
When did you know that your gown was “the one?”
My gown was actually the first dress I tried on! The White Magnolia was the only gown shopping experience I had. I remember my consultant had two gowns hanging for me to step into and I was looking at them thinking, “What if the first one I try on is the one I pick?” When I walked out, I was already glowing from excitement and everyone I brought loved the gown. I continued to try on many other styles but kept comparing them all to the first one. After about 20 other gowns, I put the first one back on again and everyone knew it was the one!
Why did you want to get your gown cleaned and preserved? Why did you choose Oceanside?
I knew I wanted to have my gown professionally cleaned and preserved early on during the wedding planning process. The gown is a big investment and holds so much sentimental value. I wanted to preserve my gown, retain its quality and avoid yellowing. I want the option to repurpose it in some way down the road. After a lot of research, Oceanside seemed to be the best place to get this done. And it was!
How did you and your husband meet?
In short, we met on Bumble! I’ve lived in Jacksonville long-term, but he was here for a short time during training. He and his roommate joined Bumble on a whim without any expectations. I had been on the app for a couple of months and was planning to delete it. We actually matched on the day I was going to delete the app and we had our first date a week later…the rest is history!
What is your favorite memory from your wedding day?
Honestly, when I think back on our wedding day I constantly think about how loved we felt. Not just between us, but all of our friends and family that attended and made the day so sentimental. I specifically loved our “first look” with all of the anticipation built up during the morning to that moment. I also loved our moments in between photos or events where we could be present and silly together creating more memories!
What made your ceremony feel extra special?
We put so much intention into planning that it all felt special! Military life is a large part of our family. Joseph graduated from the Naval Academy and my dad is a retired Air Force Veteran. Both Joseph and my dad, along with groomsmen in the military, all wore their uniform and it was so special. The officiant that married us is a personal friend and he privately gathered information from Joseph and me separately to include in the ceremony, which again made it feel intimate and extra special.