I’ve officially been married to the Comedian for a month and two days. I know I’m a bit late on relaying my experience but what better time before a long weekend to indulge in some wedding highs and lows.
Overall, it was exactly what I wanted. A big party. I couldn’t have asked for a better group of people to celebrate such a special occasion. Everyone asked what I wanted out of the wedding, and my reply was simple: good food and good music. We had both!
For those who don’t know, I’m obsessed with sharing how Orlando is not just a town for theme parks. There is so much else to see and try. Because of this, I chose a wedding venue that embraced old Orlando
and what it used to be with some Spanish flair. We had our wedding at tapas restaurant named Ceviche located right in the heart of downtown Orlando. The brick streets and old buildings give the whole area of Church Street it’s character. I could go into ghost stories about this particular area, but that would be an entirely different blog. I have frequented this restaurant with a good friend of mine plenty of times to talk about business and life over champagne and great food. The details in the woodwork all over the restaurant took me over the edge. I was sold. I had gone to other venues, but they didn’t appeal to me nearly as much. The Comedian and I are a unique, creative couple and the venue needed to embody that.
A few months before the wedding, everything started to hit me hard. I was struggling with the financials. How was I going to pay for everything? Then it hit me. The florist I initially hired went bankrupt. Say what?!?! I went into a panic mode. Kelly, the event coordinator at Ceviche, came to my rescue. She gave me a couple of names, and I was put in touch with Jaimz at Florida Flowers and Orchids. She quoted me less than the original florist, and the flowers turned out amazing. The biggest debacle with this was, I had already paid in full. Since the services were not rendered, the bank was able to help me out and I was credited the money for the flowers.
Situation diverted.
Finally, the day had arrived. We had the rehearsal the night before and then I went out with friends, walked
to the gorgeous Grand Bohemian hotel, and spent my last night as a single person alone. It was nice to have a big king size bed to myself without a snoring dog an earshot. (I do love Rosco, but he can be loud).
I woke up the day of the wedding around 8 am like a little girl on Christmas morning, took a shower, and met my sister and some friends for breakfast at this cute little French bistro in downtown Orlando called Le Gourmet Break. I believe the owner makes the croissants and they are to die for! We went back to the hotel to start the process of getting ready. My hairstylist and make-up artist, Karen from the Karmel Design Team, got there around 11 AM. She started on me to get me prepped, and I sat in a robe the majority of the day pacing around. I did hire a wedding coordinator from Events Unlimited by M, Maria, who was my saving grace. I could not imagine worrying about setting up the wedding and all of the chaos that must have ensued without me knowing. I would have paid so much more for her (thanks for the family discount!). I am a little OCD when it comes to things getting done so it was hard for me to sit still and I kept thinking of new things that would come up.
After the bridesmaids were done with their makeup and hair. Karen sat me down to start the process of making me a bride. At the same time, Stephanie, my photographer from Lily Lu Photography, and Rose from Sophia Rose Photography and Film showed up. They started asking me a slew of questions, and I was immediately overwhelmed. I think it’s because, as a bride, we want everything to be perfect. We want to give the right answer quickly so that nothing is missed.
My makeup was now done, and I was posing. The flowers arrived, and things were moving. I think the next 30 minutes to an hour were a complete blur. My best friend from college, Hanio, and his wife had gifted us with transportation from their company Airport Super Express based out of Miami. He was a little lost, and I tasked one of my bridesmaids to give him directions. The blur ensued.
We got downstairs to the van and left to the venue which was a block away. (Who wants to walk downtown in a wedding dress?) We all walked into the venue, the bridesmaids, parents and more were all lined up while I hid from the Comedian with both my mom and dad. Then the moment came, I walked down the aisle to my cousin playing guitar. I was speechless. The roses lined down the aisle, and the smile on the Comedian’s face was all I ever dreamed of. It was sincerely a perfect moment. Our pastor was funny, and the vows were touching. This was it… we were married!
We took pictures then headed to the reception. When we entered, the rest was another blur. Time flew. The Comedian and I had our first dance; then I dance with my dad which is another dream of mine. With all that we have been through as father and daughter, this was the only moment I would had ever asked for. Thank you, Daddy, for giving that to me… now I’m starting to tear up. Back to the party.
We ate, said hi to everyone, the photo booth arrived (thanks mom for the gift!); we took some more pictures, and the speeches were given. Savier, the Beard from The Beard and the Mole, and my sisters spoke with heartfelt verses in front of the crowd. Then we danced. DJ Sparks put on such a great party. I did not expect anything less. We picked him up from another wedding that had the same result.
After all was said and done, we found a petty cab downstairs, and I drove off into the distance (well the hotel) with my husband.
I honestly could not have asked for a better night. Thank you, everyone, who helped during this crazy time!
P.S. I don’t have the professional pics yet, but when I do, I promise to share. In the meantime, here’s a trailer from Sophia Rose.
https://vimeo.com/190464051
