Caroline + Matt

How did you meet?

In October of 2017, I was out with a couple of girlfriends at the Jacksonville Beach Oktoberfest. We ran into a friend who was out with her older brother and his friends – one of them was Matt. We exchanged numbers that night and kept in touch a little bit over the next week or so. Almost exactly two weeks later we ran into each other at the same place in Jacksonville Beach and were smitten with each other (even with Matt sporting some Waffle House paraphernalia). The next week we went on our first date to Nona Blue Tavern, which to this day is still one of our favorite date night spots.

When did you know they were the one?

A few months after we met Matt invited me to his family’s Christmas Party and we had an absolute blast together. On the ride home we jammed out to our favorite songs and I remember having the most incredible warm and fuzzy feeling, thinking – “this guy could be it”. Not to mention – he has the most fun and caring family that I got to meet that night – who are now the most incredible in laws a girl could ask for.

What are your three favourite attributes of your partner?

There are so many things that I love about Matt – he’s honest, incredibly caring and is always making me laugh.

Who proposed and how?

This year Matt turned 30, so I really wanted to plan something exciting for his birthday. He’s not into parties and doesn’t like a lot of attention on him so when my friend suggested joining her and her husband on a trip to Colorado as a surprise for Matt I knew it was the perfect present. I booked our tickets a month out and spread the word to our friends that it was a surprise for Matt. By some miracle, I was able to keep it from him until the morning we left for the airport! We were having an absolute blast in Fort Collins with our friends and the second day we set out early to hike the Horsetooth Reservoir right outside Fort Collins. Once we got close to the top I wanted to get a picture with Matt and he took me by complete surprise and PROPOSED !!!! It was absolutely perfect. The view was amazing and we were able to celebrate the rest of the weekend with our friends.

Where did you fall in love with your dress and why?

I actually saw my dress on Instagram first and knew immediately I had to try it on. So when I called White Magnolia Boutique in Jacksonville to set up an appointment I asked if they sold the designer of this dress. They said that their Tampa store actually had it and shipped it to their store for my appointment. It was the first dress I tried on the day that I went to White Magnolia and I knew immediately that it was perfect for me. The lace was so feminine and romantic and the style fit my body like a glove! When I added the tulle sleeves a few months later – I honestly did not think I could ever love a dress more.

What was the best moment for you at your wedding?

My favorite moment of our wedding day was definitely the beginning of our ceremony. We got married in the church where my parents got married and my mom recently passed away – so it was such a emotional and special experience. I was a little nervous walking down the aisle, but my sweet dad squeezed my hand and encouraged me to walk slow and to look around at all of the people who had come to support and celebrate Matt and me on our wedding day. The best moment though was when I got to the alter and Matt took my hands – all of the nerves went away and I was blissfully calm. For the rest of the ceremony it really felt like we were the only two people in the church – it was the most incredible feeling!

What were your favourite details?

One of my favorite details of our wedding was the small charm on my bouquet that had a picture of my parents on their wedding day – in the exact same church were we got married! Also our flowers and candles were absolutely stunning – our florist nailed our moody romantic theme.

What advice would you tell other brides?

The best advice for someone who is planning a wedding is to not stress about the little details – between the signs, favors, table numbers etc. there are a lot of them! Your reception will absolutely fly by and I can guarantee you that you will not remember to look at any of those little things. The most important thing to remember is that this day is about you marrying your best friend, surrounded by your absolute favorite people in the world. So on your wedding day don’t stress about how everything is going to look – just take each minute to live in the moment and look around at all of the people you love and appreciate the the most.

Any standout vendors?

Our photographer – Lyndsey Anne Photography (@lyndseyannephoto) was incredible! She has the best personality and was so fun which made for the most natural and stunning photos. Our florist the Wild Thistle also did a fantastic job! And our band was a huge hit (Who Rescued Who). They played some great 90s sing alongs!