Savanah + Ben

How did you meet?

My husband and I met at an interesting time in my life, I had just graduated college and he had just begun medical school. Neither of us were looking for a relationship, but against all odds we met and fell in love. My best friend from college had begun dental school near where I was living, and she happened to be living with a medical student who was good friends with my now husband. I met Ben, my husband, once briefly and after we began to spend some time in a group, our friends noticed how much we had in common in terms of our humor, expectations for life, and professional drive. They decided to trick the both of us into coming to their home, both of us not knowing the other would be there. They knew if we were aware of a set up, we likely wouldn’t show. I am so glad they did this set up because from that day on, the rest is history. My husband asked me out on our first date shortly after that day and we have been together ever since.

When did you know they were the one?

I knew my husband could be the one very early on. He was so mature, put together and driven, and I knew he was someone I could get serious with. The true moment that we both committed to each other for life was long before we were engaged or married. Back in 2019, I had started my PhD at a university across the state away from where my husband was going to medical school. He was preparing to graduate in 2020 but wasn’t sure where he wanted to go to residency. He didn’t know anything about the area I had moved to and while we spoke about him completing his residency at the same university, he wasn’t sure that he wanted to join me there. It was a difficult year of us discussing and deciding if our future was together, or apart at separate universities. I knew that it had to be his decision, and one day, after many difficult months of internal conflict, he decided that the future we would have together would be greater than any professional opportunity he would have away from me. This choice that he made was the greatest, most loving and selfless thing anyone has ever done for me, and years later, we both have never looked back. This day that he chose me and the future we would have together was the moment I knew this was the man I would marry.

What are your three favourite attributes of your partner?

My three favorite attributes of my partner are:

1. His laughter and sense of humor, we spend most of our days laughing together and it is my favorite thing to do with him.
2. His patient nature, he puts up with so much of my anxiety and concern for the future, my career, and all sorts of things. His patience balances me every day.
3. His sense of adventure, he is always on board for whatever hikes, swims, climbs and runs I propose and I am so thankful to have him as my adventure partner.

Who proposed and how?

My husband proposed to me in the middle of the thick of the COVID-19 pandemic in May of 2020. So much of what he had thought he would do for a proposal was out of the question because restaurants were closed, and large gatherings were not possible. Instead, he chose to propose the day we moved in together into our first shared apartment. I was so thankful he proposed when my parents were in town so that I could tell my mom in person that I was getting married. I will remember that joy for the rest of my life, and I thank him for that always.

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

I could have described to you what my wedding dress would have looked like for years, and the moment I saw Archie from Made with Love, I didn’t hesitate to find a way to try it on that very same week. My style, and the vision I had for marrying my husband Ben was always very classic, Hollywood glamour. I imagined him in a handsome tuxedo, and myself in a simple, crepe gown. I had been looking at a few websites after we became engaged, and wasn’t initially familiar with Made with Love. After exploring the websites of different bridal boutiques in my area, I saw the brand and their new featured dress: Archie. The moment I saw that this dress was in stock at my local bridal boutique, I called my best friend and we made an appointment to try it on that Saturday. When I finally tried on this dress I had dreamed of and obsessed over, I remember feeling like the most beautiful woman on the planet. I felt so lucky to have the opportunity to marry now husband, Ben, in a dress that made me look as beautiful as I ever could have dreamed of on my wedding day.

What was the best moment for you at your wedding?

The best moment for me on my wedding day was getting to show my husband my dress and my veil and seeing how beautiful I looked in his eyes and expression. I think when you are getting married, we choose a dress, veil, hair style, shoes, and all other details that we love because they make us feel beautiful and confident, but when that same emotion and feeling are expressed by your partner on your wedding day, there is no better feeling because they see you how you see yourself. For me, I will never forget how special I felt because of how in awe my husband was with all these tiny details I had spent so much time thinking about and putting together. That first look when my husband made me feel this way was the absolute best moment for me at my wedding.

What were your favourite details?

It is so hard to choose my favorite details from that day! But if I had to list a few, the first was my headband I wore for the reception. I had a small wedding and didn’t want to wear a floor length veil during the dinner. I found a gorgeous flower headband that was subtle yet perfectly dressed up my gown that made me feel beautiful through the entirety of the night. My second favorite detail were the white buttons on the back of my dress. For my adult life, nothing has ever epitomized a bridal look more so than white buttons on the back of the dress. Finally, my favorite detail was the china and décor we used for the tables at the reception. I had a small 30 person wedding at my in-laws home in midtown Manhattan, and each table had china, stemware and silverware that all belonged to my mother-in-law. Each table had a different combination of plates and colors of champagne flutes that took so many months to put together, but all of that hard work and thought was so worth it because the tables looked stunning. And they were all the more special because all of our guests used items within our family.

What advice would you tell other brides?

I would tell other brides to have the wedding you want, and don’t worry so much about making everyone happy. It is hard to not try to plan the wedding you think your family or friends would want to have, but I had a very small and non-traditional wedding and I loved every minute. It took a while to have my family adjust, but once they did, we all agreed it was the best kind of wedding for my husband and I. Make sure that you have the wedding you and your partner want to have, you won’t regret it!

Any standout vendors?

YES, first of all Made with Love, thank you for making me feel like a model and princess in your gorgeous Archie dress!!! And of course our incredibly talent photographers the Lovewigs who captured the most wonderful and important day of our lives in such a beautiful and delicate way. We are so appreciative and grateful for the work they have done to give us such beautiful and memorable photos.