13 years ago, Sharlene and Craig’s lives were irrevocably changed with a fateful meeting while studying together. At the age of 19, Sharlene fell head over heels with Craig’s kind heart, and him with her. So began their fairy tale journey.
8 years later, they were engaged. The proposal happened when they were travelling Europe together. With the evening sun and the Santa Trinita bridge in Florence acting as a backdrop, he got down on one knee and asked her to be his partner in life. With a view of Ponte Vecchio on the left, and the sun setting over the Arno river to the right, she said yes. Little did they know, 2 years later, they would be returning here once again to complete their vows.
With a large wedding planned in their hometown, and a guest list of 120 people, everything seemed to be falling in place. However, disaster struck when Sharlene’s grandmother lost her battle with cancer and passed 9 months before the scheduled wedding. They decided to soldier on through the loss, only to lose her grandfather 3 months later.
Faced with the sudden losses, it forced Sharlene and Craig to reevaluate their priorities, as well as how they really wanted their wedding to be. With that, they made the decision to have a small destination wedding in Florence, the city that was the most meaningful in their journey through love together.
With the company of 40 close friends and family, Sharlene and Craig recited their vows at Villa La Vedetta, overlooking the city of Florence. She was dressed in a lace and silk wedding dress designed by Steven Khalil, which she fell in love with the moment she tried it on. Complemented by pearl earrings by Dior, pure white heels by Yves Saint Laurent and a white rose bouquet, she was the epitome of elegance and beauty as she walked down the aisle.
With a theme of white and gold, this garden wedding was held under the Tuscan sun, and the guests were able to dine under the stars. The decorations were white with a touch of gold, mostly consisting of white flowers for simplicity and elegance. This was to reflect the history of Florence, as well as not detract attention from the stunning views the venue offered. The scene was right out of a fairy tale.
This magical wedding was completely representative of their love story these past 10+ years. From their love for family, friends, travel and their engagement taking place in Florence, their wedding day encapsulated everything they have ever wanted, needed or dreamed of and more.
To enhance the magical, fairy tale wedding, the lovely couple enjoyed their honeymoon by celebrating it on the Amalfi Coast, Isle of Capri, South of France, and also the Greek Islands. Getting married to the loves of their lives is something that they will always remember for the rest of time.
For all future brides out there, Sharlene advises to not stress over the small things, as your special day will always turn out the way it is meant to. She also advises you to enjoy every minute of it, as it goes by so fast. After all, the most important part of the wedding is the man at the end of the aisle.
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