A Glamorous White and Gold Wedding That Brought Sunset Elegance to the Ca’ d’Zan Mansion

[section title=”The Planning”]
[field title=”Wedding Colors”][/field]
[field title=”Design / Vibe / Vision”]

We wanted a clean, bright, and glamorous look. Anyone who knows me knows how much I love white and gold for all my decor. Those were our two dominant colors for our florals and details. For our ceremony, we wanted the beauty of the water, the marble terrace, and the gorgeous Ca’ d’Zan Mansion to come through, so we went with all acrylic chairs and pedestals for the florals, as well as a custom 4-dimensional acrylic arch that featured white florals overhanging and spiraling up the sides. We also wanted to make sure to complement our venue, so we had touches of blush in our reception florals, cocktail table linens, and bridesmaid dresses.

The Ca’ d’Zan Mansion at the John & Mable Ringling Museum of Art set the tone for our entire wedding. When I saw it for the first time, I had tears in my eyes driving up to it – it quite literally took my breath away, envisioning a ceremony overlooking the water at sunset with the magnificent backdrop of the intricate mansion. The mansion had Venetian-inspired elements that made guests feel like they were transported to Italy. We wanted the evening to be glamorous, elegant, and timeless, with a vibe full of life, energy, and happiness.

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[field title=”Proposal Story”]

Our engagement felt like it was out of a movie. We arrived at the stunning 180° Sunset Bar in Mykonos to a very long line waiting for entry. To my surprise, we got the VIP service and were promptly brought to the front of the line by a woman speaking Greek with a clipboard for our “reservation.” My heart immediately started to race as I realized this had to be it! We were escorted down a long staircase to a private clifftop terrace covered with candles. Vince popped the question, and we blissfully enjoyed a bottle of champagne while we watched the sunset and FaceTimed our families to share the great news. Vince had secretly hired a fabulous wedding planner and photographer to set up the perfect scene and capture our incredibly special moment. We spent the evening blissfully wandering around Mykonos after dinner and had the rest of the week to enjoy Paros and Santorini as well. It was unforgettable.

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[board_carousel title=”Getting Ready”]

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[board_carousel title=”Bridal Portraits”]

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[board_carousel title=”Flat Lays”]

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[board_carousel title=”First Look”]

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[section title=”The Fashion”]
[field title=”Wedding Gown”]

I think I might have tried on every wedding dress in New York City…not to mention Miami, West Palm, Sarasota, Tampa, Charlotte, and Buffalo. No stone was left unturned. The gown I kept going back to was a Berta Couture ball gown from the Maggiore collection, covered from head to toe in pearls. The gown was classic, elegant, and timeless while being incredibly unique with the pearl-adorned sweetheart neckline and sparkle that came from the layer underneath. I loved the gown because it truly transformed in every type of light throughout the evening. I wanted a gown that was truly unique and special – it gave me that fairytale princess feel while still being sophisticated and elegant.

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[field title=”Bridesmaid Dresses”]

My bridesmaids wore gorgeous L’IDEE gowns in dusty shimmer. Each bridesmaid picked their unique style, and L’IDEE worked with me to custom-make the gowns all in dusty shimmer and send them from Australia. The ladies were stunned in these elegant and sophisticated gowns.

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[field title=”Groomsman Attire”]Vince wore a custom-made Suit Supply black tuxedo. His groomsmen wore matching classic black tuxedos. [/field]
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[board_carousel title=”Wedding Party”]

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[board_carousel title=”Ceremony”]

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[board_carousel title=”Cocktail Hour”]

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[section title=”The Details”]
[field title=”Food & Drink”]

Michael’s On East catered our wedding, cooking everything fresh on site. The seafood display at our sunset cocktail hour wowed guests, while passed hors d’oeuvres were also a hit. For dinner, we started with a deconstructed salad of fresh burrata mozzarella, sliced Parma prosciutto, heirloom tomatoes, and arugula, topped with balsamic reduction and olive oil. For the main course, we served garlic and herb crusted chateau of beef paired with a jumbo lump meat crab cake. The dish was complemented by gruyere scalloped potatoes, artichoke hearts with prosciutto, and baby carrots. We opted for a top-shelf bar, and the martinis were plentiful!

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[field title=”Florals & Decor”]

Lighting and florals were key in achieving the ambiance we were going for. We had gorgeous empire chandeliers brought in draping over our expansive head table and suspended overhead from trees. White English roses, peonies, ranunculus, and hydrangeas were everywhere you looked – atop mirrored tables and gold bars. We wanted the reception to feel like a live music lounge, so we had an amazing gold circle bar and beautiful plush ivory soft seating surrounding our classic black and white dance floor facing the floral-lined stage with uplighting to highlight a true-to-size rendering of the Statue of David surrounded by palm trees as the backdrop. So Staged and Weber Scenic Productions did an incredible job making our vision become reality with twinkle lights, an abundance of candles, and flickering heat lamps bringing warmth to the space.

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[field title=”Wedding Cake”]

Our cake was a classic three-tiered wedding cake with fresh flowers delicately placed atop the buttercream frosting. It was an amaretto cake with the tiers alternating between cannoli and raspberry filling. Our champagne flutes and cake serving utensils were engraved and adorned with pearls to match my gown, a gift from my mother-in-law.

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[field title=”Readings, Ceremony Music, Reception Songs”]

The music in our ceremony was breathtaking. Our vocalists sang “Unforgettable” as our parents walked down the aisle, “Can’t Help Falling in Love” for our bridesmaids and flower girls, and “A Thousand Years” for my entrance, escorted by my father. We wanted a personal feel for our ceremony, so we wrote it ourselves from start to finish, including our vows. For the recessional, we walked back down the aisle to “I Can See Now,” which symbolized finally being able to celebrate our marriage with all of our family and friends after our original wedding date had been postponed due to the back-to-back hurricanes that hit Sarasota for our original wedding date in October. Our twelve-piece band, Powerhouse Next Generation, was nothing short of exceptional. Our first dance was to “Can’t Get Enough of Your Love,” which holds a fond place in my heart as it reminds me of summers spent at the beach with my family. We opened the dancefloor immediately after with “Dancing in the Moonlight.” As we sat for dinner, my dad gave a loving speech, my aunt said a beautiful blessing, and the band played “The Summer Wind” in honor of our grandparents. I danced to “The Way You Look Tonight” with my dad, and Vince danced to “Forever Now” with his mother. Our band kept the hits coming for the rest of the night – even people who normally don’t like to dance kept finding themselves on the dancefloor. Given that I am a Buffalonian, “Shout” was a highlight of the night.

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[field title=”Special Detail #1″]

We had a little bit of a Cinderella theme underlying the wedding. For our Welcome Party, I wore an incredible blue gown made by Milla. Our first look was in the tower at the top of the Ca’ d’Zan mansion, which very much felt like a castle. Our ring bearer pulled our littlest flower girl down the aisle in a gold carriage very reminiscent of Cinderella’s carriage during the processional. I also wore my version of a glass slipper, which were crystal-encrusted Louboutins that I paired with an entirely crystal party dress that I wore towards the end of the reception, made by Albina Dyla. It was not intentional, but I kept pulling on my fairytale subconscious for my dream wedding.

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[field title=”Special Detail #2″]Something Borrowed – My something borrowed was a stunning custom-made yellow diamond necklace and matching earrings curated for my aunt by Borsheims. I had imagined them with the dress for months and months, but never tried them on with the gown until ten minutes before I left my house for the ceremony. They couldn’t have been more perfect with the dress. They were incredibly special, meaningful, and brought the whole look together.[/field]
[field title=”Special Detail #3″][/field]
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[board_carousel title=”Couple Portraits”]

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[board_carousel title=”Reception”]

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