Our beautiful #ljmrealbride Caroline, an Actress, Model, Singer, and Teacher, shares that she met her now-husband Ethan, a Tech Marketer, as a ‘classic Tinder match’. After dating, the two were on a trip to San Francisco where Ethan decided it was time to take their relationship to the next step!
On September 1, 2024 – exactly a year before their future wedding date – Ethan popped the question overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge, giving Caroline the romantic proposal moment of her dreams! When we asked Caroline if she expected her proposal to come when it did, she shared the sweetest story: “I like to say I enjoy surprises but they also give me a certain level of anxiety. I said ‘If you were to possibly propose on this trip, I’d love to be wearing this specific dress’ and the morning of the proposal I awkwardly asked ‘Do you think I should wear this dress today?’ He replied ‘I think you’d look really beautiful in that dress today…’ And then we both started laughing. We both knew it was happening but were so excited the anticipation made us giggly all day”. That proposal story had us smiling to ourselves imagining that perfect moment!
Once the two were engaged, it came time to start planning their wedding! Caroline shares that she made the decision to shop at La Jeune Mariee because of the designers + variety we have for plus size brides. “Loving and accepting your body is a journey. No matter where I was on this journey when it was time to choose THE dress, I didn’t want my size to feel like it was holding me back”. We’re here to celebrate the beauty of all of our brides, and we’re so happy to hear that Caroline found the perfect gown for her here with us! At her bridal appointment, Caroline said YES to Jenny Yoo Romina: a timeless, strapless gown with a basque waistline. Our bride shared that while this did align with her wedding day vision, she was surprised that she didn’t opt for something more ‘over the top’, as a creative in the arts.
Once Caroline said yes to her dream dress with us, it came time to embark on other pieces of wedding planning! She shares that one of her favorite elements to plan was the stationary, stating that she ended up drawing + designing them herself! “It was so much fun to create those little details in a way that was so special and personalized”. We love this added level of personalization, and think they turned out beautifully! On the other hand, though, Caroline told us that her least favorite piece of planning was the seating chart, sharing it was “harder than a college exam”.
Throughout the planning process, Caroline shared that she didn’t necessarily pull inspiration from other wedding days, stating that she was simply going off of things that she + Ethan loved, knowing that she had always wanted her wedding day to feel warm, artsy, maximalist, and oozing Sicilian romance!
Our gorgeous bride also shared that one of her most valuable wedding vendors was her planner, Alana, from Love and Whimsy Events, telling us that she was a godsend with her recommendations and expertise to ensure that the day flowed seamlessly. Aside from her wedding planner, she also gave a shoutout to the lighting professionals at her venue, and her florist, Flowers by Brandi. Brandi immediately understood her vision, and knew exactly what to pare down to ensure price points were respected, while keeping the overall goal in mind.
“Our photographer, Trina with The Red Fox Collective, was amazing. She also immediately understood our vision and ran with it. Our photos are immaculate.”
As Caroline finished the last details of wedding planning, their Netherland Plaza wedding day finally arrived! She looks back on this day fondly, sharing both funny memories of her dad pulling out his best comedic acts during his speech, to the sweet reaction Ethan had during their first look.
There’s nothing quite like seeing your full wedding day vision come to life on the day of, and Caroline let us in on the fact that her favorite detail were her centerpieces: “We had three varieties, my favorite was this little tree with tea candles dangling from it. We also had low florals, and a candelabra”.
When we asked if there was any unexpected ‘great’ on her wedding day, Caroline shared a bittersweet, personal story. She shared that her mom was unable to attend the wedding due to early-onset Alzheimer’s and the travel involved with being there. This was a heartbreaking realization for Caroline, and shared that her brothers walked down the aisle with a portrait of her. She also had a note her mom had written her embroidered on a handkerchief that she carried with her all day. The unexpected ‘great’ came when Caroline gave her mom a call on the day of the wedding, and she had a moment of lucidity knowing who Caroline was, stating “I told you you’d marry that man’. “She sounded so proud and happy”, shared Caroline.
Although her mom was not able to be there for the formal wedding day, Caroline did let us in on the fact that a few months after she and Ethan were married, they drove up to her hometown to do a mock ceremony for her mom: “We dressed up in our wedding attire, and went to a public park down the street from her house. It was 10 minutes long, we used a bouquet of fake fall foliage left over from a baby shower the weekend before, and we didn’t even exchange rings. Yet it was so beautiful”. Our bride shares that this was an extremely emotional moment for everyone there, but loved being able to give her mom the chance to see her in her wedding gown, get married, and take photos.
As Caroline reflected on her wedding day, she shared advice to future brides: “Trust your gut, and remember that if something goes wrong it’s super unlikely that anyone will notice. Only you know what your wedding would look like if everything went perfectly”. We couldn’t agree more! The thing that truly matters on your wedding day is saying YES to your person. All of the other details will fall into place.
We couldn’t be more honored to have been a part of Caroline’s dreamy and romantic Netherland Plaza wedding day and hometown ceremony with her mom. We love being a part of our brides’ special days, and will never take for granted how special and personal each one of their wedding days are. Keep scrolling for more photos from #ljmrealbride Caroline’s big day and to view her full list of vendors!
Vendors:
bridal gown: La Jeune Mariee | Jenny Yoo
venue: The Netherland Plaza Hilton
planner: Love and Whimsy Events
photography: Red Fox Collective
florals: Flowers by Brandi
makeup artist: Janay Beauty
entertainment: Party Pleasers
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