Bella Collina Wedding | Orlando, Florida | Natalie and Michael

How did you both meet?

Michael and I met at a mutual friend’s baby shower, while competing for the “winner” title at a shower game. Needless to say, I won with my mom’s help by tricking him into saying “baby”. We started a friendship from then on while Michael played a little bit of hard to get. I was patient because I knew he was my future husband, and he was hard to get because he knew I would be it 😉

How did your husband propose?

Our first date was on Valentine’s Day in 2016, so every year we relive our casual pub sub, chocolate cake and wine picnic under the stars at Lake Eola. For Valentine’s Day 2018, it was no different and after dinner, Michael asked if he could give me his present, which was a custom Dallas Cowboys shirt that when opened revealed to say “Mrs. Stratton” on it, he then dropped down on one knee and popped the question.

What was your wedding inspiration? (think decor, overall theme and feel of the day, etc.)

We wanted a whimsical Midsummer Night’s Dream meets enchanted winter wedding theme.

What was your favorite design element of your wedding?

Our favorite element was the ceremony arch and candles combination. Those blew our minds when we saw them together. With more than 300 candles perfectly lining the aisle and highlighting the arch, it was a flawless combo!

Describe some of your favorite wedding details and how you came up with them.

The entire wedding was collaboration between my mom and I, who are big on the details, so everything we incorporated had a meaning. My favorite ones are the ones that no one would pick up on like the floral arrangements. Each flower was used because of its meaning, like the Osiana Rose to honor Michael’s mom, as it was her favorite flower, or the Ocean Song rose reflecting my mom’s favorite color & Michael and I’s love for the ocean. We incorporated the Osiana and Ocean song in my bouquet, and I thought that was a very powerful way to represent our mom’s in such a beautiful presentation.

What was the most memorable moment of your wedding day?

Other than the obvious one of seeing my hubby for the first time during our first look, it was also catching a sneak peek of our ceremony and reception spaces before guests sat down. It was surreal and incredible to see it all come together!

Please describe your cake (if any):

It was enchanting five-tier cake, with the base made of greenery and the other layers alternating gold sparkle with floral and twinkle lights cascading around it. One layer had a meaningful verse from one of our favorite songs written in a scroll format around the tier.

Can you please list your vendors:

Photographers: KV Photography, Designed & Produced by: Ivonne Lopez and Natalie Lopez, Graphic Design: Antoinette Creative, Day of Coordination Services: Jess with Blush by Brandee, Décor, Furniture & Setup: Ocean Hawks Rentals, Floral: Orlando Flower Market, DJ & Lighting: DJ Jacob Co, Videographers: KEJ Productions, Musicians: Beautiful Music, Drapery: Swag Décor, Floor Wrap: Wrap my Floor, Cake: Bakers Cottage Cakes, Venue: Bella Collina, Dress 1: Libia gown by St. Patrick Bridal and Something Blue Dress by Oleg Cassini, Veil: Custom by The Bridal Gallery of Orlando , Bridal Salon: The Bridal Gallery of Orlando, Hair and Makeup: Kristy’s Artistry Design Team, Car Service: VIP Transportation.

Any advice for those planning their wedding now?

Step away from all the noise and everyone’s opinions and find time to be with yourself, and dig deep to define what you really want for your day. For me, this was a night of Pinterest to figure out my vision, accompanied with music and couple of drinks to drown out my second-guessing. Follow your gut!

What was your biggest surprise on your wedding day?

Definitely how quick everything goes by! No matter how prepared and organized everything is, there will be things that happen that cause delays leading up to big moments and then before you know it, it’s all over!

What one moment will last with you both forever?

When we were exchanging our vows, nothing else mattered in those moments. And our private last dance in the ballroom to my favorite song; total water works moment.

Which moment are you the most excited to see in photos?

So much of the day is a blur from the excitement and emotion, that we can’t wait to see the special moments with our parents and grandparents that were captured, those will be priceless and forever treasured. As well as all the details, so we can relive it all again!

What song did you walk down the aisle to?

Christina Perri – A Thousand Years.

What song played for your first dance?

Ed Sheeran – Perfect.

What are you most looking forward to as a married couple?

Traveling the world, starting a family and growing old together!

What did you like the most about working with KV Photography?

We loved working with KV! Ed and Val are just so incredible, we picked them not only because of their style, but because of how genuine and real their interactions with us were, we all just clicked as a group and I knew that would be important for the wedding day. Ed & Val were patient throughout the entire process – when we didn’t have our vision solidified, they accommodated meeting with us twice to be sure we were comfortable. The day of the wedding, I felt like they were everywhere at once and nowhere, all the intimate moments, emotions, and joy were not once interrupted by feeling a photographer’s presence, it was just magical how they captured everything.

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