Wedding

Florencia of Ana Florentina at Lotte New York Palace — *The New York Palace Hotel*

My Wedding Dress

It was right around this time last year – my fiancé and I had selected our wedding venue, and I had seven bridal appointments scheduled for the third week of March. Excitement filled my heart as I cleared my schedule to attend these appointment in a city that I was slowly getting acquainted with. Exactly six months had passed since I had packed my entire home and moved to New York, so I barely knew my way around the city! Even though I’d be searching for a bridal dress by myself, my mom had purchased a flight to visit in May and join me during the process.

Shortly after attending my first bridal appointment on March 13, I received six emails stating the following words “We are rescheduling your appointment. We are closed for business through March 30. We will keep our brides updated on schedule changes as we receive new emergency directives from the city.” At first I thought “two weeks is not a big deal, I will keep browsing online for inspiration!” Fast forward to June, and the emails read “We do not have an exact date for reopening … we highly recommend booking a virtual appointment with us.” By mid-June, there seemed to be no light at the end of the tunnel, except that bridal stores in New Jersey were slowly opening up. The idea of not finding a dress was stressing me, so we decided to spend the last weekend of the month in Jersey hunting for a dress. By early July, a few bridal stores in New York City called me to go check out their ‘sample’ dresses and finally on July 11, at a bridal store in Connecticut, I said “Yes! to the dress!”

BRIDAL DETAILS:

Bridal Robe | Headband | Shoes

The whole process of deciding whether to postpone, suspend or cancel our wedding was a struggle. Negotiating with our wedding vendors was not easy either. The food tasting with our caterer got rescheduled three times, and was finally scheduled for July 12, in Rhode Island. Meanwhile, I had found a bridal gown in New Jersey that I was ready to purchase, but I was having doubts. I decided to look once more through the random screenshots of dresses I had, and to do a final search for bridal gowns online. That’s how I discovered British bridal designer Suzanne Neville, and I instantly fell in love with the Topaz gown. Right away I could see myself walking down the aisle in it – the exquisite sparkly lace overlay with long sleeves, the sweetheart neckline, the unique design on the back and the skirt made from layers of luxurious organza, it was really everything I wanted in one dress. All I had to do was find one!

On July 7, I e-mailed to inquire about the gown. I was informed that all of her dresses were made to measure, and that I needed to find a stockist in the United States. I immediately called 15-16 of them located throughout the country, and all except one replied, “Since it is from her 2020 Collection it is not available in stores yet. We could order it from her and have it ready in six months.” But I did not have six months – I barely had two months! The only bridal boutique in the country that had this exact dress was located in Connecticut, and by pure luck we were scheduled to drive by them in three days. Luckily, the boutique was able to squeeze me in for a last-minute appointment that Saturday when we made our way to Rhode Island for our food tasting.

I had all my fittings at the Connecticut home of one of the boutique’s seamstresses. My mother was never able to attend any of my fittings, but I was joined throughout the process by my fiancé and our two pups who waited in the car while I was getting my gown fitted. Needless to say, we explored Connecticut quite a bit during those days! I feel quite lucky to have had them by my side.

Thankfully, even during the middle of a worldwide pandemic, it all worked out! The second I put the gown on, I knew it was the right choice. PS: The veil is from my sister! She wore it on her wedding day a couple of years ago!

I really wanted the dress to be the focus, so I chose very delicate accessories. For jewelry I wore a gorgeous headband that I found online, and pearl drop earrings from Ralph Lauren.

Ana Florentina at Lotte New York Palace in New York

No one could have predicted this pandemic, and a guide book on “How to Plan a Wedding During a Pandemic” does not exist. Believe me, I’ve tried searching for one.

We have no idea what the future holds, so I am thankful that we decided to go forth with our wedding plans, and got married in front of our immediate family members.

I ordered everyone’s masks from BHLDN. I still hope to celebrate with all of our friends and family at a future date!!!

I really love how our photos turned out 🙂 I hope you love them as much as I do!

Ana Florentina wedding at St Patricks Cathedral

On Saturday, October 3, 2020, I stepped into the most beautiful gown I will ever wear, and walked down the aisle at Saint Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City.