Location of Ceremony and Reception: The Barn at Gibbet Hill, Groton MA

Cake Maker:                                     Montilio's Bakery

DJ:                                                  Seth Isaacs

First Dance Song:                             The One - Kodaline

Dress Boutique:                                Your Dream Bridal, Sudbury MA

Florist:                                             Floral Arts, Westford MA

Limo Service:                                   RC Herrmann, Westford MA

How did you two meet?

We met working at CVS in Acton MA. I was a front store supervisor and Matt was a pharmacy technician who worked for my mom who is the pharmacy manager.

How did he pop the question?

Matt took me on a surprise trip to Italy. His plan to propose was thrown for a loop multiple times by the bride. So He had an impromptu proposal at night while standing in front of the fountain at the Bernini Plaza.

What was your favorite moment(s) from the wedding?

Matt – My favorite moment from the wedding was our first look. Coming outside to see Jess for the first time was the greatest feeling of my life. She looked absolutely beautiful.

Jess- Aside from getting to marry my best friend, my favorite memory was being able to look into the crowd of people and see my grandma there as well as give her a kiss on the way down the aisle. She was released from the hospital on hospice the day before the wedding, so it was so incredibly special to have her there and for her to reach her goal of seeing us get married.

How long have you been together?

Matt and I have been together since Christmas 2015, so when we got married it was a little under 2.5 years.

How would you describe your overall wedding experience?

Our overall wedding experience was incredible. It was more than we could have ever imagined from the food to the DJ to the photographer, it was all amazing. Way more people were on the dance floor more than we thought would be, so that was a nice bonus.

What advice would you offer to other couples planning a wedding?

Honestly, don’t stress too much. It will all work out. I started planning this wedding way in advance so not only can you break up all the tasks, but you can break up all of the costs, which was a huge help.

What photography-related advice would you offer to a couple?

Pick somebody you will be comfortable with because all the wedding portraits is no joke.

Tell me about your dress. Where did you find it, how did you choose it, how did you know it was the one?

I found my dress at Your Dream Bridal in Sudbury, MA. It was the first dress place I went to. I tried on a total of 7 dresses but picked the very first one I tried on. Malinda who runs the shop asked me a few questions and selected all great dresses based off my answers. She really nailed my personality and style. The dress I chose just felt right the minute I put it on. All of the other dresses I tried on didn’t compare to it. I felt beautiful in the dress and I knew my mom, grandma, family friend and best friend all loved it too, which solidified my choice.

How was your experience taking photos/working with me on your wedding day?

Our experience taking wedding photos and working with Steve on our wedding day was completely painless. I was dreading the pictures because I hate having my picture taken, but Steve made us super comfortable with all the different poses during the wedding portraits. He came up with creative poses and fun ideas for various pictures that were unique.

Did you see each other before the wedding? If not, did you like waiting or would you have rather done it differently? Tell me why or why not!

Matt and I had a first look before the wedding. We wanted to do all of our photos before so that we had more time to spend with our guests during the reception. The first look led to some fun photos too.

Any tips on how to prepare for the wedding photos?

Just relax and have fun with it.

Any tips that you have about preparing your wedding party for the photos? What did you tell them, how did you get them to cooperate, what did you do or what would you have done differently?

Our wedding party was super easy going and cooperative and knew all of the photos were coming so they put on great smiles and went through it. Especially for us, since we got married in February and took some photos outside, we prepared them beforehand that they will probably get cold, but I bought my bridesmaids scarves for the photos.

Any tips on what to bring?

An open mind and a genuine smile.

We love to hear about vendors you love. List any vendors here and feel free to share your experience. Be sure to include the name of the vendor, their profession, city/state, site or Facebook page and how your experience was!

DJ- Seth Isaacs at Lost Art Djs www.lostartdjs.com Boston. MA

Dress- Malinda Macari at Your Dream Bridal https://www.yourdreambridal.com Sudbury, MA

And you of course! Stephen Sedman  www.stephensedman.com Braintree, MA

Did you find a store/site that had everything you were looking for? Use this space to talk about favorite shops. You can include where you got your dress, sites you got your veils/décor/accessories, etc.

No shop had everything I was looking for. I went to Homegoods many times over a span of a couple of months because I knew their inventory changes frequently. I also went to Party City and Homesense many times. Amazon and Costco were saviors for the bridesmaids and hotel room bags too.

What were you most anxious, nervous or fearful about regarding your wedding day and what was the outcome?

By the day of our wedding I was so over all of the planning and the worrying about details that I was just ready to have a blast and enjoy the night. Matt was just excited too.

What’s one piece of advice you would give to other couples for planning their wedding?

Have fun with all of it and don’t get too stressed out. Although it may not seem like it at the time, everything will work out.

What kind of food was served at your reception?

We had the option of fish or steak or vegetarian for the main meal. We had 5 different appetizers during the cocktail hour and a salad course before dinner. We had cake and an ice cream sundae bar for dessert and one of the favors going home was fresh made donuts.

What was the first song you danced to as husband and wife? Father-daughter dance? Mother-son dance?

First Dance- The One by Kodaline

Father/Daughter- I’ll Be Your Man by Zac Brown Band

Mother/Son- Days Like This by Van Morrison