 How did you first meet? We met when were were sixteen (10 years ago!) at our after-school job. We were servers in a dining room located in an independent living facility. I worked there a year before him and I'll never forget the first day I saw him. It was "puppy love" at first sight. We became best friends and we were basically inseparable. We didn't go to the same high school, so I was always excited to go to work just to get to spend time with him. What is the most attractive feature/qualities about your fiance? I could write a list a mile long! But if I have to pick a few of my favorites; his sense of humor and that he makes life so fun because we are always laughing. He has the biggest heart and is one of the most self-less people I know. He's also super handsome! I love his eyes and his smile gives me butterflies still to this day. What is your fondest dating memory? I have so many! But I think the best memory was our first Valentine's Day. He thoughtfully planned out every single part of the evening and totally spoiled me. He gave me a promise ring that night and told me that he promised to love me forever, so, that definitely stuck with me all these years. When did you know you were in love? I knew I loved him pretty much right away, but I was also sixteen/seventeen and love looks a little different at that age! We've grown and matured and so has our love. There was never an "A-ha" moment for me. I just knew that I found my person and that I couldn't imagine my life without him. What day did you get engaged? We got engaged on December 30, 2017.  Where & how did he ask?
He took me to the beach around sunset. We looked out at the waves and talked about all the good things to come in 2018. When the sun was nearly setting -- he got down on one knee and asked me to be his wife. The rest of the evening we celebrated by revisiting some of the places we went on our first few dates. He took me to The Columbia in St. Armands Circle and then to Marina Jack's riverwalk where we sat on the same bench as we did the night when he gave me my promise ring all those years ago! It was the most perfect evening. I was so appreciative of how hard he worked to make that so special for us. Wedding Date & Location We are getting married November 3, 2018 at Plantation Golf and Country Club in Venice. I can't wait! ... and we can't wait either! Looking forward to making all the pretties!! Wedding Wishes, Marie
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 How Did You First Meet? When I moved back from Orlando after graduating college I began working at our family owned dealership. I started to process the tag work at the tax collectors office where I met Thomas. What is the most attractive feature/qualities about your fiance? I absolutely adore Thomas' personality, he would do anything for his friends or family, works hard, serves our Country and always a step ahead of me while planning our future. What is your fondest dating memory? I'm a homebody and never one to venture out of my comfort zone but he MAKES me travel. I have flown more times since we started dating then I did my whole life before and those trips are my favorite memories. When did you know you were in love? As silly as it sounds, people always said "you'll know when you find the one" and I found it true as soon as I first met Thomas. There was always a pull to him that I couldn't resist and I knew I loved him the first time he left for annual tour with the Air Force in 2015, I never felt a void like that before from someone just being on a "trip". When he returned, he returned with a t-shirt making us official.  What day did you get engaged?
We got engaged February 23, 2018. Where & how did he ask? He was planning an engagement for a while, I always found a way to make a joke and ruin his plans. I DO NOT like being the center of attention so whenever I felt like he was going to make a big deal out of a proposal I would spoil it or question my mom and sister until they would say something. He finally was able to surprise me by proposing in our dining room at home. I came home after my nail appointment like a normal day but he had another t-shirt asking me to be his wife already set out with a ring and when I turned around he was on one knee. It was perfectly us and I guess t-shirts are now officially our thing. Tell us about your wedding... We are getting married August 18, 2018 at The Plantation Golf & Country Club. Congratulations Mandy & Thomas! We can't wait to design some beautiful blooms for your wedding! Wedding Wishes, Marie  Annabeth Kierspe Photography Alyssa Michelle Gill & Roger "Beau" Nolan Beaubien  Annabeth Kierspe Photography When & where did you get married? December 9, 2017 in Tampa Florida Ceremony - First Presbyterian Church of Tampa (Downtown Tampa) Reception - The Rialto Theatre (Tampa Heights)  Annabeth Kierspe Photography Is there any significance to the date or location? As devoted football fans, we picked the first Saturday after football season! Beau grew up in Tampa (and his parents still live there), and it's where we got engaged and a city we both love. We wanted our friends and family to enjoy the weekend so a city that was easy to travel to, had lots of accommodations, a rich history, and good places to eat were a must! Plus there are so many vendor options.  Annabeth Kierspe Photography Tell us about your gown? In high school I worked in a bridal boutique, so I was lucky enough to return home to Charlotte Bridal Boutique and search for my dress! I didn't have one dress in mind, but was open to trying on all different styles and designers, and Lynn - the owner, had picked out a large selection of options for me. We had a short engagement so I knew I really needed to decide on a dress that day so I could order and get it altered in time. I have always loved the Casablanca dress line, and after trying on probably 20 dresses I had it narrowed down to two. My mom, sister, soon to be mother-in-law and sister-in-law and a few of my bridesmaids were all with me and we had a blast hanging out while I shopped. My sister, mom, and I all kept coming back to the same dress and at the end of the day it's the one I felt most beautiful in! Thankfully it came in two weeks before my wedding and didn't need too many alterations. I LOVED my dress!  Annabeth Kierspe Photography Describe your groom? Beau is loyal, kind, generous, funny and a true southern gentleman. My favorite quality about him is that he points our family and friends towards the Lord. Most of my family would probably say their favorite thing is that he is a University of Florida Alum!  Annabeth Kierspe Photography What traditions did you incorporate into your wedding day? There were Southern traditions woven through our entire wedding! Monograms, friends reading our favorite scripture, a groom's cake, homemade vanilla extract as favors, toasts by our Best Man and Maid of Honor. But one of my most favorite traditions was a "Cake pull." My momma is from New Orleans, and the cake pull tradition stems from an old Victorian tradition of "ribbon pulling." Ribbon laden charms are placed on the bottom layer of the wedding cake and ladies who the bride would like to honor are given the opportunity to pull a charm from the cake right before it's cut. Each darling prophetic charm has a specific meaning and is believed to reveal the fate and bestow good fortunes or blessings on the gal who pulled it. I also had something old (my engagement ring and wedding band were Beau's great aunt's rings), something new (a gorgeous wedding dress!) something borrowed (my veil was my new sister-in-laws), and something blue (my Mom sewed a piece of my late Granny's blue dress in a heart under my gown. While she couldn't be at our wedding in person, she was definitely their in spirit!) I also had a six pence in my shoe from my Mom. Lastly, while we could not do the traditional "Bury the bourbon" because we were planning from a different city - we had our own twist... my husband and one of his groomsmen built a bourbon fountain that flowed continuously throughout the evening. After our first dance, we toasted each other and kicked off our reception!  Annabeth Kierspe Photography Favorite wedding moment? Right before the night was ending, we had Taco Bell delivered to the reception. Every year on Valentine's Day Beau and I go to Taco Bell, so it was a fun surprise to incorporate into the wedding! Tied with that memory, was seeing all our family and friends cheer for us at the end of our ceremony when we were announced, for the first time, as husband and wife!  Annabeth Kierspe Photography Detail your flowers for us? Perfection! I specifically chose our reception venue because it was a blank slate. I wanted to bring in my own vendors, and dream up the design from top to bottom. Although we were getting married in December, I didn't want dark colors for our wedding, I jokingly say "white on white" is my favorite color - so our wedding was every shade of neutral there is. Soft pinks, peaches, ivory, white, grays and lots of luscious greens. We were not having a seated meal, so with no place settings on the table, there was plenty of space for various vessels full of eucalyptus, kale, garden roses, hydrangea, ranunculus, and peonies all surrounded by crystal candlesticks and tea lights. The Rialto is known for it's stunning rustic, industrial wall in the back of the theatre where we hung floral hoops to accent the vintage furniture we had staged alongside of these gorgeous lantern rentals from PCF. Our welcome sign had a garland of greens that tied everything together from the centerpieces to the gift table. Our bouquets were just as amazing- unstructured and ethereal. I received so many compliments on them and the pictures of me and my bridesmaids with our bouquets are some of my favorites.  Annabeth Kierspe Photography Describe your day in one sentence? Our day was full of all our favorite people, in one of our favorite cities celebrating our commitment to each other and most importantly the Lord.  Annabeth Kierspe Photography Best advice for a bride to be? Everyone says it, but the day goes by so quickly. Make sure you soak in every second! While our wedding was very traditional in some ways, we didn't follow "all the rules" of a traditional wedding. We wanted the day to be a reflection of us as a bride and groom and wanted our friends and family to feel just as loved and celebrated as we did!  Annabeth Kierspe Photography Vendor Kudos
Photographer: Annabeth Kierspe Photography Ceremony Venue: First Presbyterian Church (Downtown Tampa) Reception Venue: The Rialto Theatre (Tampa Heights) Flowers & Decor: Port Charlotte Florist Vintage Lounge Furniture: The Rialto Rentals: The Chair Affair Cake Artist: Family Friend Grooms Cake: Publix Bridal Gown: Charlotte Bridal Boutique Suits: Joseph A. Banks Bow Ties: High Cotton Hair: Jessica Roberts, Salon Loft Make Up: Make Up By Marissa Bartender: Bar Luxe Caterer: Lynn's Catering of Tampa Late Night Caterer: Taco Bell  How did you first meet? In Principles of Management class at FGCU. Dominic sat in my pre-claimed seat and we ended up being in the same group for the class. I am glad he decided to sit there! What is the most attractive feature/qualities about your fiance? His eyes have a constant sparkle to them that makes me smile, even when I am furious with him. His personality is calming and brings balance to my life. He has been through a lot in the past few years and I admire his personal strength but also the strength he maintains for his family and myself. What is your fondest dating memory? I would say our "firsts" throughout our time together thus far. On our first date, I unknowingly made fun of one of his passions and he respected my wishes to pay for my own meal; he definitely was a trooper. Our first apartment was a scary process with lots of unknowns but worth it when it was just us. Our first puppy baby was a handful but was so memorable and we are still making memories with him today. Our first vacation, first time meeting each other's families, first fight, first grocery store visit; all so memorable and I cherish each one. Looking forward to making more!  When did you know you were in love?
Fairly soon after we officially started dating, right after I spent some time with him and his family. Him & I just fit together so perfectly and he quickly became a necessary part of my life that I didn't want to lose. What day did you get engaged? December 2nd, 2017. It is my best friend's birthday; he asked her before hand if that was OK! I am glad it's on a special day like that one. Where & how did he ask? Somewhere in Highlands, North Carolina in a little-known spot called Secret Falls. It's about a 1.5 mile downward hike to one of the most beautiful waterfalls in the area. Apparently he was trying to propose all day (it was a day full of hiking and gorgeous scenery) and I wasn't the most cooperative. Once at Secret Falls, the group all lined up to snap a photo and in the corner of my eye I see Dominic getting on one knee. I was so surprised! Of course I said YES and couldn't stop happy-crying. He had been carrying the ring in his wallet the whole day-- poor guy! Tell us about your wedding date February 29, 2020 somewhere here in sunny Florida Congratulations Meagan & Dominic! We can't wait to design some beautiful blooms for your wedding! Wedding Wishes, Marie |
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