{SBB Bride of the Week} Gina
G I N A
+
J U S T I N
{June 7th, 2024}
{Photos by: Cedar & Moss Studios}
Introducing our beautiful bride, Gina!
For her June wedding, Gina looked so glam and gorgeous in a sparkly fitted gown by Essense of Australia!
She kicked things up a notch with a headpiece by En Vogue and a veil by Bel Aire Bridal!
{Photos by: Cedar & Moss Studios}
For her flowers, Gina worked with both Sweet Pea Designs LLC and Something Borrowed Blooms!
The cool thing about Something Borrowed Blooms is you can pick out or create your own silk floral bouquets to rent and then just ship them back after the wedding!
{Photos by: Cedar & Moss Studios}
Gina married her hubby, Justin, in a beautiful outdoor ceremony at The Barn & Vineyard in Beecher, IL!
After they said “I do”, the newlyweds and their guests celebrated inside the barn!
{Photos by: Cedar & Moss Studios}
How did the newlyweds first meet?
“We met at work in October 2019. He worked in a neighboring department down the hall from where I worked. We interacted at work a number of times over the course of several months, and I thought he was really kind and easy going. It wasn’t until we both attended a work holiday dinner that I saw him in a different light. We ended up going out for coffee on March 7, 2020 and the rest is history.”
How did Justin pop the question?
“He came over to my house unexpectedly one morning. He called to say he was on his way which gave me about 10 minutes to pull myself together. I was rushing around the house to get ready just moments before he arrived. When he walked in the door he handed me a bouquet of flowers and began to share so many sweet things with me. At this point, I was not putting two and two together that he was about to propose, so I told him how much I loved him and how sweet he was, gave him a hug and kiss, and ran off to brush my hair 😂 (For some reason, I was really hyper focused on brushing my hair that morning.) He told me to come back where he was standing by the front door. As I walked back over to him, he proceeded to say more sweet things to me, got down on one knee, and asked me to marry him.”
Did Gina have any clue it was coming?
“I had suspected he was going to propose, but I definitely thought it would be in a public setting like a restaurant or something. He definitely caught me off guard completely. I barely had enough time to change out of my pajamas, my nails weren’t painted, my hair was a bit wild. Not exactly what I pictured I would look like!”
Let’s talk dress shopping!
“I went dress shopping with my mom and sister. Something Blue was my first and only stop for buying a dress. I picked out several different style dresses and narrowed down that I liked a more fitted gown. I think I tried on about 7 dresses total before finding my dress.”
How did she know her dress was "the one"?
“The first time I tried it on I got teary eyed as I looked at myself in the fitting room mirror. I was not expecting to have an emotion response, so I knew this dress stood out from the rest. I walked out to show my family. They liked it, but at first, they didn’t seem to think it was “the one”. I tried on a couple of the dresses that I had tried on earlier during my appointment but my response was not the same. When I tried on “the dress” again I got teary eyed. When my family saw me become emotional, they changed their tune a bit. Once I had tried on a veil and had a flower bouquet in hand, they agreed that this was in fact “the one”.”
What was Gina’s favorite part of the planning process?
“I really enjoyed picking out my colors and forming the vision for my theme. I think I am a pretty creative person so it was fun to put all my ideas together and have something that was uniquely mine.”
What about her least favorite part?
“Some of the more detailed items of wedding planning like figuring out centerpieces for the reception tables or various other decor items was a bit more tedious. I was trying to pick things that were budget-friendly yet elegant, which can definitely be challenging.”
Looking back, what is Gina’s favorite moment from her wedding?
“I loved when we shared our vows with one another. We opted to not do a first look, but we really wanted to have a special moment with each other before the ceremony began. With our backs to each other, we read our vows. It was a really delicate, sweet moment that we both cherish so much.”
What is the best piece of advice Gina can give brides-to-be who are currently planning their big day?
“Don’t bend over backwards trying to plan the perfect wedding (this is advice from a fellow perfectionist). Despite all your planning and organizing and delegating, something will inevitably not go according to your plans. Relax. Enjoy this special day with your new spouse. It goes by so fast. Also, I recommend staying with each other throughout the reception so you can really soak it all in together. This day is after all about the two of you, so enjoy it together!”
Congratulations, Gina + Justin!!
Check out more of their beautiful wedding photos by Cedar & Moss Studios in the gallery below!
