Gabriela met Joel through his sister Rachael, in 2016. They were working together and Joel’s sister decided to introduce them. Rachael invited Gabriela to her engagement party where the two met and then to her surprise, Rachael asked her to be a bridesmaid and she was paired up with Joel! They hit it off and since then, they bought a house, and two dogs, and eventually got engaged!

Joel was away for a week traveling for work and when he returned, the couple had planned on visiting Gabriela’s parents before they left for vacation. While Gabriela was packing up the car, Joel came out with a bouquet of flowers. He said they were because he was gone for the week. Before leaving, Gabriela went inside to put them in water and to her surprise, there was champagne and Joel got down on one knee and asked her to marry him. She was very surprised!

Gabriela and Joel chose the Water's Edge Resort in Westbrook, CT for their ceremony and reception because it had the feel of a destination wedding without anyone having to travel too far. The CT shoreline also has a special place in both of their hearts ever since they were children: both of them visited Chalker Beach in the summers when growing up, so they knew they wanted a beach setting for their special day!

Gabriela wanted the color scheme and feel to be timeless and classy, so she chose a neutral champagne palette with pops of colors in the bouquets and floral arrangements. The centerpieces for the reception tables included floating candles which added a sense of romance with the backdrop of the ocean.

Gabriela and Joel wanted to ensure that they were true to themselves for their wedding day. One aspect they both loved and felt was unique was having an audio guestbook. They found a company called After the Tone, that sets up a vintage phone where guests are able to leave the couple messages all night long. The messages get saved and can be played back forever. Their friends and family really loved this idea and the messages got funnier as the night went on!

Gabriel and Joel, we loved photographing your special day and we hope you have a wonderful time on your honeymoon in Italy!