High school sweethearts, Taya and Zach, were flanked by a twenty-person wedding party made up of their longtime high school friends on their Rhode Island wedding day. The couple went all-out-glam with a traditional cathedral ceremony and all-white reception at Belle Mer that includes florals by Town House Florist and a five-tiered traditional white cake by Kerri Cupcake. The bride’s Cristiano Lucci gown and cathedral-length veil are show stopping and Stephanie Vegliante Photography captures it all perfectly in these beautiful images.
What made the wedding special and unique?
The thing that made my wedding so special and unique was that my husband and I were high school sweethearts. Not only had we been dating for over ten years, but our twenty person wedding party all went to high school together as well. Our families are friends; there was so much love and excitement through out that day. We were also the first of all our friends to get married and I think it made our day extra special. In addition, our photographer Stephanie did an incredible job capturing these special moments. The photos she took are beautiful images of memories that will last a lifetime. I am forever grateful for having Stephanie be part of our special day.
Tell us about the gown and where/how you found it!
My gown was designed by Cristiano Lucci and it was actually the very first dress I tried on. The second I put on the dress that was ten sizes to big for me and held together by a million clips I started to cry. I felt like an absolute princess and my mom and sister were both in tears with me. I purchased my dress at Alexander’s Bridal Boutique that day. This dress was part of a show they were having that weekend only and on Monday the dress would be leaving the state! I guess when you know, you know. I tried on about 20 dresses after that dress and none of them even compared.
What were some touches added to make the wedding personal?
My family is Italian and we wanted to incorporate our heritage into our special day. We made our homemade limoncello for the favors. Each place setting had five almonds with a poem that read “Five sugared almonds for each guest to eat, to remind us that life is both bitter and sweet. Five wishes for the new husband and wife: Health, Wealth, Happiness, Children, and a Long Life.” When our guests arrived we had people to pass out custom fans with our name and wedding date on them. Our seating chart was on the full-length mirror, which made a nice appearance. And lastly our table numbers were custom made with our baby pictures for each table.
What was the most memorable part of the day?
The most memorable part of our day would have to be the ceremony. Walking down the aisle to a completely full church with my dad, seeing my husband waiting at the altar for me with my now brother in law, our first kiss as husband and wife, and lastly walking out of the church and mingling with our family and friends in the front courtyard.
Tell us how you met and became engaged.
Zach and I met in high school. We both attended LaSalle Academy where Zach was a football player and I was a cheerleader. Love at first sight seems like something that only happens in movies but we just clicked. A few months after meeting and becoming close friends, Zach asked me to be his girlfriend on St. Patrick’s Day. Fast-forward ten years later after we both graduated from the University of Rhode Island and our families decided to spend Mother’s Day Together. We were out by the water taking a family photo while we were waiting for our table and that was when our families moved aside and Zach got down on one knee and asked me to spend the rest of my life with him.
Photography: Stephanie Vegliante Photography // Florist: Town House Florist // Invitations: Paper Moon Invitations // Venue: Belle Mer, Newport RI // Wedding gown: Cristiano Lucci // Hair and Makeup: B Lovely Beauty Studio (by. Brianna Regurie) // Bridal Shoes: Christian Louboutin // Bridesmaid Dresses: Alexandria’s Bridal Boutique // Groomsman & Groom Attire: Carl Anthony