He Says, She Says…

Brides, were you as smitten with Dorothy’s wedding as we were? Our Juliette dress looked absolutely stunning against the beach backdrop… We were in love! Today, we’re excited to bring you He Says, She Says… We asked Dorothy and Jon to answer some of our questions about their courtship, wedding planning process, and actual wedding day. Read their responses below!

Images courtesy of Benfield Photography

When and how did you first fall in love with each other?

Jon: I remember the precise moment… She was sitting on the couch in my apartment waiting for me to get ready to leave. She looked so beautiful that I was inspired to take her picture. She wasn’t even doing anything, she was just sitting there, looking pretty. That’s when I knew.

Dorothy: For me, it wasn’t one moment. It was gradual, mainly through our conversations early on. We both grew up with divorced parents who all remarried; we both have step-siblings and half-siblings and have had somewhat of a complicated childhood. We connected over this and through sharing our stories, that’s how I fell in love with him… Knowing we had this bond and shared experience that only we really understood.

What is the most memorable date you’ve ever had?

Jon: We went to Turks and Caicos after we’d been dating for a few months, and we had the most amazing dates and meals each night. The most memorable night, was the night that we spent lounging around a fire pit until, enjoying each other’s company until all hours of the night.

Dorothy: We’ve had so many! I would have to say our third date, at L’Artusi in New York City, was really memorable for me. I remember how excited I was to get there in the cab, and once I arrived, he was waiting at the bar for me, saving me a seat. There was a long wait for a table, so we had some cocktails and talked and talked. The more I learned about him, the more I liked him. It was so romantic.

What was the most stressful part of the wedding planning?

Jon: Waiting for the RSVPs! We were unsure as to how many people would come, and at one point we were concerned that we would be severely oversubscribed.

Dorothy: It actually wasn’t very stressful! From the very beginning, I promised Jon and myself it wouldn’t be. I wanted to remember it as a great time in our lives, not a terrible, stress-filled chore. The most stressful part was probably when we hit the one month mark. I thought I accomplished a lot before then, but suddenly, I felt panicked and like I left way too many things to do near the end. I lived at Kinkos for practically a week, and didn’t hardly socialize. Although I did manage to squeeze in a girlfriends Las Vegas weekend!

What was your favorite part of the wedding?

Jon: Everything. For three days, and this has only happened this one time in my life, every single thing went exactly as planned, without complications.

Dorothy: The entire wedding was incredible, so every part was my favorite! I really loved our ceremony. Our readings were so reflective of our relationship, especially, “I Like You” by Sandol Stoddard, which is a children’s book. It felt amazing to be standing up there during our ceremony, dying laughing and hearing our friends and family laugh as well. We wrote our own vows, and I was blown away by Jon’s… They were so funny, sweey, open, honest and heartfelt; I was so moved by everything he expressed.

What was one thing that made your wedding unique?

Jon: Our vows were very uniquely us. We incorporated humor and sentiment, which basically defines our relationship. Dorothy insisted on writing our own vows, and even though I initially fought it, I had fun with it in the end.

Dorothy:  We put a lot of unique touches on it, from our decision to use photos of placed we’ve been as table markers, to writing our own vows, and choosing readings that were far from traditional.

At what point did you realize you wanted to marry your spouse?

Jon: About five minuted into our second date. People had told me that you just know when you’ve met the right person, but I didn’t believe it until I met Dorothy.

Dorothy: There was never a real doubt in my mind. For as long as I can remember, I knew I would spend my life with Jon, even though we didn’t directly talk about it. I knew I was in love with him, but I wanted him to say it first. On our first vacation together, to Turks and Caicos, he did. The next morning, my mom called to tell me my grandfather had passed away. Jon was so sweet and supportive, offering me tissues as I cried in our hotel room. I knew then that Jon was a man I wanted in my life for a very, very long time.