Annalisa & Anthony

By :

ANDREA BEAULIEU

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X THE MEETING STORY

WE MET IN LAW SCHOOL WHERE WE SAT RIGHT NEXT TO ONE ANOTHER FOR AN ENTIRE SEMESTER IN ASSIGNED SEATING, BUT BARELY SPOKE TWO WORDS TO EACH OTHER. IT WASN’T UNTIL THE CLASS ENDED THAT WE STARTED TALKING, AND THOSE FIRST CONVERSATIONS WERE ONLY PROMPTED BY MY DOG’S RIDICULOUS APPEARANCE. AFTER A FEW WEEKS OF TALKING NONSTOP, WE ENDED UP GOING OUT ON OUR FIRST DATE TO A CHILDISH GAMBINO CONCERT AT THE FILLMORE IN MIAMI BEACH. WE HAD THE BEST TIME AND THE REST IS BEAUTIFUL, SWEET HISTORY.

X THE PROPOSAL

I HAVE A VERY CLOSE RELATIONSHIP WITH MY FAMILY, WHO LIVE IN NEW ORLEANS. ANTHONY AND I LIVE IN FLORIDA, AND I KNEW ALL I WANTED FOR MY 30TH BIRTHDAY WAS TO SPEND IT WITH MY FAMILY IN NEW ORLEANS. MY MOM GOT ME THIS AMAZING BIRTHDAY CAKE IN THE SHAPE OF THE DOG-THAT-STARTED-IT-ALL, SURPRISED ME WITH TONS OF PENGUIN POOL FLOATIES (MY FAVORITE ANIMAL) AND WE HAD THE BEST DAY HAVING A POOL PARTY WITH ALL MY EXTENDED FAMILY AND A BUNCH OF FRIENDS. AS SOON AS EVERYONE FINISHED SINGING ME HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ANTHONY GOT DOWN ON ONE KNEE AND PROPOSED. IT WAS BEAUTIFUL IN ITS SIMPLICITY.

“AS SOON AS EVERYONE FINISHED SINGING ME HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ANTHONY GOT DOWN ON ONE KNEE AND PROPOSED. IT WAS BEAUTIFUL IN ITS SIMPLICITY.”

X THE VENUE

WE HAD OUR CEREMONY AT THE ST. LOUIS CATHEDRAL IN THE HEART OF THE FRENCH QUARTER. THE CATHEDRAL IS THE OLDEST CONTINUOUS CATHOLIC CATHEDRAL IN THE UNITED STATES AND IS SOMEWHERE THAT I HAD ALWAYS DREAMED OF GETTING MARRIED EVER SINCE I WAS A LITTLE GIRL. I’LL NEVER FORGET THAT, AS WE PULLED UP TO THE CHURCH ON MY WEDDING DAY IN THE WHITE VINTAGE ROLLS ROYCE, ALL THE TOURISTS IN THE SQUARE WENT CRAZY TAKING PICTURES OF US. IN THAT MOMENT, MY DAD KISSED ME ON MY CHEEK AND WHISPERED TO ME “YOU’RE NOW OFFICIALLY A PART OF THE FIBER OF NEW ORLEANS.” NEW ORLEANS IS SUCH AN AMAZING CITY THAT HOLDS THE MOST SPECIAL PLACE IN MY HEART. IT’S WHERE MY FAMILY, CUBAN IMMIGRANTS, FOUND THEIR FREEDOM AND WORKED HARD FOR THEIR AMERICAN DREAM. IT’S WHERE MY PARENTS MET, WHERE MY SISTERS AND I WERE BORN, AND WHERE WE GREW UP PLAYING WITH OUR COUSINS AND LISTENING TO STORIES FROM OUR GRANDPARENTS. AND NOW IT’S WHERE I MARRIED THE LOVE OF MY LIFE.

“AS WE PULLED UP TO THE CHURCH ON MY WEDDING DAY IN THE WHITE VINTAGE ROLLS ROYCE, ALL THE TOURISTS IN THE SQUARE WENT CRAZY”

FOLLOWING THE CEREMONY, WE HAD OUR SECOND LINE (WHICH, FOR NON-NEW ORLENIANS, IS A PARADE THROUGH THE STREETS OF THE FRENCH QUARTER WITH A BRASS BAND) TO OUR RECEPTION SITE, MARCHE. MARCHE IS AN ABSOLUTELY STUNNING VENUE WITH MAGNIFICENT VIEWS OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. MARCHE ENDED UP BEING PERFECT BECAUSE IT TRULY CAPTURES THE ESSENCE OF NEW ORLEANS, IT HAS MORE CHARACTER THAN WE COULD HAVE EVER DREAMED OF, AND IT WAS PERFECT FOR THE LARGE SIZE OF OUR WEDDING. PLUS, IT WAS LOCATED ALMOST DIRECTLY ACROSS THE STREET FROM MY LATE GRANDFATHER’S BUILDING IN THE QUARTER, AND WE MADE IT A POINT TO HAVE OUR SECOND LINE STOP IN FRONT OF HIS BUILDING IN ORDER TO PAY OUR RESPECTS TO HIM. THAT WAS ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL MOMENTS OF OUR WEDDING.

X THE AESTHETIC

I WANTED TO KEEP EVERYTHING CLEAN AND SIMPLE YET NATURALLY BEAUTIFUL AND, MOST OF ALL, KEEP WITH THE NATURAL CHARM AND ROMANTICISM OF NEW ORLEANS. THE VENUE WAS SO GORGEOUS STANDING ALONE THAT I DID NOT WANT TO GO OVERBOARD WITH FLORAL ARRANGEMENTS TO TAKE AWAY FROM ITS ORGANIC BEAUTY. THE FLORAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE VENUE CAME OUT PERFECT. THEY WERE SOFT AND ROMANTIC YET COMPLIMENTED, RATHER THAN COMPETED WITH, THE CHARACTER OF THE VENUE. I LOVED THE BURGUNDIES, DUSTY ROSE, AND GREY FLOWERS THAT WERE MIXED IN, ALONG WITH THE SOFT TOUCHES IN THE BOUQUETS. IN THE END, I REALLY WANTED THE CITY AND THE HISTORIC VENUES TO BE A FOCAL POINT AND SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES AND I THINK WE MADE IT HAPPEN.

“IT FELT LIKE…THE DRESS WAS MADE FOR ME. IT WAS SO SEAMLESSLY STUNNING, AND ALLOWED ME TO JUST BE MYSELF ALL NIGHT.”

X DOS LAURENCE GOWN

I LOVED HOW COMFORTABLE, NATURAL, AND BEAUTIFUL I FELT ALL NIGHT. THE MOMENT I TRIED THE DRESS ON, EVERYONE IMMEDIATELY KNEW IT WAS “THE ONE.” IT FELT LIKE, TO ME AND EVERYONE ELSE, THAT THE DRESS WAS MADE FOR ME. IT WAS SO SEAMLESSLY STUNNING, AND ALLOWED ME TO JUST BE MYSELF ALL NIGHT. I LOVE TO DANCE (MORE LIKE, LIVE TO DANCE) AND THIS DRESS WAS NOT ONLY GORGEOUS BUT I WAS ABLE TO DANCE ALL NIGHT LONG IN IT. I EVEN GOT TO PULL OUT SOME BEYONCÉ CHOREOGRAPHY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FRENCH QUARTER WHEN OUR SECOND LINE STARTED PLAYING “CRAZY IN LOVE.” I’M SO GRATEFUL THAT I FOUND THIS DRESS.

X THE RING

MY RING IS A YELLOW DIAMOND THAT BELONGED TO MY MOTHER, WHICH MAKES IT EVEN MORE SPECIAL BECAUSE SHE IS MY HERO. I GREW UP LOVING AND ADMIRING THE RING, AND MY MOM, WHO KNEW MY ADMIRATION FOR THE RING, GAVE IT TO ANTHONY WHEN HE ASKED HER PERMISSION TO MARRY ME. MY MOM IS MY BEST FRIEND AND MY FOREVER SUNSHINE. I LIKE TO THINK OF THE YELLOW DIAMOND AS MY LITTLE PIECE OF SUNSHINE THAT IS MY CONSTANT REMINDER OF HER EVERY DAY.

X ADVICE

ENJOY EVERY SINGLE MOMENT OF YOUR DAY. FROM THE MOMENT YOU FIRST STEP INTO YOUR DRESS, TO THOSE SURREAL MOMENTS WALKING DOWN THE AISLE, TO THE VERY LAST DANCE WITH YOUR NEW HUSBAND OR PARTNER ON YOUR WEDDING NIGHT. IT’S ALL SO SPECIAL BUT IT ALL GOES BY TOO QUICKLY AND IT’S EASY TO GET CAUGHT UP WITH HOW HECTIC EVERYTHING CAN BE. BREATHE, REMEMBER TO WALK SLOWLY DOWN THE AISLE, AND HOLD ON TO EVERY MOMENT. I WOULD ALSO SAY TO MAKE SURE YOU AND YOUR NEW HUSBAND OR WIFE SNEAK AWAY FOR A MOMENT JUST THE TWO OF YOU (NOT EVEN A PHOTOGRAPHER THERE) BETWEEN THE CEREMONY AND RECEPTION TO TAKE IN THAT CRAZY SPECIAL MOMENT OF “WE JUST GOT MARRIED!” BEFORE YOU HEAD INTO THE PARTY. IT WILL PROBABLY BE THE ONLY ALONE TIME YOU GET ALL NIGHT BECAUSE NO ONE WILL LEAVE YOU BE ONCE YOU MAKE YOUR OFFICIAL APPEARANCE. IT’S A GOOD TIME TO PAUSE, LET TIME STAND STILL FOR A MOMENT WITH EACH OTHER, AND COLLECT YOUR THOUGHTS AND OVERWHELMING EMOTIONS BEFORE GOING INTO THE BIGGEST CELEBRATION OF YOUR LIFE.

“BREATHE, WALK SLOWLY DOWN THE AISLE, AND HOLD ON TO EVERY MOMENT.”

X MEMORABLE MOMENT <3

THERE WERE SO MANY MEMORABLE MOMENTS. ANTHONY AND I CHOSE NOT TO DO A FIRST LOOK, SO THE MOMENT WE SAW EACH OTHER FOR THE FIRST TIME ACROSS THE CATHEDRAL WAS INDESCRIBABLE. AND OF COURSE, THERE IS NOTHING LIKE A SECOND LINE IN NEW ORLEANS — AND TO BE ABLE TO SHARE OUR SECOND LINE WITH OUR 230 GUESTS WAS JUST AN INCREDIBLE FEELING. THE MOMENT WE STOPPED IN FRONT OF MY GRANDFATHER’S BUILDING TO PAY OUR RESPECTS TO HIM DURING OUR SECOND LINE WAS SO MOVING. IT’S SO HARD TO PICK OUT JUST ONE MOMENT FROM A DAY FILLED WITH MEMORIES TO LAST A LIFETIME.