Married: June 29, 2019
Bridal Prep: Windsor Court Hotel
Ceremony: Immaculate Conception Church
Reeption: The Balcony Ballroom
Band / DJ: DJ provided through the balcony
Bakery: Gambino’s
Hair: Amber Buxton Salon
Makeup: Makeup by Meggan
Bridal Boutique: Blush Bridal Baton Rouge
Tuxedo Store: Rome’s Tuxedos
Favors: Roman Candy

How did you meet?
We met in high school right after we both finished the 9th grade at a party for the end of the school year. We became close friends and started dating in a August of 2010.

Include a little bit about yourselves. What do you do?
Peter is an Electrical Engineer, and I (Rebecca) am a Speech-Language Pathologist. Peter graduated from Catholic University of America with his degree in 2017, and I recently graduated with my Master’s degree in May 2019.

What is your favorite thing about each other? 
My favorite thing about peter is that he constantly keeps me laughing and enjoying the moment. When I’ve had a bad day, he can cheer me up with just a look and few cheesy jokes.

My favorite thing about Becca is that I feel like she makes me so much better at things I wouldn’t normally think about but are incredibly important. It could be as simple as telling my mom I’ll miss her before our honeymoon or making me call my brother more. Things that make me happier and better but things I wouldn’t see needs improvement without her.

How did the proposal go? Who proposed to who, were you surprised?
In March of 2018, Peter proposed during a trip to the Audubon Aquarium. I love sea otters, so he took me to the aquarium to do a close-up encounter with the otters. During the encounter, he proposed, and it was definitely a surprise. I had no clue that he had planned it all with the sea otter trainers at the aquarium, and it was perfect! After, we went to his parents’ house where I was surprised again with a celebratory crawfish boil with our closest family and friends.

Where was your ceremony held and why did you pick this site?
Our ceremony was at the Immaculate Conception Church. We chose this church because we wanted to be married in a Jesuit church because Peter attended Jesuit High School. We thought this church is absolutely stunning and thought it was perfect!

Where was your Reception held and why did you pick this site?
We had our reception at the Balcony Ballroom. We absolutely loved the Balcony! We knew their food would be incredible, and we LOVED that they made everything so easy for us. We never had to worry about anything when we were at the Balcony because they handle everything.

What unique or special things did you do at the reception? 
Of course, we 2nd lined through the Balcony! How could we not when we’re both from New Orleans? We loved that we also had a private dining experience just the two of us during which Mr. Mike and Vanessa made sure we had anything and everything that we wanted. We also had a sparkler exit which we think will make some of the most beautiful pictures!

Pick one moment in the day that was your favorite thing?
Our favorite was when we were both on the dance floor and we looked around at all of our family and friends singing and dancing to “Don’t Stop Me Now” by Queen. I think that was the moment we realized our reception was everything we had hoped for.

Did it really go by as quickly as everyone says?
Absolutely. It was slow in the morning when we were getting ready, but as soon as we were both dressed, it flew by!

What was the inspiration behind picking the color palette and decor that you picked?
Peter let me pick the colors for the wedding, and I have always liked purple. I thought Lilac would look great on each of my bridesmaid and would be a great color for a summer wedding.

From the Bride – When you first saw the groom, what were you thinking/feeling?
I was really nervous right before the wedding, but when I saw him, the nerves went away because it hit that I was finally marrying him.

From the groom – When you first saw the bride, what were you thinking/feeling?
I was extremely excited and just ready to be married! I described it to my groomsmen as a similar feeling to playing in a really important game – I was really nervous but at the same time incredibly happy and excited.

Who was your baker, what was the flavor of your cake? Was it delicious?!
Gambino’s Bakery did an awesome job with both of the cakes! We had 3 different flavors – butter, chocolate, and almond, which were all great! The grooms cake was red velvet. We’ve been constantly snacking on the leftovers!

Did you do a first look? If so how did you feel about it? If not, do you wish you had?
No, we didn’t, and I think we are both happy without one.

Did you have a coordinator or did you plan everything yourself? If you didn’t have a coordinator any advice for brides planning their own wedding?
With help from our parents, we planned this ourselves. Our advice would be to start early and get as much done as soon as you can!

What was your first dance song? Why this song?
Our first dance song was “Dancing In The Moonlight” because this has been our song since we started dating!

Band or DJ? Did they rock it?
We had a DJ and they were great! They asked for our preferences and definitely came up with a playlist we (and our guests) enjoyed!

We want to hear YOUR advice for future brides.
Stay calm because at the end of the day, you will be married to the person you love, so don’t worry about the tiny details. Just enjoy it because, like we said before, it flies by!

Anything else you want to say?
We absolutely love the pictures we’ve seen so far, and can’t wait for the rest! Our day went even better than we could’ve imagined!