Cara & Vince: An Elegant Backyard Affair

After meeting on Match.com, Cara and Vince had their first phone call. It was morning by the time they finally hung up and six hours had gone by without either of them noticing. They decided to get together in person two days later. Their connection was immediate and felt effortless from the very beginning. “I knew that I wanted to be with Vince from the moment that he looked at me through the front door on our first date,” she recalls.

We are excited to introduce Cara, our BB Featured Bride for February. Cara and Vince married on an unforgettable October day in the backyard of their home in Pennsylvania. Here, she shares the first chapter in their Real BB Wedding story.

Part 1: Proposal & Planning

When Cara and Vince started dating, it became evident that any differences they had would only work to strengthen their relationship. For example, Cara comes from a large family while Vince is an only child. “Seeing my family embrace and love Vince meant the world to me,” she says. “Then seeing the way that he embraced a large, close-knit family filled my heart with such joy, it just felt right from the very start.” She adds with a laugh, “And when he was about to meet my sisters and niece for the first time, my niece, Carlin, texted me in the car heading to lunch, ‘On the way to meet my future Uncle Vince!’”

Sharing a love for travel, Cara and Vince planned a week-long trip to Florence, Italy. On their first night there, they enjoyed a delicious Italian dinner accompanied by glass after glass of red wine. The next morning, phone alarms went off only to be shut off in an attempt for the couple to catch up on some much-needed sleep. Cara finally woke up to Vince on the phone, frantically pacing back in forth. He had mentioned the night before that they were scheduled to have a photo taken for the travel company and now they were late. An Uber took them to the Abbazia di San Miniato al Monte. Jet lagged and hungover, they ran up the many flights of stairs, feeling every step along the way, only to find no one at the top to take their photo. A little confused, Cara took a deep breath and gazed at the scene around her. “As I looked out at the breathtaking views of Florence, there was a gust of wind. I suddenly no longer felt tired, hungover, or stressed, but rather warm, happy, and loved. I then looked at Vince and said, ‘I don’t know why, but I feel so calm right now.’” He then took Cara by the hands and asked her to marry him. The proposal had taken her by complete surprise. “I said ‘YES!’ and just started bawling, barely able to see this beautiful, sparking engagement ring through my tears.” A photographer appeared to capture the once-in-a-lifetime moment. Cara and Vince spent the rest of their stay taking engagement photos and enjoying Florence’s beauty and culture, which included an opera performance in a church. She remembers, “It was my first time seeing opera live. I was so moved with emotion and had no idea that I would love opera so much.”

 

 

 

 

 

With Italy so close to their hearts, the couple envisioned an intimate destination wedding in Tuscany. As the guest list grew, they decided to change the location to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. The date was set for August 2020, but with COVID-19 showing no signs of going away, Cara and Vince were forced to alter their plans once again. They rescheduled the date for October and moved the site to the backyard of their new home in Pennsylvania. “We had only been living in our house for a little over a month,” Cara says. “We knew that there would be a lot to do in order to prepare it for a wedding. But also saw this as a really special opportunity to welcome those closest to us to our home. The planning and replanning process humbled us in such a way that we realized the ‘vision’ of our wedding all along was truly one filled with love, joy, and family.”

 

 

 

Cara had always dreamed of saying “I Do” in a garden setting. The natural Pennsylvania landscape and picturesque vineyard surrounding their home worked in her favor perfectly. “I love being outdoors,” she explains. “But wanted the atmosphere to feel elegant and romantic at the same time. Bride & Blossom helped bring the garden to us.” Cara’s floral decor took shape in a pink, burgundy, blush and white archway, followed by reception centerpieces of white, cream, and burgundy blooms.

 

 

Stay tuned for next week when Cara shares all the details about her breathtaking Pronovias dress and personals.

Couple’s Vendor List
Photographer: Laura Huertas Photography
Videographer: NST Pictures
Planner: Two Kindred Event Planners
Bride’s Dress: Pronovias
Groom’s Tux: Enzo Custom
Bridesmaids’ Dresses: David’s Bridal
Hair & Makeup: Alisha Nycole & Co.
Rings: James Allen
Officiant: A More Perfect Union
Invitations: Minted
Music: EBE Talent
Catering: Sage Catering + Top Hat Espresso