Wedding Week

Pics, what I wore, and what a difference a year makes

What a difference a year can make. I remember a couple years ago being so amazed by my friend Melissa’s story. She moved to a new city, got a new job, met her now husband, and got pregnant with her sweet son all in the span of a year. Her story was proof that things can change quickly.

Just a couple years later I met my now husband. We got engaged 11 months after we met and we got married last weekend. I waited a long time for to meet Tom. For those who are in that boat, I can say with full confidence, it was worth the wait.

We got married with just 12 people present (all family), including ourselves. I don’t enjoy being the center of attention so it was really perfect. Even though it was a small wedding, I really wanted the details to be beautiful and memorable - the flowers, my dress, the photos, our vows, the toasts, the setting.

Before I get ahead of myself, I thought I’d share the week through pictures. And in case you’re in your bridal era, I have a section on my ShopMy for bridal inspo here. Let me preface this by saying, we didn’t take nearly enough pics on our phones, so these are what I’m working with until we get the photos back from our photographer. And let me also say, this post is going to be lots of me gushing over my own wedding - just warning you now. :)

Starting on Wednesday of wedding week, I decided I was going to really lean into the bride vibe and wear as much white as possible. I wear mostly black and white and denim anyway, so it was a pretty easy task. The only things I bought were my wedding dress and what I wore to the rehearsal dinner. In writing this, it’s really fun to see how many small, women-owned business were part of this week!

Wednesday I wore these Boheme linen pants (they aren’t available anymore, but these feel similar), my Sold Out NYC tee, Ivory Croco Sling, and flip flops for my mani/pedi appointment.

Thursday my family went to dinner at my favorite Naples restaurant, Barbatella. I wore my Mirth pants, Sold Out NYC tank (I wear Cakes with tanks like these), wedges I got in Mallorca (these are similar), and my Soirée Bag. My parents gifted me the beautiful necklace I’m wearing too!

Friday morning I went to Infinity Spa and had a facial with Marie. I love this spa - it’s where I go in Naples for a massage. It’s woman-owned and I typically prefer spas that are more personal than one at a hotel or a chain.

My family then had lunch at Baleen, which is the restaurant at LaPlaya Beach & Golf Resort. I wore my Posse linen dress, Reformation sandals, Ralph Lauren sunnies, and my Soirée Bag again. How cute is my dad?!

Friday after the rehearsal, Tom’s family hosted us at Veranda E, one of my family’s favorite restaurants in Naples. I wore this Zimmerman romper - I loved it. I can’t wait to wear it again! It’s hard to see, but I wore these Dorsey earrings, which gave just the right amount of sparkle.

Saturday morning my mom, my sisters and I went to Salon Teez for hair and makeup. When we first started planning the wedding I thought I’d just do my own hair and makeup. I don’t wear makeup in daily life so I thought, I’ll just do makeup like I would for a night out and I’ll watch some YouTube videos for hair. (What was I thinking?!) I can’t remember who talked me out of this, but wow, that might go down as the best wedding decision. Daniel did our hair and David did our makeup. They are the best. Anyone getting married or going to an event in Naples - these are your guys. I wore my Na Nin shorts and Able button down.

Then back at my parents’ place, we all got dressed! I keep meaning to look at the tag inside my dress because I have no idea who the designer is. I got my dress when I was back in Chicago for a week in December. My mom, sisters, and I went to about 5 different places, determined to find the dress because otherwise I was on my own shopping in Naples. We had to go to places that sold dresses off the rack because of our time constraints, which was tricky because even if they had off the rack, they had to have the dress in my size (or close to it). By far and away we had the best luck at Ravinia Bridal. Bonnie is the best! The person you work with trying on the dresses really sets the tone and Bonnie was so great. It came down to two dresses - a more traditional silhouette and the one I went with. My decision came down to two things. First, our location - we were getting married overlooking the beach. The airiness and shimmer of the dress just felt appropriate. And second - I wanted something special and a little unique. This dress hit the nail on the head.

For my shoes I wore these Loeffler Randall heels. I loved them and can’t wait to wear them again!

My earrings, which I almost forgot to put on, are from Dorsey. They were the perfect size and so elegant. And we both got our wedding bands from Catbird, which turned out perfectly!

My cousin’s wife is a pastor and so it was a no brainer to ask her to be our officiant. She made it feel so personal and so special. We are so, so grateful!

We hired a string trio to walk us in and out, which was also a good idea by my mom. We got married in the garden/courtyard at my parents’ home and we wanted to make sure the ceremony didn’t look DIY (because we are not a family that has that ability) but also we wanted to keep it really simple.

How cute are my mom and sisters dresses?! I loved all three almost as much as I loved mine! My mom’s was Zimmerman (skirt and top) and both of my sisters found their dresses at Sak’s - and both are by Victoria Beckham (Hilary’s dress, Hannah’s dress). I gifted my sisters these earrings to wear and my mom this bracelet. I wanted to get them something they could wear to the ceremony but also in daily life.

That last photo of Tom and me was taken while he and I were getting photos with our photographer, Laina Tortorici and videographer, Sophia Pruett. I can’t wait to see what they captured!!

The reception dinner was at Royal Poinciana in one of their event rooms. They totally nailed the flowers and tablescape. These images don’t do it justice - I’m kicking myself for not pulling my phone out! Our cake was done by Tony’s off Third, which is our favorite bakery in Naples. It was delicious! If you’re in Naples and stop in, don’t skip the cinnamon roll. :)

Since Tom and I are not going on our honeymoon until May, instead of going back to our house after the wedding, we booked a room at LaPlaya for a couple nights. This was a really good decision. It gave us time to rest, sleep in, relax, relive the weekend, and just be together. I pretty much lived in my Na Nin shorts and Xirena shirt as we spent most of our time under one of those blue and white umbrellas at the beach. I loved using my Basket Tote (coming back this spring) and my Janessa Leone hat came in handy to keep my face from getting too much sun!

Now, almost a week later, the thing that feels the most true is - I’m so grateful I get to live life with Tom.

By Jen Shoop

Thanks for letting me relive the best day of my life!

xo,

Abby

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