Nicole and Stephen’s wedding was as elegant as it gets! The two currently live in New York and selected The Ritz Carlton in Sarasota for their destination wedding. This happens to be one of our all-time favorite Sarasota wedding venues- we knew their day would be spectacular (and it was)!

This couple has a great courtship/relationship story! So, of course, we want to share it with you.

Nicole said” We lived in the same dorm, on the same floor, freshman year at Georgetown University. We met the first night of college during the first dorm floor meeting. Because I had been on campus for several weeks for preseason with the soccer team, I invited Stephen and several other floormates to a party. We became close friends for the next few years… In the spring of our Junior year, we began dating and we officially became a couple in the summer/fall of our senior year… After graduation, Stephen was an officer in the military and was stationed in various locations: Kentucky, Georgia, and Louisiana. He was deployed to Afghanistan for a full year in 2010-2011. I moved to NYC after graduation….I finished law school and took the bar exam around the same time that Stephen finished his duty with the military, and we moved into our first apartment together in NYC in November 2013. We are still living in our NYC apartment “

After hearing all of this, we had to know how Stephen proposed! Nicole told us, “He rented out the private rooftop of the NoMad Hotel in New York City and told me that we were going for a special brunch. When we arrived, there were rose petals on the floor and champagne was on ice, and he had me sit down on a chair and he popped the question. He had a photographer hiding who captured the moment, and then took engagement photos of us. He also had many of our close friends and family waiting downstairs who later joined us for a big celebratory brunch. It was perfect!”

As for the wedding day, it was everything they could have hoped for and more! They were wonderful to work with and we’re so happy for them!

Check out the feature on Cake & Lace too!

Wedding Venue: The Ritz Carlton Sarasota/ Ceremony: The Healing Garden | Reception: The Bayview and Hotel Lawns (cocktail hour) + Plaza I and II Ballroom (reception) | Planner: Jackie Ross, Table 6 Productions  | Floral: Botanica International Design & Decor | Entertainment:  DJ Fitz Otis, Jay Goodley Entertainment, Inc. | Video: Fairytale Productions | Officiant: Michael Loebl (friend of the bride and groom) | Hair + Makeup: Femme Akoi |Papergoods: Wedding Paper Divas | Dressmaker: Pronovias | Shoes Designer: Manolo Blahnik | Bridesmaid Gowns: Bill Levkoff | Grooms Attire: The Black Tux | Ceremony Entertainment: The Alafia String Quartet | Live Painter: Terry Klaaren