Julianna & Cory_Jessica_Roman_Photography_www.realweddingsmag.com 0
The Couple: Julianna & Cory
Wedding Date: July 20, 2013
Photography by Jessica Roman Photography
Tell us a little about you and your beloved: Cory and I met in March of 2009 through our mutual friend, Michelle. Michelle insisted that I meet this handsome guy she went to high school with because in her words, “he was a catch”. After scoping him out on MySpace, we began talking through AOL instant messenger (AOL and Myspace?! Ancient, I know). We talked on the phone and through social media for about a month before we finally met.
Cory lived in Tracy and I lived in San Francisco, so it wasn’t always easy for us to plan dates. But after dating for about 2 months, Cory and I moved in together and after 3 years, he proposed.
We had been discussing the idea of marriage for a long time and we both knew it was going to happen, but I didn’t quite know when he would actually pop the question. Then, on one beautiful summer day, Cory asked me to go with him and our dog Mojo to the beach. After getting settled and relaxing, I decided that I would take Mojo down to test the water. Cory said he would just hang back and enjoy the sun.
When I returned from the FREEZING cold water, Cory had a huge smile on his face. I was about to sit down when Cory said, “Wait, while you’re still standing…” He got down on his knee, like the romantic gentlemen that he is, and asked me to be his wife. My reply? “OMG! ARE YOU SERIOUS?! YES! YES! YES!” and so began the beginning of the rest of our lives.
What was the most amazing part of your day? Our first kiss as a married couple was the best feeling. All of the nerves during the ceremony vanished. We now officially belonged to each other and sealing it with a kiss was one of the most amazing moments.
What else would you like to share about your big day? If I could sum up our wedding in one word it would be fairytale. During the reception, I remember Cory and I were sitting at our table just trying to take in how amazing everything was. The weather was perfect, the lights were twinkling, our families and friends were laughing and having a great time, and we had just started one of the most amazing journeys together. We just kept looking at each other and saying, “Can you believe this?”
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Ceremony and Reception Site, Caterer and Cake: Monte Verde Inn. Our venue was everything we wanted in a venue for our big day, and we are so thankful we had the opportunity to start our forever there! Everyone, to this day, still talks about how great the food was.
Officiant: David Conley. David was a wonderful officiant! He made us laugh in our rehearsal and kept everything light and fun!
Photographer: Jessica Roman Photography. Jessica did our engagement shoot and our wedding photos. We absolutely adore her! She was so down to earth and was wonderful to work with. She made us feel comfortable and our pictures came out GORGEOUS! I literally cried when I saw how beautiful they were.
Ceremony and Bridal Party Flowers: Blooms by Martha Andrews. Martha did a stunning job on the ceremony décor.  Everything look absolutely beautiful! The bridal party’s flowers were amazing as well! I received so many compliments on how beautiful the flowers were. I couldn’t have been happier.
Favors: The customized matchbook favors were purchased at The Knot and our sandalwood fans were purchased in San Francisco’s Chinatown.
Bridal Attire: Trudy’s Brides & Special Occasions
Bridesmaids’ Attire: Bridesmaids
Hair: Michelle Oliver and Brianna Martinez (my close friend and her sister) did such amazing work on everyone’s hair! My bridal party looked stunning!
Make-up: Shana Beals Makeup Artistry and Skin Studio. Shana was amazing to work with. She helped to calm my nerves before the wedding and her down to earth personality scored major points with my bridesmaids!
Invitations: Wedding Paper Divas
DJ: Stewart’s Disc Jockey. Our original DJ bailed on us 3 weeks before the wedding. Thankfully, my wedding coordinator, Kelly, from The Monte Verde Inn came to the rescue and gave us Terry’s information. Terry took his time with us (even though we had such little time left!) and went through the process with us. He entertained our guests and had everyone dancing the night away!
Honeymoon Location: Excellence Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.
First Dance Song: “God Bless The Broken Road” by Rascal Flats.
Any advice you’d give to our readers who are planning their weddings right now? Your wedding day will go by so fast, so take a moment during the reception to take it all in. Look around at your family and friends and appreciate that exact moment. When you look back you will always remember the wonderful day you had, but most importantly you will remember the amazing feeling you got, when you paused to take it all in. Enjoy the day and don’t sweat the small stuff!
Anything that you would have done differently if you were given the chance? I don’t think I would’ve changed a single thing. Every tiny thing that went wrong, made the day even more memorable.
Blog post by Real Weddings Magazine’s Social Media Maven, Aimee Carroll.
Photos courtesy of and copyright Jessica Roman Photography.
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