A note from the bride: I never could have dreamed of just how special our wedding day would be.  You hear the stories, but you just can't fully understand the magic of your wedding day until it arrives.  From the engagement to the honeymoon, it was simply the most special time of our lives.  I loved the process of planning the wedding almost as much as the wedding itself.  The anticipation, the excitement, the dreaming that takes place during those months- Michael and I will cherish those feelings forever. The wedding weekend threw us a handful of fairly major surprises: a wildfire, a flash flood, an insane rain storm and a full-on mudslide that took out the venue for our farewell party. Our cliffside sunset ceremony became a moonlit nighttime gathering; our brunch at a local beachclub moved to our hotel's beautiful terrace, with our friends dancing wildly to an electric violin. Looking back, it added so much more excitement and in a strange way, it all exposed the things that matter most. We improvised, we made the most of the unexpected, and the end result was a sequence of magic and whimsical moments that brought me even closer to my soon-to-be husband. It was a fairy tale, our fairy tale. We wanted our wedding to be one of the most unforgettable trips of our friends' lives, so we created experiences each day that let them experience the best that Italy has to offer.  It was less about an actual wedding ceremony, and more about bringing together the people we love most in such a beautiful part of the world.  That's an important thing to remember- everyone plans their wedding in their own unique way, to create their own perfect weekend. Cynthia played a huge part in helping me bring my dream wedding to life, channeling all of my enthusiasm into selecting the ideal outfits, flowers, invitations, and beyond. 

My advice is to savor every single moment. Let time stand still. Hug your bridesmaids extra hard, and take time for the photos you don't think you'll want (you will want them!) Blast music while you get ready and savor the moments with your best friends and sisters and mothers. Do not take things too seriously, because the weekend will be over before you know it.  You'll want to look back and smile, never look back and wonder why you were so stressed.  Let the ups and downs be a part of your story.  Enjoy the hiccups as much as the moments you planned to perfection. For me, the whole experience is best summed up by my favorite moment: standing on that cliff under the Positano stars, saying 'I do,' surrounded by every singfle person who has been a part of our love story.  It was improvised, romantic, and nothing short of spectacular.