An Intimate Wedding in Venice, Italy

My love story began in early 2016 when I met Efrain, and just 17 months later we were engaged. We both wanted to enjoy our engagement for a while, but that didn’t stop us from dreaming up the most spectacular wedding day together. In 2019 we visited venues all around the world from Paris to the Caribbean and to New York City. But shortly after the pandemic shook the world, we realized we had to put our wedding plans on hold. In the fall of 2022, we decided that Venice, Italy, the most romantic city in the world, was the perfect destination for us to jet off to and elope. We remotely planned our dream wedding in less than 4 weeks while being over 5000 miles away.

We emailed the St. Regis our inspiration and aesthetic for our wedding, including photos for my hair, makeup, flowers and boutonnière, and they helped make our vision come to life while meeting every detail with meticulous attention and seamless ease in record-time. The St. Regis also helped us find our photographers who then connected us to our marriage celebrant.

The beautiful ceremony took place in the elegant interiors of the presidential suite of the St. Regis Venice. Lit by soft candlelight, we exchanged our hand-written vows in front of the large window overlooking the breathtaking views of the entrance to Venice’s Grand Canal, from the Bacino San Marco to San Giorgio Maggiore Island, and of the architectural charm across the waterway.

After our ceremony, we enjoyed a champagne toast in the Arts Bar at the St. Regis followed by dinner in the outdoor terrace restaurant. Efrain surprised me with a private violinist playing the most romantic music while we enjoyed delicious Venetian dishes and sipped on local wines and cocktails.

My bridal corset was a labor of love. I started designing and making it in the summer of 2019 and finished in early 2020. I spent about 7 months in total due to all of the hand beading. I began with an elegant color palette of white and rose gold because I wanted an accent color that was romantic, that effortlessly would go hand in hand with both bridal gowns and groom attire, and that would work well in all seasons, as we didn’t have a wedding date in mind when I started the design process. My inspiration was to design a statement piece that was a reflection of my style and personality while making it timeless, unique, and classy with feminine elegance. My corset accentuated the hourglass figure and made me feel my most confident. I truly felt like the most beautiful bride in my corset.

The fabric I used to make this corset was a white satin coutil which is a densely woven fabric. I used this type of fabric because my vision included many beads, charms and crystals. I had been collecting one-of-a-kind beads for many years, some were recently purchased, and some were pieces of jewelry that I took apart to incorporate onto the corset. I hand sewed the largest beads at the top to give the illusion of a fuller bustline, the smallest beads at the waistline to give the illusion of a smaller waist, and small and medium beads at the hip area. I hand-sewed layer upon layer of beads and hand-beaded the entire neckline and hemline bindings as I didn’t want any fabric showing through. The inside lining was a soft cotton “something blue” fabric that I purchased in Paris in 2019. I also embroidered our first date on the inside lining with rose gold thread.

This corset is very heavy and to be honest, I thought this corset was going to be very rigid and difficult to move around in. But I couldn’t have been more wrong! I was pleasantly surprised at how comfortable this corset was, especially moving around in the gondola on the Grand Canal and while taking photos around Venice. We were so lucky with the weather as it rained the entire morning of our wedding, but by the afternoon it was sunny with clear skies and in the 70s!

I paired my corset with a long sequin skirt, lace wrist-length gloves that I also purchased from my travels in Paris, a beautiful hair clip instead of a veil, and rose gold glitter heels that were a perfect match and complimented the beading on my corset.

Efrain knew the color palette, but didn’t see any details of my corset, skirt, or accessories ahead of time. He chose a white suit with a rose gold button down. His linen suit and my bridal ensemble matched effortlessly, which made the “first look” even more special between the two of us.

Our enchanting and unforgettable wedding celebration came together so beautifully and represented us as a couple. We did everything just the way we wanted and on our own timeline. We didn’t want a traditional wedding. Instead, we wanted a day just focused on the two of us. It was relaxed, intimate, and truly special.