How they met:
Well- the first time, or the second time? Drew and Liz actually went on one singular date years ago after matching on a dating app. From Liz: "We had sushi, he was nice, and then I had a dessert date with someone else literally immediately after. Clearly, I wasn't quite ready for a relationship. Fast forward 3 years and we both were single and matched again on Bumble. He used his 24-hour extend option on me so I figured I might as well see if he was still as funny as I remembered from our "first first date'. On this 'second first date', we went to The Canopy for cocktails and then had duck quesadillas at Red Mesa. He kept me laughing all night, so we kept each other around and the rest is history!''
How She KNEW: Liz: ''About a year after that "second-first date", I got an offer for my dream job (Pediatric Palliative Care Nurse Practitioner) in Jacksonville, FL. I told Drew, "I'm not saying you have to come with me, but I'm not a long-distance relationship kinda gal." Without any hesitation, he immediately said, "I'll sell my house. Let's go." A few months later we combined households - now us and our menagerie of pets, 2 dogs and one cat. After only living together for several weeks, my family was visiting from NC and my mom had a stroke. She ended up in the hospital requiring open-heart surgery and recovered at our home for several months. Drew never once complained. He never once made me or my parents feel like this was a burden or an inconvenience. I knew at that point that this was the man I wanted to be my partner for the rest of my life. If we can get through that, we can get through anything."
How he proposed:
Liz: "Christmas 2021, we were in Strasbourg, France- which is also known as The Capital of Christmas. I fell in love with the city, its Beauty And The Beast style charm, and its seasonal festiveness with Christmas markets, mulled wine, and so many lights! We had just finished a traditional Alsatian meal...I was wearing no makeup, leggings, and had just finished an entire pound of different sausages and sauerkraut. It was super attractive. Anyway, on our walk back to our flat, we stopped at Place Kleber to take a picture in front of their world-famous Christmas tree. It was there that he got down on one knee and proposed. I naturally said "Oui!" '
Fun Facts:
1. Their favorite song to do at karaoke is "Mr. Brightside" by The Killers. So naturally, their first dance at the wedding was a slowed-down acoustic version. Not quite the romantic song you typically hear a bride and groom dance to, but it was perfect for them. We also chose other non-traditional music options. I walked down the aisle to a string quartet version of "I Vow To Thee My Country" as a nod to my love for London, everything British, and Queen Elizabeth II. We recessed back down the aisle to "Helpless" from Hamilton because we LOVE the play and watch it regularly!
2. The ceremony set the tone for their wedding - it was short, sweet, and hilariously funny. Queen Elizabeth II was mentioned multiple times (because duh). Andrew quoted Macho Man Randy Savage in his vows. And Cardi B's "WAP" was selectively and appropriately quoted- "She don't cook, she don't clean", but now do you give this woman this ring?
3. Liz & Drew love to travel internationally and typically always have some sort of trip planned. They went to St. Lucia for their honeymoon and fell in love with the island! Liz says the best part was when they privately chartered a sailboat. "We drank (too much) rum punch, snorkeled, and sailed all day long. It is in the top 10 days of my life!"
4. We wanted our wedding to capture our "vibe" as a couple, which is casual, laid-back, non-traditional, and fun. We have THE BEST group of friends, so a party atmosphere was a MUST. Our day was absolutely perfect. We got all the photos done before the ceremony so we could head straight to the bar after the ceremony and get the party started! ....where it continued until the wee hours of the morning. The prosecco and espresso martini stains on my dress are simply reminders of how much fun we had! 4. If you've ever met Liz, you know she's never been described as "muted" or "subdued". Pastels and white were not going to cut it for her wedding florals. She didn't want a color scheme. She just wanted vibrant, bright, cheerful blooms that were reflective of her personality. Meanwhile, her classic element came from her southern upbringing in North Carolina. We utilized her personal collection of blue and white chinoiserie ginger jars for the florals. She told Cassie that she had Liz's blessing to have full creative and artistic control of the aesthetic! She nailed it. Liz: "Yes, I'm biased, but I think we had the most gorgeous wedding florals I have ever seen. They were beyond perfection. " Spoken about Wonderland Floral Arts
5. Liz's feedback about Janova Events
"Jenn with Janova was my fairy godmother. All of my friends and family were shocked at how calm I was in the weeks and days leading up to the wedding. It's because Jenn took care of EVERYTHING! If I could give anyone any advice, Get. The. Planner. Jenn was worth her weight in gold. She allowed me to not only relax, but to be fully present with my friends and family. I remember the day beautifully because I wasn't thinking about anything other than the moment I was in. The day can be such a blur, so the ability to be present in the moment is the best wedding gift I could have asked for. I knew we were in such good hands with her team and she executed everything brilliantly. " Vendors for this wedding:
Wedding Planner & Designer - Janova Events - Planning@Janovaevents.com Socials: @Janovaevents
Venue: Museum of Fine Arts- St. Petersburg - mfastpete.org Caterer: Olympia Catering & Events - olympiacatering.com Bar/Alcohol CB Lundy’s - CBLundys.com Charger/Flatware RentalsRent All City Rentallcity@gmail.com Florals Wonderland Floral Art- wonderlandfloralart.com Photo : Southern City Photography- www.southerncityphotography.com DJ/ Uplighting / Gobo Events Done Right- www.eventsdonerighttampabay.com Hair/Makeup - Femme Akoi Beauty Studio - femmeakoi.com
Officiant/HBIC Bride's Maid of Honor
Bride’s Dress Martina Liana IG @martinalianabridal
Groom’s Attire The Suit Shop Groomsmen Attire their own Bridesmaid Attire their own Invitations/Paper Products Zola Zola.com
Engagement Ring James Allen www.jamesallen.com
Shoes Loeffler Randall loefflerrandall.com
Hotel / getting ready Hampton Inn Downtown St. Pete Perfume Jo Malone - Orange Blossom www.jomalone.com
Swizzle Sticks Occasional Paper Cuts IG @occasionalpapercuts Occasionalpapercuts.com
Koozies Rubi And Lib IG @rubiandlib rubiandlib.com
Ginger Jars Bride’s private collection Guest Globe Etsy - The Lettering Studio IG @theletteringstudio
Welcome Sign Etsy- Letterwood Co @letterwoodco
