Sounds of Love - Melissa + Justin - June 2 2018

Updated: Jan 9, 2020

I recently had the utmost pleasure of going through some of the stunning photos from one of our most memorable (but aren't they ALL one of the most memorable, really?!) weddings of our 2018 season...and between seeing those photos, and reading this couples' testimonial, my eyes are watering and I need a glass of wine!

Melissa and Justin are quite literally one of the most perfectly paired people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. For starters, Justin essentially supports every decision Melissa makes, which is a lot, because she is a woman who has very high standards, impeccable taste and does not take bullshit! Put those qualities together, and have that person plan her own wedding? And the results are bound to be nothing short of amazing! Upon meeting Melissa, she was definitely a petite but mighty spitfire - she launched hard-hitting questions at me and was prepared for our initial consultation in a way that not many people are! Melissa had done her research - she went as far as to ask how I intended on focusing on her wedding when mine was just a week ahead of hers! (I mean, come on, the woman was protecting her own Happily Ever After - who could blame her?!)

Melissa and Justin moved forward with our month-of coordination package, and some short months later, I had the pleasure of meeting the two of them in their home for our first timeline logistics meeting. I could not have felt more relaxed and welcomed and just a sense of familiarity and similarity with the couples' values and overall outlook on life. We connected on heritage (we are all of West Indian decent), music (their wedding had a sounds-of-love overlying theme), and pizza!

Fast forward a few weeks, and I worked my ass off to ensure that Melissa and Justin's precious wedding package was well cared for even through the last few weeks of planning of my own wedding. You see, every event the team works on becomes OUR event; every email, every conversation, every site visit, every excitement, we share in with our couples, and Melissa and Justin would be no exception.

Their day was nothing short of amazing - so many details, big and small, that Melissa and carefully selected and curated herself, executed with perfection and flair with the help of the DWEvents team. The ceremony was intimate and simply elegant, making every word in the Catholic church ceremony echo Melissa and Justin's love story resoundingly surrounded by their closest family and friends. The family and wedding party photos, taken at the Trafalgar Castle School in Whitby, had some of the most beautiful indoor and outdoor venues for creating swoon-worthy portraits. Finally, their reception was the ultimate nostalgia party, complete with 45 records acting as table numbers (using only the names of classic R&B artists), 3 unique and equally stunning versions of centrepieces for guest tables by the incredible Fuscia Designs, a sweetheart table featuring a custom calligraphy scroll featuring lyrics to a favourite song of the couple, AND a full-blown Dirty Dancing end scene Grand Entrance, COMPLETE WITH LIFT!! I couldn't finish this post without mentioning the staff at The Arlington Estate; who truly delivered one of the most seamless, enjoyable, and opulent experiences for Melissa, Justin, and their guests (my team included).

Overall, Melissa and Justin's day is one I will remember forever (there's no way I could forget wanting to join a party SO BADLY with all of the Soca that started playing when the dance floor opened!) Truly, I feel like being a part of Melissa and Justin's wedding was meant to be; today, Melissa and I still text often, swapping wedding stories, and she's even become one of my most-trusted assistants! (her eye for stylish detail is impeccable and she knows how to crack the whip! - coming to a wedding near you, maybe yours!). I'm so happy to be able to call Melissa and Justin new friends, and can't wait to hear all the details of their Moroccan/Canary Islands/Parisian honeymoon.

Cheers to Melissa and Justin, my new friends - to a lifetime of songs and sounds of love together.

xo, Shana