Meet the newlyweds from the cover of our 2020 issue of Engaged in Southern New England.
Where are you both from and how did you meet?
Caleb is from Smithfield, Rhode Island, and I grew up in Wrentham, Massachusetts. We met in ninth grade. He thought I was loud and annoying, I thought he was short and rude…Being fourteen is just dandy.
How long were you together before you were engaged? How did you get engaged?
We had been dating officially since our senior year of high school, about four years before we got engaged. Caleb proposed the day after the Snow Bombogenesis (what even was that?) in January 2018! It was actually the coldest day of our lives. He proposed at the Boston Commons in front of the huge Christmas tree in two feet of snow.
What were your favorite and least favorite parts of planning?
What’s crazy is I was actually was studying abroad in Sydney while wedding planning! Caleb proposed and I flew back out two days later…. So my least favorite part was trying to communicate with vendors with a sixteen-hour-time difference! My favorite part was making our playlist. I’m a pretty simple girl, so I wasn’t going too wild with details, I just knew we needed to have a GOOD time!
Did you always know that you wanted to have a fall wedding?
October is absolutely the most beautiful month of the year; the vibes, leaves and weather have always been my favorite. A fall wedding in New England is a classic.
What drew you to Lake Pearl?
I actually grew up in Wrentham and went to Lake Pearl on an eighth grade retreat… It’s sort of silly, but I remember seeing the boathouse and thinking, “Hmm, maybe I’ll get married there one day.” We got engaged and it was the first venue we saw. It’s stunning and was in our price range! We didn’t need to see anything else.
Tell me about your connection to Blueflash! Did it make choosing a wedding photographer a no-brainer?
Caleb has worked for Blueflash as their “blue-cube guy” since we were in high school! Blueflash is family to us. Stunning work, easy to work with, excellent in every way!
We loved the hand-painted sign of your wedding party! Did you have it custom-made somewhere?
Signed By Manuela is a creative genius and one of our great friends! I gave her a lot of creative freedom with the signage and the results speak for themselves. How cool were those cartoons? She’s the best and a true professional.
What made you decide to do a first look? Would you recommend other couples consider doing one?
To us, our guests having a great time was really important. I knew I didn’t want people to have to wait around forever between the ceremony and reception, so our reasoning is a little more practical: we just wanted more time with friends! The first look allows you to take your couple pictures pre-ceremony and gives you so much more time to really soak in the community on the day. I totally recommend it!
Caleb, what was going through your mind when Olga was walking down the aisle? Olga, what was going through yours?
Caleb: I felt like the boathouse had become a platform in space, and that the whole universe showed up to see her.
Olga: HAHA! Caleb’s always been the poet-romantic. My brain was shouting: “Olga don’t trip. Olga don’t trip. Olga don’t trip,” as I gripped onto my mom and step-dad tightly.
What was your first dance song? How did you pick it?
A cover of “You Make My Dreams Come True” by Tyrone Wells. It was one of “our songs” while we did long-distance the year before we were married when I lived in Australia. A classic.
What inspired you to do the vintage postcards for your guestbook?
We *tried* to send each other postcards while I was living in Sydney and Caleb was home…There’s something so romantic and timeless about a love postcard. I found a bulk pack of vintage ones on etsy and ordered them right away! They were one of my favorite wedding details. We have them all in a glass box in our living room and they are fun to look at!
Did you run into any issues while planning or on the day of the wedding? If so, how did you overcome them?
YES! Something will always happen last minute. For us, the ceremony space we had planned for was flooded because it had rained all night and morning… It was actually a blessing in disguise because we got to move the ceremony to the boathouse — where I had originally wanted it! It’s your wedding day; things WILL go wrong, so go with the flow and know that, in the end, it will be exactly what you’ve always dreamed of.
If you had to narrow it down, what would you say were each of your favorite moments from that day?
Our first look was precious and pure — we both were acting like giddy kids. Also, our last dance was to Mulan’s “Make a Man Out of You” and the dance floor was full of people doing pushups and being crazy. It was a perfect ending to a perfect night.
Do you have any advice for recently engaged couples?
Focus on what’s important to you as a couple! I love how “us” our wedding was. We didn’t really care too much about hair and makeup and outfits — not to say those things weren’t stunning, but my focus was more on the “fun vibe,” like the espresso bar, a great DJ, and for people to feel free to be themselves.
Every couple has their things they love. Are you a pie lover? Get pie, not cake! Focus on those things and you’ll be sure to leave your guests with a great memory of what it was like celebrating you!
The Details
Photography: Blueflash Photography // Photobooth: Bluecube (Blueflash) // Ceremony, reception and catering: Lake Pearl Wrentham // Officiant: Pastor Nathan Kosiba // Hair: Becca Reynolds // Makeup: Carissa Termale (friend of the bride) // Bride’s dress Galina, David’s Bridal // Bride’s veil: Made by the bride’s abuelita // Bridesmaids’ dresses: David’s Bridal // Groom’s and groomsmen’s suits: Men’s Wearhouse // Cake: Konditor Meister // Bouquets, boutonnieres, arch and cake flowers: Franchesca’s Floral Design // Centerpieces: Golden Gate Studios via Lake Pearl Wrentham // Reception music: Proper Events (Dimitry Mercier) // Mirrors, signage and stationery: Signed by Manuela // Espresso bar: Espresso Dave’s // Videography: Ben Eaton Creative
Best wishes for your life. You both are looking amazing.