TESSA + ANDREW

June 22, 2019

A stunning Philadelphia wedding at the Downtown Club

How did you meet?!

Tessa: It was November of my freshman year at La Salle. I was eating dinner in with my friends when my friend Becca said a guy she knew on the soccer team had asked for my number. Andrew saw me that night in the dining hall while he was eating with his friends. Of course I went back to my dorm after dinner & looked him up on social media. Tall, dark, handsome, & an athlete? I was all in. He came to my dorm a few nights later to formally meet me & I made sure Becca & my sister, Caitlin, were there to scope out the situation with me. Andrew was definitely shy at first but he made me laugh & I had a good feeling about him. We continued to talk & see each other I knew Andrew was going to be an important person in my life. We dated briefly our freshman year but Andrew turned out to be my first & only love. We talked here and there throughout college. I’d go to watch his soccer games, see him during basketball games while I cheered, & see him out around campus. Our senior year we started to date again & he proposed 2 and a half years later! If you told my 18-year-old self the man Andrew has become and that I was going to marry him, I would have said you were lying. I feel like the luckiest girl in the world!

Andrew: I was eating dinner in the dining hall at La Salle, and in walked the most beautiful girl with her group of friends. I had known her friend Becca in the group since before we went to school. My mother was friends with her aunt. I didn’t have the courage to go up and talk to her, so I sent her friend Becca a text after I had left the dining hall. I asked her if she can hook me up with her friend (Tessa). Becca eventually got Tessa and I to meet each other one night, and I was very nervous. I was so nervous I had to have a few beverages before I went to meet her. I wasn’t sure if she was going to like me when I first got there. I remember walking into her dorm room with one of my friends, and her sister Caitlin and Becca being there. I tried to play it as cool as I possibly could, and if course I ended up making a fool of myself. Thankfully, my foolishness made Tessa laugh (which isn’t very hard to do) and she gave me a second chance to impress her. I must have done pretty well if a few years later she said yes when I asked her to be my wife!

Featured

Tell us a little bit about your clothing, how it made you feel, and why you chose it:

Pnina Tornai made one of her gowns into a custom gown for me based on the vision I saw for my wedding dress. I was big on two things, shape & floral applique. I disliked every dress I tried on. This was the last dress I tried on because as soon as I was put into it and a few tweaks were made, I cried with joy knowing this would be the dress I would marry Andrew in! I truly felt beautiful and most importantly, I felt like myself!

Tell us a little bit about Andrew’s clothing:

Andrew could live at Jos. A. Bank. If he could wear a suit everyday he would. His Mom-Mom wanted to buy him a custom tux for our big day and he loved the classic look of his Calvin Klein tux.

Featured

Did you add any special touches to the ceremony? How did the ceremony feel?

They mass was our absolute favorite part of the day, hands down. Seeing each other for the first time across the aisle was truly magical. There was no one else we saw in that moment. Getting married, becoming husband & wife under God in the Catholic Church meant so much to us. The moment we took praying to Mary stands out as well. We prayed for a strong, happy, healthy life together, our future children that we may be blessed with them and that they are healthy, and our families. The mass started off our new life as husband and wife in such a special way. It set the tone for the most perfect and beautiful day.

How did you decide on your venue?

I always dreamed about getting married in Philadelphia. I love the charm of Old City, Philadelphia. We also love the convince for our guests to be able to walk from Mass, the venue, and to the hotel with ease. We looked at 4 venues and the views of Old City from The Downtown Club took our breath away. The space itself was clean and had charm to it which we loved as well. Cescaphe had everything mapped out for us and they ran a tight, organized ship. I knew they would have everything under control and would make the process as easy as possible for us! It was an easy yes!

Featured

What was most important to you in the reception?

The most important thing to us was that we were able to celebrate our new marriage with our family and friends! We had the best time and Bigg Romeo & Cescaphe threw a great party that allowed us to dance the night away with our family and friends.

Any words of advice for couples planning their wedding?

Take a breath, and know that the most important part of the day is that you are marrying your future husband/wife! The love you have for each other will shine through to all of your guests and will really set the tone for the entire day. In reality, all the details don’t matter at the end of the day. The most important piece of the day is your union and that you get to celebrate that union with all of the most important people in your lives! Our love for one another was tangible and that is why we believe we had the most perfect wedding day.

How did you decide on your colors/theme?

I really dislike color! My color pallet is as neutral as they come! I knew exactly what I wanted from the beginning. Creams, gold, & white!