From the Couple

How we met:
It was 2012, and the spring semester had just begun at Lasell College. Chuck and Bri had only ever seen each other around campus or hustling back and forth to lacrosse practice. It wasn’t until St. Patrick’s Day with shamrocks on their faces and blarney in the air that they finally got the chance to met face to face and get to know one another. After that it seemed like the times they passed each other on campus happened a lot more frequently. Lasell being the small college that it was, they often found themselves at the same parties, but it was one night at a party in Chuck’s room that changed everything. Bri unknowingly walked into Chuck’s room with a group of her girlfriends and Chuck’s gaze was fixed on her alone. Our mutual friend, Rachel, immediately saw Chuck’s expression, yanked his arm, and said “heyy, cut it out, you’re not allowed to fall in love with my new best friend!” And he thought to himself, “too late….”

How we fell in love:
Before summer break in 2012, Chuck made sure to get Bri’s number so they could keep in touch, but once back on campus in the fall, his plan to avoid the friend zone failed miserably. No worries though, he knew it was a slow play. From eating in Valentine Hall to studying in the library, and hanging out at Franco’s; they were spending a lot more time together and building an awesome friendship. About one year from when they first met, they were headed into Southie for the St. Patrick’s Day parade. It was a long cold day and towards the end, Erika, Bri’s sister needed to get back to South Station to catch her train. Bri planned to take her alone but Chuck insisted on guiding them through the crowd. Cracking jokes and sharing his gloves to keep the girls warm, they made their way across town to drop Erika off. That’s when Bri knew! On Cinco de Mayo, Bri and Chuck found themselves, again, at the same party. After having one too many margarita’s Bri strolled right up to Chuck, pointed in his face, and said, “I think I’m in love with you and my feelings for you are inappropriate for our friendship”, then walked away… The following morning, Rachel called Bri furious. “Bri, do you know what you told Chuck last night? I swear if you hurt him..” Bri choked, “I know what I said, I’ve been thinking about it for a while now.” A high-pitched scream came from the other end of the phone, “OMG MY BEST FRIENDS ARE IN LOVE!!” The three of them spent the rest of the afternoon in awkward silence in the library. The next day Chuck bumped into Bri’s roommate Alexa in the bookstore. She told him that Bri was sick, and he asked what he could do. “Just call her!” Alexa insisted. Bri picked up and invited him on the walk to the drugstore. As they waited for Bri’s prescription to be filled, they found a nearby park bench, surrounded by flowers in front of the town library, to finally confess their feelings for one another. The rest is history<3

The Proposal:
On a cold weekend in January, Chuck took Bri to New York City to go see the Broadway show Aladdin. Chuck had plans to propose that morning in Central Park but couldn’t find the right moment. They went to the play and had a great time. Later that night, Chuck and Bri found themselves in a small Italian restaurant with twinkling lights hanging along the brick walls with a live pianist playing romantic music. Lucky for them, they were sitting close to the piano and got to make requests throughout dinner. Bri had gotten up to use the restroom and upon returning, Chuck was walking back from the piano as “Marry Me” by Train started to play. Bri knew right away as Chuck got down on one knee and asked her to marry him. Bri of course said “YES!” and they celebrated with champagne and dessert on the house.

The Wedding:
For our wedding style, our original vision/theme was modern/romantic but turned into so much more than we could have ever hoped for. As you know, our original plan was to have the ceremony outside at the Webb Barn and have our photos taken in Elizabeth park with the hope that the gardens would add a whimsical and romantic feel, however, the universe had other plans for us. With the predicted rain and gloomy forecast ahead of the big day, my mom, sisters, and I scrambled to put together Plan B at the very last minute. We were able to change our permit location for photos just two hours before our first look, and thankfully we did because City Hall was meant to be. It was our first choice for our ceremony location but due to Covid-19 we had to cancel due to capacity constraints. Because it was only the wedding party, we were able to make it happen. Our Pond House Cafe wedding added the timeless-classic look that we were missing and made us feel incredibly elegant and chic on the beautiful staircase. Then there was the ceremony location change from the lawn to inside the barn. Little did we know that the inside of the barn with the downpouring rain would add the element of romance and intimacy we were missing. Although it rained all day long, the change of events added to our theme and experience that much more.

Connecticut Wedding Professionals

Ceremony Location: Webb Barn, Old Wethersfield, CT
Coordinator: Melodie Hudak
Floral Design: Flower Works CT
Hotel: Hilton Garden Inn
Reception Venue: Pond House Cafe, West Hartford, CT
D.J. and Entertainment: One Plug Entertainment
Guitarist: Dan Stevens
Makeup Artist: Tricia Caliola
Hair Stylist: Salon Mezzmerize
Connecticut Wedding Photographers: Simply K Studios
Videographer: Natural Focus Films
Bakery: Cakes by Donna
Trolley: Dattco
Officiant: Ken Glasier, Orchard Christian Fellowship
Bridal Boutique: Bliss Bridal
Dress Designer: Essense of Australia
Bridesmaid Dresses: Bella Bridesmaids, West Hartford, CT
Invitations: Alex Daley Designs
Bride’s Rings: Caratdiamond
Groom’s Rings: BravermanOren
Groom’s outfit: BLACK by Vera Wang
Menswear: Men’s Wearhouse

See more weddings by Simply K Studios:
Saltwater Farm Vineyard Wedding
Mystic Aquarium Wedding
Salem Woods Wedding