Alfredo and Carly have been together for 8 years. "We met my freshman year and his junior year of college, where we both played NCAA Div. 1 soccer as student-athletes. Since meeting, we have lived in New York City, New Jersey, Peru, Rhode Island, Switzerland, and New Orleans. Alfredo works for the United Nations and I am a still life and product photographer. Alfredo is Venezuelan and I am American. Before our big Miami wedding we actually got married in the courts in New York City. It was a magical day, we wore custom suits (mine white) and had a dinner party at our favorite restaurant in Little Italy and ate pizza!"
Alfredo and Carly went to Miami together for their first vacation and stayed at the The Nautilus. "When thinking about our wedding we thought Miami would be great because it would be somewhat easy for both our families to arrive. As Alfredo’s family is in Venezuela and my family lives 3 hours north of Miami." Madison Hope captured their day and The House of Gather planned Carly and Alfredo's day impeccably.
The couple had 60 guests and got married just before Covid. Carly wore a timeless yet contemporary (as well as jaw-dropping) gown. "I really love Spanish designers, so I knew I wanted my dress to be from Spain. They have a way of making dresses that have these beautiful architectural elements, but are also sleek. I knew the gown from Cherubina was my dress as soon as I saw it on Instagram! The sleeves were exactly what I wanted. They were over the top and the rest of the dress complimented them and didn't compete with them."
Since Carly and Alfredo's ceremony was in a church, Carly loved the idea of having a long veil. "The one I got from Twigs and Honey was perfect, it was long but simple, exactly what I wanted! I love baroque pearls so I found a small business called Perlacadente on Etsy who made my earrings. Alfredo wanted to keep it classic and clean. He wore a black tux, white shirt from Hugo Boss, and black bow tie.
Alfredo’s cufflinks are from Stockholm, Sweden - manufactured by the factory that makes the Nobel medals. They are engraved with an olive branch, representing the Nobel Peace Prize."
"The jeweler who made our rings is a friend of Alfredo’s from highschool in Caracas! I love that our rings were custom made in Venezuela and by Martinez Joyeria, it makes them even more special to us. Alfredo provided the design, my mother-in-law coordinated all the logistics, and the jeweler executed the idea perfectly. I also wrapped my bouquet by Primrose in a pair of blue rosary beads that my grandmother got from Medjugorje, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The most important thing for the couple was that their families were able to make it. "We definitely picked Miami since it was an easy location to get to for most people. We also just wanted people to have fun and not be too formal. We had a family style dinner, Spanish guitarist at cocktail hour, Polaroid cameras on every table, a soccer tennis net and soccer balls, just wanted to have a good time, it is Miami after all!" Carly asked the bridesmaids wear whatever white dress they liked. "I just wanted them to be comfortable! For the groomsmen, we just asked that they wear a black suit, white shirt, and black tie."
"If we had to summarize our wedding planning in a nutshell, we would say: no drama. We looked to incorporate international and inclusive components. We wanted guests from all walks of life and national origin to feel comfortable and reflected in the celebration. Our relationship has been shaped by travel, exploration, living in many different places, and meeting people from all over the world. In particular, it was also important for us to bring part of Alfredo’s culture into the wedding. We had some traditional Venzuelan food, like arepas, that we severed our guests. We were also able to incorporate my grandparents' wedding topper from the 40's. My sister had used the topper at her wedding a few years back and we did the same thing! It's definitely something we want to make a tradition in our family. As we did meet because of soccer and a lot of our friends and guests also played in the NCAA, we brought out a soccer tennis net at the end of the reception so we could have some fun (I won the first game). Instead of a guest book, we had guests sign soccer balls that we have in display in our home. Focus on the things that really matter and only the most important people. Weddings can bring a significant amount of drama, but you would be wise to ignore it. "
Ceremony location : St Francis De Sales | Reception location + Catering : The Nautilus @arlohotels | Videographer and Photographer : Madison Hope @mhpandco | Entertainment : Event Factor @eventfactor | Wedding Planner : The House of Gather @thehouseofgather | Flora : Primrose @primroseflorals | HMUA : Bellelite @bellelite | Cake : Earth and Sugar @earthandsugar | Stationery : Zola | Hire Car : Ara Limo @aralimo| Groom's Tuxedo Shirt : Hugo Boss | Bow Tie : Tommy Hilfiger | Tuxedo Vest : Charles Tyrwhitt | Bride's Dress : Cherubina @cherubinaofficial | Veil : Twigs and Honey @twigsandhoney | Earrings : Perlacadente @perla.cadente | Headband : Never Not Retro @nevernotretro | Bride's Second Outfit : Self Portrait @mrselfportrait with Nike Cortez sneakers @nike | Rings : Martinez Joyeria @martinez_joyeria | Shoes : N21 @numeroventuno