I first met Emily over a year ago when she was searching for the perfect bridal gown. I had the privilege of working with her and her mother that day. The Maggie Sottero "Juliette" was the one that made the cut, and when you see her photos, you'll see why. Elegant and unique, this gown was PERFECT for her amazing outdoor venue in Williamsburg.
I was fortunate enough to take it a step further and be able to help her with bridesmaids and suits as well. Her bridesmaids dresses were by Alfred Sung in dupioni, and her suits were by Jim's Formal Wear.
What struck me the most about Emily was her desire to have a second dress that would incorporate elements of her mother's dress and her grandmother's dress. That's where the alterations department stepped in. Between our amazing in-house designer, Anzen, sketching concepts with Emily, and our extraordinarily talented seamstress Cheryl making those concepts come to life, we couldn't have dreamed for a better end result.
From Emily:
Maya Couture: Being a Williamsburg Bride, I knew I would likely look outside the 'burg for my dress. We started in Richmond at a store where my Grandmother used to work and where my Mom bought her wedding dress in the '70s! While the nostalgia made it special, the service and dress selection left a lot to be desired. I was referred to Maya Couture by my husband's boss's wife (six degrees, right?) and felt obligated to make it a stop on our shopping journey. I will forever be greatful to Jenny for the referral. Misty Prewitt and the entire team at Maya Couture made dress shopping as special and fun as I could have hoped. Not only did they help me find "the dress" in Maggie Sottero "Julliette" but they also helped to make a second, extra-special dress for me! The Design/Alterations department at Maya Couture took my Mom and Grandmother's wedding dresses and combined them in to a new, short dress to wear for my rehearsal dinner and second wedding reception. The team took such care in helping to shape the idea and treat these family heirlooms with so much love. I am thrilled with the outcome and am so thankful to the Maya Couture team for...everything!
The Wedding: It's just too hard to summarize how much we loved our wedding weekend. In addition to having all of our family friends in one place for an entire weekend, here are a few of the things we loved the most...
1. First look with my Dad - I decided the day I bought my dress that my Dad would not see it until the wedding. It bothered him but I stuck to my guns! Having our photographer/videographer capture the look on my Dad's face when he saw me in a wedding dress was priceless!
2. How "William & Mary" our wedding was - Matt & I met while in school at W&M so getting married on campus just made sense! Hundreds of weddings have been held at the Historic Wren Chapel and at the Alumni House but we were the first at Lake Matoaka making it extra special for us. We were sure to take pictures in the Sunken Gardens as well as the Football Stadium. 7 out of 10 groomsmen are former Tribe football players! While not a totally accurate number, we count about 100 W&M alumni and friends of the College were in attendance at our wedding!
3. Our signature "shot" - many couples have signature cocktails, but we celebrate with shots so it only seemed appropriate! Our caterers pre-mixed Royal Flush shots so that they could quickly serve 10,20, 30 or even 40 shots a time throughout the evening. It made for some great photos and a very celebratory evening. And don't worry, we offered transportation for all guests!
4. Ending the night at Paul's - we've spent more time than we probably should have eating, drinking and hanging with friends at Paul's Deli, just across the street from Campus. We headed straight from the reception to Paul's to end the night where we feel most comfortable! Our photographer followed us over and captured some great pics outside of our favorite Bar!!
Emily & Matt's Vendors were:
Video Credits: Olivia Merrion and John Picklap
Matt: Made to Measure Suit by Joseph Abboud
Matt's family hosted a second wedding reception for Emily & Matt at the Center associated with his family church. These photos are taken inside St. Elijah Serbian Orthodox Church in Aliquippa, PA. While they did not have a traditional Serbian wedding service, Father Stevan Stepanov (church leader for 40 years!) and many family, friend and church members joined them to celebrate their marriage! This is where Emily wore the gorgeous dress that was made from her mother's gown and her grandmother's gown.
Finally, here is an amazing review that lit up my day when Emily wrote it on the Knot:
Being a Williamsburg Bride, I knew I would likely look outside the 'burg for my dress. We started in Richmond at a store where my Grandmother used to work and where my Mom bought her wedding dress in the '70s! While the nostalgia made it special, the service and dress selection left a lot to be desired. I was referred to Maya Couture by my husband's boss's wife (six degrees, right?) and felt obligated to make it a stop on our shopping journey. I will forever be grateful to Jenny for the referral.
Misty Prewitt and the entire team at Maya Couture made dress shopping as special and fun as I could have hoped. Not only did they help me find "the dress" in Maggie Sottero "Julliette" but they also helped to make a second, extra-special dress for me! The Design/Alterations department at Maya Couture took my Mom and Grandmother's wedding dresses and combined them in to a new, short dress to wear for my rehearsal dinner and second wedding reception. The team took such care in helping to shape the idea and treat these family heirlooms with so much love. I am thrilled with the outcome and am so thankful to the Maya Couture team for...everything!
