We felt like we had known each other for years already and felt so comfortable immediately.
Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love…
Kasim and I are always busy at work as I’m a hairstylist, and he is a general contractor/roofer.
We have lots of time travelling together and making new memories. In our free time we are always catching up with either of our families. Kasim and I love golfing together, but mainly, I enjoy riding in the cart and being his #1 supporter on the side. Most weekends, we try to get out on the boat and soak up the Florida sun and fish, of course. At the end of the day, we always enjoy a little date together, whether it’s dressing up at a nice restaurant kind of night or ordering in/watching a movie night!
How/where/when did you meet – and what were your first impressions? When did you first realise that this was someone you’d like to spend the rest of your life with?
I moved to Florida from Wisconsin, and about a month later, Kasim and I met online and had talked for probably less than 24 hours before we met. He picked me up from my house and we drove to get ice cream and just chat. I liked him enough right away to let him come back to my house and watch Friends with me, as I had been binge-watching it that week! Haha! We felt like we had known each other for years already and felt so comfortable immediately. It was definitely God bringing us together! We have been attached at the hip since. Best friends and soul mates.
Was there a proposal? Tell us a little about it…
We got engaged on a trip to the Bahamas with his family! It was just Kasim and me when he proposed. I had no idea when he was going to propose, but of course, it was no surprise that he was planning on it since we had talked about it for years leading up. He proposed on April 23rd, 2023, so we decided it would be perfect for us to get married one year later on that same date!
What was one element you were happy to splurge on?
The two most important things for us on our wedding day were location and photography.
We wanted a unique-looking venue compared to the typical Florida wedding. The vintage Italian vibe we got from Bella Collina sold us immediately. As for our wedding photographers, we had them shoot our engagement session last summer. We fell in love with how they captured Kasim and me, and we had no doubt we needed them to shoot our wedding.
Did anything happen on your wedding day that you laugh about in hindsight (even if it was stressful at the time)?
Honestly, everything was so magical. It was easy and breezy, and we couldn’t have imagined a more perfect day.
Tell us about your main outfits, what was unique, is there a story? The history of the ceremony dress...
I had trouble finding the right dress at first. It seemed like I wanted to change at least one thing about every dress I put on. I ended up scrolling through Pinterest one day and saw an elegant dress. I had to have it. My mom finally found a boutique near Orlando that would order it for me. I thought I wanted a modern twist on a vintage style, a very Lacey dress, but I ended up with a classy, timeless silk crepe dress. Kasim ended up loving a brown suit we tried on and agreed right away that it fit the whole Italian vibe perfectly. Plus, we wanted to try a colour that was classy and stood out but wasn’t the average black suit.
LOCATION Bella Collina, @bellacollinaclub PHOTOGRAPHER The Deans Photography, @thedeansphoto FLORSIT Vangie’s Events of Distinction, @vangies_events_of_distinction CELEBRANT Glen Furguson CATERING Bella Collina, @bellacollinaclub SIGNAGE Catering for food – Bella Collina, @bellacollinaclub; Le Petit Sweets, @le_petit_sweet RINGS The Moissanite Company, @themoissanitecompany WEDDING DRESS Jenny Yoo, @jennyyoonyc BRIDE’S SHOE Ralph Lauren, @ralphlauren ACCESSORIES Veil – Etsy MAKEUP By the Bride HAIR By Diana from Peanut’s Hair Attraction, @peanutshairattraction
