Gina Love, 28, was hosting a Fourth of July celebration in 2019 when Connor Love, 31, arrived with a pal of hers.
Connor and Gina’s friend didn’t connect, but they did, as Gina told BI.
Around a week later, Connor and Gina went on their first official time, and they’ve been up ever since.
Now, the pair lives just outside Tampa, Florida. Gina is a selling director and, while Connor is a physician.
As they started planning their marriage, the Loves immediately knew they wanted to get married in St. Pete Beach, Florida.
“We knew we wanted to do it in St. Pete in public just because it is very close and near to our emotions,” Gina told BI. However, the Loves didn’t want their engagement to resemble a typical beach wedding.
“I kept saying in the wedding planning approach,’ We’re getting married at the beach, but it is not a shore marriage,'” Gina said. “I wanted it to be more of a resort-style marriage with plenty of places to stand out and have fun,” said the couple.
They chose the beach because it allowed their guests to get it from far away, but it still had the premium sense Gina was seeking. planned the ceremony.
She described her vision for the occasion as “beautiful and increased but still just a really good day.”
They set their marriage for November 10, 2023.
“I always knew I wanted something very classic, very classic”, Gina said of her vision for her bridal gown. “I wanted to wear anything in photos that I knew I would also like in 20 years.”
She immediately ordered an A-line dress for her wedding and a shorter reception dress after getting engaged, and she immediately went wedding gown shopping. She spent just under $3, 000 on both appearance.
Although Gina liked the meeting gown, she had been considering a Monique Lhuillier gown for decades. When she brought the different dress home, she continued to daydream about the outfit.
At The Collection Bridal in Orlando, Gina tried on the Monique Lhuillier dress.
It had a structured bodice bodice and a strapless neckline. Gina’s sides were sucked into the dropped-waist trousers, which flared around her waist.
The gown’s entire length was covered in elaborate lace.
Gina told BI that her abdomen is shorter, and that she enjoyed how the gown’s dropped-waist silhouette made her appear greater than she actually is. A simple ladle in the rear added to the bodice’s long search.
Due to the heavy trousers, the bra bodice also made the gown feel safe, which was crucial.
“It was very, very appealing, very serious, but it was still very traditional and simple at the same time”, Gina said of the clothing.
The bodice and the semi-sheer outside surface of the trousers were laced against the material, creating a decorative pattern on both.
The outfit she had previously purchased started to lose appeal to Gina as she sat in the dress.
“It’s definitely an enhanced version of what I initially bought”, Gina said.
The dress cost $10, 000, but Gina knew it was the one.
Gina described how she financed the garments and her marriage as a whole, “I’m very blessed that my home paid for the wedding.”
She continued, noting that her mother encouraged her to decide what she wanted in a clothing rather than focusing solely on the price.
“I’m blessed that I wasn’t within those restraints, which I’m very grateful for”, Gina said.
The veil, which covered her face during the meeting, was designed by Monique Lhuillier. However, because it ripped after getting caught on a jacket, Gina’s family and sister-in-law cut it a little shorter than the designer intended. Fortunately, it turned out to be the ideal length with their DIY abnormalities.
Gina paired her habit mask with an updo, which is frequently her preferred style.
She said, “I always tell someone getting married that your design is not your day.” I usually prefer to take pictures of myself with my locks up.
“I really felt like it was giving ‘Cinderella’ feelings, and it just needed a really very simple fresh updo”, she added. It should have a traditional and clean appearance.
Drop pearls from Etsy, a Tiffany & Co. pendant from Connor, and heritage jewelry completed Gina’s marital look.
“I was so excited to put it on”, Gina said of her costume. “It was so, so beautiful.”
“I felt like the wife of St. Pete Beach,” she added of how the clothing made her feel.
Gina and Connor reportedly discussed why they and they decided to take pictures before the marriage, saying, “We wanted to spend as much time at our wedding as possible.”
“I wouldn’t have changed it for the world to have that moment alone”, she said. Really, on your wedding day, you don’t get any alone time.
“To taking 10 hours by yourself beforehand with no one around, do personal vows, and have that day alone was thus special,” Gina added.
The Loves hired them to create their marriage information, and the couple photographed the ceremony time.
Although I had talked about this dress up for a while, he may have loved anyone I put on, Gina said. It certainly lived up to the hype.
She claimed that her marriage day’s first glance was her favorite moment.
The ceremony featured a dark bow tie and a black suit from Balani.
Although the exterior appeared vintage, the interior was decorated in a black-and-white checked pattern for a dash of joy.
The majority of the furnishings were white and black.
Gina remarked, “I actually changed the concept of my wedding,” referring specifically to the wedding’s color scheme.
“Initially, I wanted to go with pianos and burnt coral and fruits to bring out the colour of the seaside vibe,” she said. “Next I got this costume, and I was like,’ Nope, well, not going to function.'”
“I changed it from more intimate smooth tones to black, white, and ivory”, she said, opting for a more traditional look.
The Loves arranged bright flowers in the service area on the rooftop with a view of the water and the rooftop.
The centerpiece of the ceremony’s decor was a big arch that framed their “I do” statement.
It was not practical to wear her wedding dress during the dancing part of the evening because her gown was so large.
“Dancing was a very large part of our marriage, but I needed anything I could walk in for positive”, she said. “I wanted to get comfortable”.
But Gina changed into a shorter gown with a plunging neckline, balloon sleeves, and a cutouts in the rear.
She visited Boca Raton Bridal to purchase the outfit.
Gina is thrilled she followed her instinct and tried on the Monique Lhuillier gown, even though it wasn’t her plan to purchase multiple gowns.
“I do use that item in every lifetime”, she said.
“I basically sold it very quickly after the wedding”, she told BI.
“Originally I was like,’ I’m never selling it,’ and then I couldn’t stand thinking about it sitting in my closet”, she said. “It only made me sad.”
She hoped people in her fan area may be interested in the gown and took her to TikTok to find a purchaser.
She’s delighted she sold the outfit.
One of, who she described as “the sweetest girl”, ended up buying the dress for around $7, 000.
Gina described it as a joy to witness another wife adore the costume as much as she did.
“She’s been sending me changes with her modifications and things, and she looks so beautiful”, Gina said. “I love that it’s getting another living.”
Gina’s second wedding gown and her greeting dress both have new uses, and she has not yet found them.
She told BI perhaps sell them or give them away down the line, but for now, they’re secure in her wardrobe.
Gina said shopping for wedding dresses was one of the first things she did after getting engaged, which she now believes was a mistake because she didn’t have the same clarity when it came to planning her wedding.
“Don’t go too early, as excited as you’re going to be”, she advised. “Or if you go early, don’t buy anything. Simply enjoy it for what it is all about.”
“Go to a shop that encourages you to try things on and doesn’t pressure you to buy,” she added. “I think if I may have waited, we may have spent a little bit less money.”
“No one holds a candle to him”, Gina said of Connor. “We are constantly each other’s primary selection.”
“He’s the most friendly person that I know. We take care of each different”, she added. ” We’re companions, but we’re best friends.”
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