Mia and Jesse met in college at the University of South Carolina where they both played basketball for the school. Their on court talents led them to an off court romance that would stand the test of time and distance. As student athletes they spent a significant amount of time getting to know each other. But it wasn’t until the end of their freshman year, right before Jesse was set to leave for Austria that they had their first official date. “Our date, went way better than well and we spent that entire summer writing letters to one another and FaceTiming each other. On the first day of our sophomore year, we began our relationship outside of FaceTime!” Mia shares.
Five years later, Jesse planned for the couple to go skydiving as a birthday gift for her future bride, little did she know he was planning the ultimate proposal. Recording the high-flying adventure for the pair to share with friends and family at a later date, Jessie planned to record his proposal as well. During the “surprise” goodbye party Mia planned for her beau, they sat with their closest friends and family to watch the skydiving video together. It was all too familiar to her, the excitement, the nerves, and the thrill. But what wasn’t familiar were the words “Mia, will you marry me?” coming our of Jessie’s mouth. Their friends and family screamed in excitement as Jessie walked over to a very shocked and confused Mia, got down on one knee and asked her for a second time to be his wife.
The couple got married in a beautiful rustic wedding in Vienna, Austria. Celebrating culture, love, and family it was a truly beautiful day for the gorgeous couple. Take a look at their wedding and read the rest of their love story below.
Quick Facts
Favorite item on the wedding menu: Grilled lamb chops
Bridesmaids/groomsmen gifts: robes and beauty boxes; ties, socks and a shot of whiskey
First dance song: “XO” cover by India Shawn
Bride: Mia Antoine
Groom: Jesse Seilern und Aspang
Wedding date: 09/03/2015
Wedding location: Vienna, Austria
Describe your wedding dress. How was your shopping experience?
I went to try on dresses with my mom and sister, and I just knew I wanted a flowy, light weight dress and I didn’t want a ‘cupcakey’, silk taffeta dress. But, when I put on the third dress, I knew it was the one! It was a sweet heart, a-line, silk taffeta, with a pearl zipper detail, a long train and the best part- pockets! I couldn’t officially say yes until my other sister and Aunt came to the salon and joined us for the moment. Against my initial thoughts and despite how heavy the dress was, I walked out with a cupcake, silk wedding dress and it was perfect for me.
What are your favorite memories from your wedding day?
I was just so happy that our families and friends were finally together for the first time ever! Besides that, two of my favorite moments were reciting our vows and our first look with one another. I’ll never forget feeling so, so excited just to tell him how much I love him and seeing his face and reaction during our first look.
How was culture incorporated in your wedding?
Jesse is Austrian and I am American and we’re both mixed so we had a lot of different cultures going on. Having American and Austrian/German guests we decided to speak German and English throughout the ceremony, have both cultures represented in our buffet, and give traditional American, Austrian and Japanese candies as wedding favors. In the Japanese culture, it’s a tradition to make 1,000 origami cranes and display them at the wedding. We decided to hang ours up on our altar and say our vows beneath them.
What advice do you have for our brides-to-be?
My advice to any bride and groom-to-be is to be flexible in the process of planning and on your wedding day. It is so easy to get lost in the details of planning; the flowers, the placards, the invitations, it’s a lot, but those are all fleeting, so remember to be flexible! Try and keep your focus on what matters; your love and the covenant you are about to make with one another. The thing that will remain after your big day is the promise that you’ve made to each other before God, so enjoy that!
Vendors
Wedding planner, Event designer, Stationery: Reiko Clark
Photography: Craig Obrist
Cake: Karen Odom
Florist: Dolls Blume
Shoes: Alice and Olivia
Wedding dress designer: Stella York
Bridesmaids dresses: Lulus; Modcloth; Nightway
Suits: TopShop, Zara
Ceremony/Reception Location: Weingut Am Reisenberg
Hair/Make-up: Arin Antoine and Micah Baskin
Beautiful!
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