Floridian couple celebrates their love in an Intimate vineyard destination wedding!
Surrounded by 40 of their closest friends and family, Evelyn and Carl tied-the-knot in an intimate ceremony at the Montaluce winery in Dahlonega, Georgia.
Set against sprawling vineyards and accented by splashes of deep reds, ivory, and twinkling lights, the couple wanted to capture a subtle christmas theme and also have a timeless design.
While planning during a pandemic was challenging, the couple embraced every hiccup along the way with love and patience. Looking back, they wouldn’t have wanted their wedding any other way!
For more on their journey to love and marriage (and details from their intimate vineyard destination wedding!), keep scrolling below!
- Couple: Evelyn Aguilar Videa & Carl Maurilus
- Venue: Montaluce Winery – Dahlonega, GA
- Wedding Date: December 20, 2020
- Photographer: Authentic Collective
Quick Facts:
- Wedding flowers: Garden roses, dahlias, peonies, lisianthus, sweet peas, scabiosa, astilbe, tulips, hellebores, phaleanapsis orchids
- Favorite item on the menu: Shrimp and Grits
- Bridesmaids/groomsmen gifts: Bridesmaids received robes, slippers, personalized thermos, and personalized handbags. Groomsmen were given a garment bag that doubles as a weekend bag.
- First dance song: “Due to COVID concerns, we opted not to have a dance floor and in turn did not have a first dance. I did surprise Carl with a “First Look” song by the first artist we saw in concert together — “If Love is Overrated” by Gregory Porter.”
How they met…
Evelyn and Carl first met in high school. While they were in different friend groups – Evelyn was a “math club mega-nerd” and Carl was “a cool kid” – the pair crossed paths on the city bus.
Evelyn looks back on those long bus rides fondly. She says: “I was (and still am) very shy and awkward with people outside of my small circle, but conversations with Carl always came naturally …”.
As they got older, their bus rides together turned into car rides from Carl. Their chemistry only grew from there. However, Evelyn admits she was “way into the books to recognize why it was so easy to talk to him.” Carl was similarly convinced Evelyn was too into her studies to give him the time of day. So, they went their separate ways for college. But they always kept in touch, “always with a hint of flirtation.”
Post college, the pair moved back to South Florida and this time Carl didn’t hesitate to ask Evelyn out! And so began their relationship!
The proposal…
Five years into their relationship, the couple planned a trip to Italy celebrating Evelyn’s completion of her professional licensing exam — or so she thought! Unknown to her, Carl was planning to propose!
On their first night in Rome, Carl led Evelyn to a plaza overlooking the city. Evelyn remembers him nervously saying his speech and then suddenly dropping down on one knee, popping the question!
Evelyn adds: “A sneaky photographer in the back [was] capturing my shocked and not-so-pretty crying face. Needless to say, the frizzy haired, puffy jacket, minimal make up bride-to-be was completely surprised he had this proposal planned…!” She also wasn’t expecting “a two hour photo shoot to follow!”
Nevertheless, Evelyn is so grateful for her hubby! She looks back on her engagement photos with so much love and appreciation for Carl’s thoughtfulness.
The wedding…
For their intimate vineyard destination wedding style, Evelyn really wanted to play off the Winery’s aesthetic and tried to stick to a vintage glam style with a timeless vibe. She also tied in a subtle christmas theme!
Evelyn’s gorgeous wedding dress was a Madeline Gardner Ivory fit and flare! It featured an allover embroidered netting with beaded geometric lines to compliment her figure. As on of her “must haves,” the dress also had a deep plunging neckline and a “beautiful chapel length train.”
For her favorite accessory, her hair piece turned out to be her favorite item.
Evelyn adds: “It was very important to me to keep my hair curly to show my future daughter that it’s possible to be natural and glamorous at the same time. Looking back at our wedding photos, I love how prominently my hair piece and curls prove exactly that.
Cultural elements…
Evelyn and Carl incorporated culture into their wedding by focusing on their families. Their “bridal party was made up of siblings and nephews, and Carl’s father officiated the wedding.” For them, these details “made the ceremony feel very intimate and specific to [them].”
When she knew he was “the one”…
Evelyn knew Carl was “the one” after they signed up to run a half marathon in the summer of 2015.
She says: “This was probably the first carefully thought out project Carl and I worked on together. Keeping each other motivated, researching techniques, and unintentionally learning the importance of hydration turned out to be a lot of fun and brought us even closer together.”
The race itself was challenging, but inspirational. They met all types of people along the way! They came across “young families with jogging strollers and sweet elderly couples that outran the both of [them].”
Evelyn recalls: “As we came across these people, it was so easy for me to put myself in their place with Carl by my side. By the time we made it to the finish line, there was no doubt in my mind that one day I’d be lucky enough to call Carl my lifetime running partner.”
Favorite memory…
Evelyn’s favorite memory was finally getting to see Carl during their first look!
She says, “there’s so much excitement leading up to that moment, and being able to share that excitement intimately before walking down the aisle was swoon worthy for me.”
Their intimate moment together led right into family portraits and time with the bridal party. They recall, laughing: “It was like a pre-gaming for the ultimate party!”
Wedding planning during COVID…
Although planning a wedding in 2020 was challenging (including rescheduling and downsizing), Evelyn and Carl loved their small wedding!
Evelyn adds: “Equipped with our extremely supportive wedding planner and vendors, we were able to get through all the hurdles of planning a wedding amidst a pandemic (including hiring a new makeup / hair stylist a week before the wedding because the original artist fell ill).”
Advice for other brides…
Evelyn’s advice for other brides-to-be is to cherish they day.
“There will be so many details that you will obsess over–from choosing the perfect font for your stationary to choosing the right matches for the sparkler send off. The stress is inevitable leading up to the wedding, but make sure to enjoy the day of. There will be plenty of things that will not go as planned, but you must anticipate this! Hire a planner you have chemistry with and try to enjoy the day as much as possible. This day will go by faster than you can imagine. It’s a party for you and your spouse, and you should savor it.”
Advice for other engaged couples…
Their advice for other engaged couples is to communicate your wants and needs for the wedding and document the entire day!
Evelyn adds: “Make sure you are clear about the few non-negotiables/must haves each one has at the wedding. If you can check off those few things for both parties, it makes all the other disagreements much easier to handle. Also, put a lot of effort into documenting the wedding with the right photographer/videographer. You set up so many beautiful arrangements, meals, and music but you don’t get to enjoy all of them when the time comes. Being able to look back at the photos and videos afterward is priceless.”
Looking for more intimate vineyard destination wedding inspiration?
Click here.
Vendors:
- Planning: LUXE Atlanta Events @luxeatlantaevents
- Floral Design: Ten Point Floral Design @tenpointfloraldesign
- Venue: Montaluce @montaluce_winery
- Photography/Videography: Authentic Collective @authenticcollectivephoto & @authenticcollectivefilms
- Hair/Makeup: Brushworx @brushworx
- Cake: Confection Perfection @confectionperfectioncakes
- Ceremony Musician: Tyler Hartley @harpist.tyler
- Bridal Shop: Bridal Gallery @bridalgalleryoforlando
- Groom’s Attire: Men’s Warehouse @menswarehouse
- Wedding Submission Services: Published + Pretty @publishedandpretty
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