Going through the process of planning a wedding is something that we're used to here at Events at Refinery, and as we go through this process with all our brides, we get a chance to know them more personally. Throughout our events, we will be doing special features on some of our brides so you can get a handle on the process from the bridal point of view!
We met Fernanda last year when she came to Events at Refinery to start planning her special day. Working with her was truly a joy and we're so glad that we had the opportunity to be a part of such a lovely woman's wedding day!
How did you and your spouse meet?
We met at an internship in college. I just went up to him and said “Hi! My name is Fernanda. What’s your name?”
Tell us about the proposal.
The evening of October 30th, 2009 I was diligently working on our Halloween Lego costumes. I was determined to get them done before a Halloween Party we had that night. When Daniel got to my house, he went upstairs to put his stuff down and then came back down with a box of Star Wars Legos. He said he bought them so that we would have a reference for our costumes. I didn't say anything, but I thought to myself "why would he buy Legos? We have so many here at my house already." I joked around with him saying that I was NOT going to make Star Wars Lego costumes. I kind of ignored him and kept working on the costumes. He kept looking at me like "why aren't you giving me any attention?" So then he opened the box and pulled out two small bags of Legos. I grabbed one of them (the wrong one, of course). Looked in the bag and said "Man, it's going to be hard to do the back part of the lego." Then he gave me the "are you serious?" look and threw the other bag at me. When I looked inside, the ring was in there (he sealed the box and the bag so that it didn't look like he had opened it beforehand). This is when I started freaking out and screaming "omg omg omg!" He got down on one knee and said that he has liked playing with Legos ever since he was little and that he always liked building things and now he wants to build a life together with me. He said that this is our first Halloween in matching costumes and that nothing is more fitting than Lego pieces. Just like having one Lego by itself doesn't make sense, his life without me doesn't make sense either. Then he asked if I would marry him. It was so cute! I couldn't stop smiling; I was so happy! He proposed in a really cute/dorky way and I wouldn't have wanted it in any other way.
What drew you to Refinery to be your location?
The Refinery was the first reception hall we looked at. We fell in love immediately and no other place we looked at after that seemed quite up to par. As far as the place goes, we really liked the bar and the beautiful hardwood floors. The staff was also amazing. Everyone was great to work with and was super accommodating in helping make our day truly special.
How were you feeling before the wedding?
I was excited! My husband and I had been engaged for almost 2 years so we were just so happy that the day had finally come. I wasn’t as nervous as I thought I would be because we had spent so much time putting a lot of thought into everything.
What thoughts did you have while walking down the aisle?
"OMG this is really happening!!” And then I looked at my husband and saw his goofy smile and thought how lucky I am to be marrying him.
What was the most memorable part of your day as a couple?
The most memorable part was our first dance. It was the first time we got to talk to each other in private and just express to each other how happy we were. It was our little moment of the day.
What was your biggest fear about your wedding day?
I was worried about tripping down the aisle and my dress ripping since it was pretty tight.
How did Events at Refinery exceed your wedding day expectations?
I’m Brazilian and my husband is American. We wanted to combine traditions from both cultures into our wedding. Events at Refinery helped us make this possible by letting us bring in traditional Brazilian wedding sweets and letting us hang our own decorations. In addition, my husband and I live in Seattle and planning a long distance wedding is not easy. Brittany was super responsive to all of our emails and was flexible to meet with us on weekends whenever we were in Champaign.
Can you give an example of an element in your day that you considered a personal touch?
We made all of the stationary for our wedding. We wanted everything to be in Portuguese and English. So all of the invitations, menus, programs, etc. were in both languages.
What advice can you give to other brides who are currently planning their special day?
Don’t stress out too much and try to enjoy every part of planning and the actual wedding day. Give yourself plenty of time the day of your wedding – the last thing you want is to be rushed into doing things because you’re on a tight schedule. In the morning I went to the salon with my bridesmaids and then we had a nice lunch before the ceremony. It was nice to just relax with them before everything started. After the ceremony we had 2.5 hours before the reception. We picked one location to take pictures so that we wouldn’t miss out on our reception. We had put so much thought into planning it that we wanted to enjoy every minute of it.
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