#silkbride

Meet The Raines! Stacey & Hunter were married on December 14, 2019 at The Wintergarden by Monroe’s, located in the heart of downtown Rochester. Photographed by Alexandra Elise Photography , Stacey wore a classic satin and organza ballgown from Paloma Blanca. Hair by Special Occasion Hair Design and makeup by The Traveling Stylists. Keep reading for the most beautiful winter wedding!

“Hunter and I met in November 2014, after we had both moved back to Albany the previous July. Our first date was at a small town restaurant called “The Ginger Man”. He showed up early and warned the waitress to bring the check if the date didn’t seem to be going well, and I showed up late, and soaking wet, after getting lost in the rain. When the check arrived, we looked around to an empty restauran that had apparently closed while we laughed and talked for three hours”.

“It sounds cliche, but I knew Hunter was the one I was going to marry the second I locked eyes with him on our first date. I felt like I had known him my entire life. I went home for Thanksgiving the following week, and I told my mom I met the man I was going to marry.”

“My dress made me feel confident, classic and beautiful. Kendra made the entire experience so much fun- from the day I said “yes to the dress” to picking out accessories and alterations. Fatima made the dress fit me like a glove and I felt so comfortable wearing it!”

“My favorite memory from our wedding is our first dance. We had taken dance lessons for months leading up to he big day and it was so much fun showing off something we had worked so hard on together!”

“Wedding planning was so much fun! My sister and best friend and I all got married within 5 months of eachother, so we were able to plan together! Being a bride, bridesmaid and maid of honor was a little stressful, but it was the best year ever”

“In the future, I’m most excited about the memories we will create together. From the big things like buying a house and traveling to new places, to the small things like just making breakfast together on a Saturday morning”

A huge thank you to Stacey & Hunter for allowing us to feature them this week! We are so grateful to be a small part of beautiful days like theirs.

Here’s to a lifetime filled with love & happiness.

XOXO

As a celebration of their (almost) one year anniversary & new addition (a beautiful baby boy!) Today, we introduce you to the Conway’s. Teresa & Dan were married October 25, 2019 at Pomona at Blue Barn and photographed by Jill Studio. Teresa wore “Dafne” by Pronovias, a crepe fit and flare style gown with embroidered lace appliqué, adorned with a soft sequin shine. Hair by Alana Brzezinski, Makeup by Angelina Palermo with Rochester Beauty Company. Keep reading to see the rest of this couples sweet story!

Teresa & Dan were married at Scared Heart Cathedral, the same church that her grandparents were wed in, in 1951!

How did you know he was ‘the one’: When Dan told me his feelings for me were making it hard to be “just friends” we stopped talking for one day and I was absolutely beside myself. I realized then that I could never go a day without talking to him or having him make laugh. That I was in love with him!

Location / Proposal Story: “One of our first outings after we became a couple was fishing out on Canadice Lake on a boat Dan made. The following fall, on the first official day of fall 9/23/18 Dan took me to Bruegger’s for breakfast then out to Canadice Lake to fish and see the fall foliage surrounding the lake. He got me to steer the boat facing south so that when I turned around, the morning sun was shining down on him on bended knee with a beautiful diamond!”

On how her dress made her feel: “The most beautiful I have ever felt in my life. I felt like an old-fashioned classic beauty with just the right amount of sexy with the low back and the fit of the dress. Ever since I saw Bella Swan’s wedding dress in Twilight I always knew I needed that type of classic yet sexy gown and I found the perfect one!”

Favorite memory from your wedding: Walking down the aisle to Dan and seeing him choke up.

What are you most looking forward to in married life: Having him as a partner as we begin our own family and continue to create and chase our dreams together.

Congratulations to Teresa & Dan on a beautiful year of marriage, and many more to come. We are still so honored to have been a part of your perfect day. Wishing you health & happiness as you continue your journey together!

XO

As our final love story of 2017, we introduce you to one of our beautiful brides and her new husband. Meet Courtney and Matt! The Michienzi’s were married October 14 at Deerfield Country Club and photographed by Wendy Zook Photography. Keep reading to find out more about this sweet couple and their incredible love story.  

On how they met: My husband and I met in college taking a tropical field ecology class. For the class we went to the Florida keys and Everglades together. One day the guys had to pick a partner for a 6 hour long canoe trip and Matt chose me. After that long and challenging canoe trip we were inseparable...Our first date technically was swimming with dolphins in Florida towards the end of our trip... We were holding hands as we swam and the dolphins swam around us in a cove designed to be like their natural habitat.”

On how he proposed: “We went to Spain together Summer, 2016. On our second day of the trip in Barcelona, Spain, in front of the Arc de triumph there was a photographer taking old black and white pictures. Matt asked if we could get our picture taken, and while the photographer was getting ready to take the picture Matt got down on one knee and asked me to marry him.”

On finding her dream dress: “My wedding dress made me feel like a princess. Everyone kept telling me I looked perfect and I’ve never felt so beautiful in my life. I never expected to choose a full satin dress, but I fell in love with it when I saw it. I actually went shopping expecting to buy a fitted lace dress”

On her favorite memory from their wedding day: “When my Dad saw me and when I walked down the aisle and Matt saw me. My Dad broke down and said the dress was perfect. When I got to Matt at the end of the aisle he was crying and said ‘You got me good’. I loved that the two most important men in my life loved the dress as much as they did.”

ON what they’re looking forward to most: “I am looking forward to having a forever partner and to going on new adventures to new places together.”

We want to thank Courtney and Matt for allowing us not only to feature them this week, but also play a part in their wedding day. We feel truly honored to have gotten to work with such a sweet and beautiful bride! We wish you both a lifetime full of love, happiness and new adventures. 

XOXO

This week we are excited to introduce you to one of the nicest (and most hilarious) brides we’ve ever had the pleasure of working with! Meet Wendy and Ryan Boyce! This wonderful couple was married October 7, 2017 at Woodcliff Hotel. Keep reading to learn about their beautiful love story and see their amazing photos by Alexandra Meseke Photography.

on how they met: “Ryan and I met at Ithaca College while working on a group project. We both majored in Television-Radio. It was love at first commercial!”

on how she knew Ryan was “the one”: “The same way anyone else knows. When you find that person you just want to Netflix and chill with forever.”

On finding her perfect dress: “I tried on a lot of dresses at a few different places, but when I got to Silk, I knew it was where I would buy my dress. Sure enough, I found the absolute perfect one for me. It even had pockets! The dress made me feel like a royal. The train was stunning but the bustle was equally beautiful and I truly was comfortable the entire night because it was so perfectly tailored.”

on her favorite memory from their wedding day: “We have so many favorite moments but one of the best was when Ryan saw me for the first time just as I went to walk down the aisle. His face lit up and he gave me a huge thumbs up.”

honeymoon location: “We plan on taking a honeymoon sometime in the future. We didn’t plan one out, but a few weeks after we got married Ryan had his appendix out! So for now, we’re telling everyone we honeymooned at Highland Hospital. We highly recommend the Italian ice (and Ryan is doing much better now).”

what their looking forward to most: “Being together for all of life’s adventures, no matter how great or how small.”

We want to thank Wendy and Ryan for allowing us to feature them this week! We wish you a lifetime filled with love, happiness and ever lasting laughs. Enjoy a wonderful first holiday season together as a married couple.

XO

This week we introduce you to one of our beautiful fall couples. Meet Kristina and Duane! The Browns were married October 7, 2016 at The Rabbit Room. Get to know The Browns and take a look at some of their favorite photos from their wedding day. All photos by Magic Moments photography. 

“We met in college at MCC and we both moved on to RIT together.”

On how he proposed: “It was at The Victor Apple Farm, we went apple picking and he proposed there!”

On their first kiss: “I thought: ‘I don’t want this to end!!’ ”

Favorite date night spots: “Lock 32, fiorella, Olives & Good Luck to name a few” 

On finding her perfect dress: “I kept thinking and referring back to it. It fit my body just perfectly and I truly felt like a princess in it!” 

 On advice for future brides & grooms: “Just enjoy the whole wedding process. It can be challenging and stressful but the best part is that you are doing it with your best friend! People will have their own opinions and input but remember it is your day so do exactly what you want!”

We want to take a moment and thank Kristina & Duane for allowing us to feature them this week! Congratulations on a beautiful first year of marriage, and here’s to many more to come! We wish you nothing but love & happiness in your life together! 

XO

This week we proudly introduce you to one of our beautiful fall brides and her new husband. Meet Samantha and Bajro! They were married September 2, 2017 at Monroe Golf Club. Samantha wore Princia by Pronovias and added a custom strap to give this stunning gown a personalized touch. Photographed by Alexandra Elise Photography, Samantha gave us a behind the scenes look at her amazing wedding day! Keep reading to get to know these newly weds, and see how they managed to stay sane during the wedding planning process!

On how they met: “Bajro and I met at Winfield’s on St. Patrick’s Day in 2013 through mutual friends. We both intended to just stop by quickly to say hello to friends, but ended up spending the entire day/night talking and laughing, just the two of us. We had our first date the next night, but since he was moving to Nantucket the following morning, I didn’t expect to hear from him again. I woke up to a text from him that morning and every morning after that.”

On how he proposed: “The first trip we ever took together was to Providence. He was living in Nantucket at the time, and I had a work conference in Boston. We met there and drove to Providence for the weekend. We instantly fell in love with the area, and the following year we decided to go back. On the first night of our trip, he drove me to this beautiful park right on the ocean. It was such a perfect night and somehow we were the only two there. We watched the sun go down, and it was there that he proposed. Looking back, there were so many little clues that it was coming (I even have a picture of him in the car, where if you look closely, you can see the ring in his pocket!). But I was so surprised. I don’t think there is any feeling in the world like seeing the man you love down on one knee, it was perfect.” 

Guests at their wedding were served  NY Strip Steak, Chicken Marsala, and Sautéed Salmon. “We really lucked out, the food at our venue was unbelievable. Along with traditional wedding cake, we also incorporated some Bosnian desserts like tulumbe and baklava, to add a little bit of my husband’s culture to the menu.”

Adjective that best describes your spouse: “Loveable, kind. He’s just one of those people you want to be around.” 

On finding her perfect wedding dress: “My style is pretty simple, so I never anticipated that it would be hard to find a dress I was in love with. I must have gone to every bridal store in Rochester, tried on dozens of dresses, but the second I stepped into Silk I knew that I would find my dress there. When I tried on the Pronovias Princia, I knew it was a dress that I would look back on 50 years from now and love just as much. But as gorgeous as it was, I really wanted to make it my own. I asked Fatima to add straps, along with some lace detailing blending up into the straps on the front and back. When I saw it at my first fitting, I was blown away.”

“Take your time, try styles you normally wouldn’t, and let your dress be 100% your decision. You will know when you find your dress. It will be the dress you feel beautiful in, the dress you can’t stop thinking about when you go home.”

On advice for future brides and grooms: “Always circle back to what the day is about. It is so easy to get caught up in trying to make the day perfect. Things will happen, disappointments will happen, but remembering what the day is about will make everything else seem insignificant. Surround yourself with the people who want the best for you, who love you and support you. And lastly, find a moment to take it all in. Find a moment to feel everything you are feeling. It’s the oldest piece of advice in the book but the truest.”

We want to thank Samantha and Bajro for allowing us to feature them as our love story this week! Congratulations on an amazing day and we wish you a lifetime full of happiness, health and love! 

XOXO

This week we introduce you to one of our summer Silk Brides! Meet Amber and her husband Steven! The Walthers were married July 15, 2017 at Ravenwood Golf Club. Amber and Steven were kind enough to share some of their favorite memories together and their experiences through wedding planning. Keep reading to see some of their beautiful photos and learn a little bit more about the newlyweds!

On how they met: "At Niagara University, I was a freshman and he was a junior. I couldn’t help noticing how cute he was when we went on a school trip to Buffalo Bills game, and we shared a mutual friend who was able to introduce us..From the minute I met Steven, I knew that he was one to hold onto, despite only being 19."

Our first kiss made me think: "WOW - I still get butterflies thinking about it, almost eight years later"

On finding the perfect dress: "My parents were only visiting for the weekend and I was determined to find the dress with them present.

They live eight hours away on Long Island so the stress to find a dress was real. We had gone to two other places before Silk and I had tried on “my” dress and liked it, but was unsure and wanted to see “what else” was there so off to Webster we headed. I remember standing in a dress, and everyone “oohing and aahing” that it “was the one” but I just didn’t feel it. I started to become upset and...it was in that moment I realized, “I HAVE TO GO BACK TO SILK”. When we arrived they welcomed us back with open arms, and had already had the champagne ready. I tried on the dress, and smiled to myself while telling everyone “this was the one”.

Amber also said her mother-in-law played a huge part in finding her perfect dress and veil.

Advice for other brides dress shopping: "BE NICE TO YOURSELF - you are not perfect, your are living and breathing beauty, that has imperfections that make you perfectly perfect - embrace those. Fatima helped me see this."

On how he proposed: "Into his arms I leapt again, crying tears of joy. We were alone in our perfect moment, the still of the night and we hear "Congratulations on your engagement, god bless you both” from a night time walker strolling by. It couldn't have been a more perfect proposal or moment for us. We kissed and shared in our happiness, just us two at Highland park".

Advice for future brides and grooms: "In all the hullabaloo and craziness of the day - FIND TIME TO SNEAK AWAY! After your ceremony and before the reception, sneak off, sit down, and soak it ALL in. Enjoy a few moments together and the fact that you are finally married".

We want to thank Amber and Steven for allowing us to feature them this week. We wish you nothing but love and happiness as you begin your lives as a married couple!

XOXO

This week we have the honor of introducing you to Joshua & Jessica Nelson! The happy couple was married April 24 in Siesta Key, Florida. They were fortunate enough to take some absolutely gorgeous photos along the beach, with the help of their photographer Maria Spinelli. Keep reading to see what Jess has to say about her relationship with Josh, her dress search and the wedding planning process! 

On how they met: “I was working as a mental health therapist at a clinic in Rochester and Josh was in his second year of his residency in Psychiatry. The psychiatry residents rotated through our clinic as part of their training. During Josh’s rotation I remember thinking he was really kind, funny, and approachable. All of the patients loved him, and I really admired how well he connected with them. When his rotation ended he reached out to me and we started talking casually. He finally asked me out on a date and the rest, as they say, is history.”

Our first kiss made me think: “FINALLY!!! I had been waiting for him to ‘make a move’ for a while.”

Adjective that best describes your spouse:  “It’s really hard to pick just one, but I guess I would go with dedicated. When he puts his mind to something, he will move mountains to make sure he achieves whatever his goal is. He’s also wonderfully silly, and makes me laugh every day.”

On finding the perfect dress: “Trust the ladies at Silk Bridal! I never would have even tried my dress on if it hadn’t been for Kendra. She pulled it and I agreed to try it on mostly because she was so excited about it. I was super skeptical, but Kendra was spot on. It was perfect and my search ended right then and there.” 

“Weddings and dresses and all of that are fun, but remember what getting married really means. It’s a commitment to show up and make it work with your partner every single day. No one is perfect, so don’t sweat the small stuff, be sure to make time for each other, and never stop having fun and laughing together.“ 

We want to take a moment and thank Jessica for allowing us to not only feature her & Joshua this week, but also to be part of their amazing wedding day. We wish you both health, happiness and love as you continue your journey together!

XOXO