Modern Meets Vintage Wedding at an Ancient Monastery: Dr & Mrs Mancuso

Our overall wedding aesthetic was a perfect mixture of vintage + modern. The first look location was brand new and the wedding venue is the oldest building in the western hemisphere. It definitely gave the ethereal, old-world vibe we were seeking. You felt as if you weren’t even in the United States.

Words by Painton. Images by Evan Rich Photography.

I had a long wishlist of what my “dream dress” looked like. I knew I wanted a sheer corset, strapless dress with a sweetheart neckline. I also wanted it to be very fitted and then have a flare or mermaid style skirt. It was a lot harder than expected to find all of my wishlist in one dress within my budget.

There was no way I was willing to spend over $10,000 for a designer gown. I scoured the internet and ended up finding a photo of my dress online, called the nearest bridal store to my house and they surprisingly ordered a sample gown just for me! It ended up being the “the one” and I knew I would not be able to find a better dress for a better price!

I absolutely loved doing a private first look. Just the two of us (plus our photography and videography crew) with ultimate lighting and a gorgeous backdrop. An intimate moment with memories to last forever.

We had an Italian opera singer perform my favorite song live, accompanied by the string trio, for the bridal processional, “Gira Con Me” – we’re pretty positive everyone had a tear in their eye!

We hired our photographer every day for our 4-day wedding weekend! It was one of the best decisions we made, so we wouldn’t have to worry about taking our own photos and could fully enjoy every moment!

Ghost chairs and dark textured wooden farmhouse tables were the focal points of the reception in the ancient cloisters covered in flower garlands cascading over the edges with multi-height candles in votives. Lit with dim champagne up-lights and string lights, it was stunning. Each place setting was a glass charger with gold rim, gold flatware, and a quicksand long-stemmed rose tucked into a velvet napkin with each guest’s name in an acrylic laser cut nameplate.

At cocktail hour, we had a greenery champagne wall and at the reception, a flower wall with a custom made neon sign. We actually have the neon sign hanging in the entryway of our home now, which was such a great keepsake and memory of our special day!

If we could impart any words of wisdom to future brides and/or grooms planning their day? Try to stay true to yourself throughout the wedding planning process. It is hard not to get distracted or pressured by Pinterest, other brides, or your family & friends. Do what makes you happy! Modernize and customize your wedding to fit your needs and values. Change things up! Your wedding should ultimately be a reflection of you & your significant other as a couple. Have fun with it!

Coordinator: Maureen C. Weddings @maureencweddingsevents / Photographer: Evan Rich Photography @evanrphotography / Videographer: Motive Cinemas @motivecinemas / Florist: Julia Rohde Designs @juliarohdedesigns / Hair & Makeup Artist: Ivy Sims @ivysimsmakeup / Cake: Earth & Sugar @earthandsugar / Caterer: Alexander Event Catering @alexandereventcatering / Tablescape: Different Look Rentals @differentlookrentals / Rentals: Mi Vintage @mivintage / Elements & Accents @elementsandaccents / Flower Wall: Miami Flower Walls @miamiflowerwalls / Photo Booth: Dipp @dippphotobooth / Lighting: Event Factor @eventfactor / Ceremony Musicians: Master Musicians @mastermusiciansinc / Band: Bay Kings Band @baykingsband / Stationery: I Can Do That Design @icandothatdesign / Calligraphy: Katherine Duncan @themannacollective / Welcome Text: The Digital Bride @digital_bride / First Dance Choreographer: Dance Reverie Studios @dancereveriestudios / Travel Agent: Taylor & Co. Travel @taylorandcotravel / Venue: The Ancient Spanish Monastery @spanishmonastery / Hotel & First Look: Four Seasons Surfside @fssurfside / Bridal Salon: Boca Raton Bridal @bocaratonbridal / Gown: Essense of Australia @essenseofaustralia / Tux: Indochino @indochino / Shoes: Christian Louboutin @louboutinworld / Wedding Day PJ’s & Bodysuit: Homebodii @homebodii / Wedding Day Robe: Creationari @creationari / Engagement Ring: Diamonds Direct @diamondsdirect / Earrings: Bling Badda Boom @blingbaddaboom / Jewelry: Cartier @cartier / Bow Tie: Tom Ford @tomford / Watch: Rolex @rolex