Demetria & Raymond
AvenirDemetria and Raymond’s glamorous summer wedding was classic, elegant, and FUN! Every detail spoke to their beautiful relationship and personalities, from lottery ticket wedding favors to the positively glowing dance floor of the Avenir Ballroom.
From the Bride and Groom:
“Ray and I met over 6 years ago leaving a Celtics game separately with our friends. We were just walking near each other, Ray sparked a conversation with me and we ended up at The Harp bar and exchanged numbers.
Ray proposed to me in the Seaport in Boston on the stairs by the water. We were supposed to be going out to dinner for our anniversary so we both got dressed up. That night, before the proposal, we went out for a drink and an app with my friend Emma. Both Ray and Emma’s drinks were completely empty before I even took a couple of sips of my martini and I was pretty confused. Then they were like ‘Okay we gotta go!’, and we all walked over towards the stairs.
Leading up to the day, Ray was trying to get me to get my nails repainted, and well, I should have listened to him because they could’ve looked better! I don’t remember much from what was said during the proposal because it was wild that it was happening, but I remember him saying I am his person and he wants to spend the rest of his life with me. Then he got down on one knee and asked me.
We are very basic and don’t love a lot of color. We chose white with greenery for our florals; we felt that it was very classic and would look good years from now. I told the bridesmaids they could choose any dress they wanted as long as it was black satin from Birdy Grey. Every person has a different body type and looks best in a certain style so I did not want to limit them or make them feel uncomfortable in a dress. Ray wanted a way to stick out and did not want to wear a regular black tux like the groomsmen. He chose to wear a maroon and paisley patterned tuxedo jacket. The men rented their suits from Carl Anthony Tuxedo in Cranston, Rhode Island, we highly recommend them!”
“My mother and I have a very special relationship and she is one of my best friends. I wanted a way to incorporate her into the wedding that would be special for us both. When I got dressed in the bridal suite; it was exclusively only my mother, me, and the photographer.
Ray’s family is originally from the Dominican Republic, so we had a mix of Spanish and English music and Italian-American culture sprinkled throughout our wedding. It was amazing to see the two cultures come together.
My family is primarily in Rhode Island and Ray’s family is primarily in Boston, so we wanted to choose a venue that was in the middle for both families and neither one had to travel farther than the other. From working with the Sales team when we were venue searching to working with our Producer throughout the wedding planning, it was such a great experience all around. They are so personable and make you feel comfortable and like they actually care and want the best for the wedding.”
If you had to give a piece of wedding planning advice to a newly engaged couple, what would it be?
“Wedding planning is the most overwhelming thing we have experienced thus far (and we bought a house during this tough time to buy!). Our advice would be to take it day by day and make a list. When you cross things off your list, it is the best feeling because you know you are getting closer to the day you’ve done all this planning for. Planning-wise, besides our event Producer, we did everything on our own and we are happy we did it that way. When too many people help, you get too many opinions, which can cause more stress!
If Demetria and Ray had to give their best piece of wedding day advice it would be…
“Take a minute or so at different points in the night and just step back together, look around, and take it all in. You planned so much for this day and deserve to remember it!”
Vendors:
Venue: Avenir
Florist: Rachel Chevrette
Cake: Dessert Works
Entertainment: 617 Weddings
Officiant: Jorge Ghazal
