Las Vegas Wedding Planner Andrea Eppolito. Images by Stephen Salazar.

“My fiance and I are very different,” Arianna told me when we first spoke. And I suppose at first glance you could point out any number of obvious differences. Spend five minutes with them, however, and all you see is love. They way Richard’s larger than life personality and irreverent personality makes Arianna laugh out loud. The way that, when Arianna is speaking, Richard’s eyes sparkle. It’s almost as if he is holding his breath while holding space for her. I fell in love with them immediately. When Arianna went wedding dress shopping, I joined her on Facetime. When Richard was picking out jewelry for her, we traded images and ideas. When they opened up their boutique, Shop Jacinta, my kids and I went to the opening launch party.

When the pandemic derailed the plans they had made for their wedding they said, “COVID be damned” and we planned an elopement on the anniversary of their engagement. It was just us, a bouquet lovingly made by Javier, and the groom’s rabbi (who also happened to be his brother!) Richard wanted to ensure that he had a gift for his bride, and I quickly commissioned a “Mrs. Robinov” clutch from an artist I found online.

Their elopement (featured here) was a celebration of optimism and commitment. Bearing witness to this massive showing of love gave me hope in a time when we simply didn’t know what was to come. Months later, when it was announced that their beloved venue would not reopen, Arianna and Richard soldiered on with the belief that they would end up exactly where they belonged.

Arianna wanted the full princess moment, surrounded by roses on a grand staircase. Sometimes the very thing you need is right before your eyes. After scouring the city we realized that the perfect place to host their wedding was in the lobby of their home. Set in the midst of a luxury high-rise, Javier Valentino and I dressed the gilded entry in thousands of white blooms. The bride was walked down the aisle in a billowing Galia Lahav wedding gown fit for a princess. She ascended the stairs and exchanged personal vows with Richard before an intimate group of family and friends.

Afterward the ceremony, it was my pleasure to reveal the reception to my newlyweds. When Arianna opened her eyes, she gasped! And when she saw her wedding cake she squealed in delight. Both she and Richard were brought to tears as they walked throughout the room. There was one long, massive King’s table filled with tall floral centerpieces made of white roses and hydrangea. The base of the table featured candles, acrylic and gold place cards, and petit floral accents on a lace tablecloth.

Arianna originally imagined a “Beauty and the Beast” theme, but we didn’t want to be so literal with the red roses and yellow accents. Instead, we gave a nod to the fairytale by placing white roses in glass cloches. In a strange twist of fate, after the wedding a local photographer shot Arianna and Richard, dubbing them “Beauty and the Beard” which I love.

Every moment from the ceremony through the cake cutting was filled with so much love.

On a personal note, over the years of planning and postponing, Arianna and I became dear friends. We would walk together, have lunch together, and have double dates with our husbands. She and Richard became more than clients and closer than friends. When it came time for her to choose her “something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue” I gave her my wedding earrings to wear down the aisle. The tradition says that the bride should borrow something from a happily married couple. And I cannot think of anyone happier than I am!

Today, Arianna and Richard are overseas, celebrating their long-awaited honeymoon on a tour through Europe. I miss my friends but am following their adventure and know that I will see them when they return.

Until then, scroll through these beautiful images and be sure to watch the Behind the Scenes wedding video below. Leave a love note for my beautiful couple and let me know how much you love this incredible wedding cake!

Always…a

CREDITS:

Las Vegas Wedding Planner: Andrea Eppolito. Photo + Video: Stephen Salazar. Venue: Stirling Club Las Vegas. Floral: Javier Valentino Studio. Rentals: RSVP Las Vegas. Cake: CAKED Las Vegas.