Andre and Leena's Wedding in Stafford, Virginia

God and family is very important to my husband and I, and we were blessed enough to have our Uncle, whom is a pastor, be our officiant. He also did our premarital counseling and spent a lot of time with us leading up to the wedding which helped make the day very special.

I am Panamanian, so it was important to me to incorporate my culture in the wedding. Since my father is deceased, my mother walked me down the aisle and we incorporated a tradition from quinceneras (15th birthday parties for Latin girls) of young ladies changing from flats to heels. The tradition symbolizes the transition from a young girl to a woman, which felt very fitting for this special occasion. Another way we incorporated my culture is by including Panamanian dancers with the mother/daughter dance. It was so unexpected for our guests and everyone truly enjoyed it. I also wore what is called a “tembleque” in my hair for my headpiece and gifted one to my mother, my bridal party and my mother in law to wear as well.

With the décor, we found ways to encompass the fall and nature theme with the wedding colors of plum and champagne and adding wood pieces in an elegant fashion. Our decorator found golden trees for the centerpieces, we found a cake tier made from wood, our guest book had a wood cover and the gazebo where the ceremony took place sat right at the entrance of a forest at the venue.

With the help of my mother, planner and decorator (and the hubby of course), I was able to have the wedding of my dreams and Fall in Love in the Enchanted Forest on October 5th, 2019.