Engaged 2020 | Page 124

January 20, 2019 | Kearsten Taylor Photography Alycia & Steven The Meet Cute: Alycia and Steven first caught each other’s eye in 2010 at Revolution Rock Bar on High Street in Boston’s financial district. “He worked as a night club promoter and I was a waitress,” Alycia recalls. “We were both too shy to say anything to each other and were forced to talk to one another by a friend… And now here we are, nine years later.” The Pup: “Bentley is by our sides every moment of everyday and we couldn’t imagine him not being there to witness his parents get married,” Alycia says of hers and Steven’s very good boy. “He did hair and makeup with the girls all day. Then, for the ceremony, he proudly walked down the aisle with one of my bridesmaids, his auntie Auria.” The Engagement: “We got engaged in Barcelona on the roof top of our hotel,” Alycia says. “Steven managed to sneak the ring over to Europe without me knowing, even with a TSA agent almost exposing it accidentally. I didn’t find that out till later.” The Highlights: “The first look. I remember I just couldn’t wait to see Steven. It was so hard for me not to ask his opinion on my dress, shoes, hair, etc. beforehand — he’s my go-to for literally everything. Also, I just couldn’t wait for a moment with just the two of us. We chose to keep the first look completely private, with the exception of our photographers and videographers. I just wanted to be with him, in his arms, finally, as his bride. It was a moment I never could have dreamt would be as special.” — Alycia The Planning: The couple talked about many different ideas, times and places. “But when touring the library, we both fell in love with the space instantly,” Alycia says. “The idea of having a wedding with every aspect under one roof, in a stunning historical space, stuck. We didn’t look any further.” Then, given that there was really no outside aspect to the venue, she and Steven chose to marry during the wintry weekend of their original dating anniversary as another detail that was significant to their story. The Details: “We focused on small, meaningful details,” Alycia says. For instance, Pronovias, the designer of Alycia’s dress, is based in Barcelona, the city where she and Steven got engaged. In the same vein, their first dance was to George Ezra’s “Barcelona.” Meanwhile, not wanting to go overboard with the library theme, the couple stuck to folded book table numbers and a library card catalog for their seating arrangements. As for the florals, “We love succulents, greenery and lush, neutral flowers,” Alycia says. “Pine and Petal nailed our vision. Our arrangements ranged in height on each table, creating depth throughout the room.” 122 | ENGAGED IN SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND 2020 “With all the stress and craziness of the day, it was nice to have that moment with just each other to find some solace. I knew Alycia was going to look gorgeous, but nothing could have prepared me for how stunning she looked. I think I cried during the entire first look. It also enabled us to enjoy every detail and aspect of the wedding, not missing anything, including cocktail hour. Instead, we spent our time with loved ones creating so many more special memories.” — Steven The Advice: “Enjoy the process, every second,” Alycia says. “It is so easy to get stressed with planning. Remember what the day is actually about; always remember it’s about the two of you.”