Engaged 2020 | Page 138

September 8, 2018 | Sabrina Scolari Photography Lauren & Bobby The Meet Cute: Both Massachusetts natives, Lauren and Bobby first connected in high school at Bishop Stang. and have gone through our ups and downs, but no matter what we went through in our relationship, we always strengthened our relationship in the end,” Lauren says. The Engagement: Following seven years of dating and taking the major life step of buying a house together, Bobby proposed on the first night in their new home. The Toasts: The best man’s speech was one for the books. “Bobby and Mark have always been very close, but to hear him talk about how thankful he is for Mark’s friendship, and to see how emotional he got speaking about it, was very touching,” Lauren recalls. The Venue: “We knew we wanted a simple, outdoor, farm-style venue with lots of land, which is hard to find in this area,” Lauren says of their venue search. “I also had always wanted a simple wooden barn for my reception. Mount Hope had both!” The Aisle Thoughts: “I was overwhelmed and anxious to see her walking towards me. She looked so beautiful and I was very excited to finally have her become my wife.” — Bobby “I was excited to be walking towards and marrying the man I love, but was extremely nervous to have all eyes and attention on me!” — Lauren The Vendors: Kudos all around. “Father Lenny Nelson added humor to our ceremony, which perfectly fit with our personalities; B-Sharp Entertainment did an amazing job playing songs that kept everybody on the dancefloor — we’re still getting compliments that our wedding was one of the most fun weddings our family members have been to, thanks to him; Mount Hope and Russell Morin did an amazing job on making it a stress- free day for us with amazing food and drinks; the Greenery made my dream bouquet; and Sabrina perfectly captured our wedding, down to the details that I honestly would have forgotten about if it weren’t for her pictures!” Lauren says. The Ceremony: Lauren and Bobby wanted a different type of unity ceremony for their wedding, so they consulted their officiant about putting a twist on the sand ceremony. “We did the traditional act of combining the sands, symbolizing us coming together in marriage,” Lauren explains, “but we placed it in an hourglass to remind us that time is fleeting and to always start each day as a new day with our strong love for each other, regardless of what happened the day before.” The Highlights: “My favorite moment was after the ceremony, when me and Bobby went to take pictures. That was really our only alone time together. We were able to just be with each other and reflect on the fact that we had just gotten married.” — Lauren The First Dance: The high school sweethearts chose John Legend’s “Stay with You” as they felt it really represented their relationship. “We have been together a very long time The Advice: “Don’t focus on the negatives when planning,” Lauren advises. “Remember the wedding is a celebration of the two of you and you both should enjoy every moment of it!” 136 | ENGAGED IN SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND 2020 “My favorite moments were dancing with my new wife and our family and friends. We were all able to just be carefree and have an amazing time celebrating together.” — Bobby