Engaged 2020 | Page 155

“EVERY SINGLE THING HAD MEANING,” SAYS SIMONY OF hers and Mayvin’s intimate 2018 nuptials on the Cape. “We planned, designed and created everything for our wedding, and we tried our hardest to make it as personal as possible.” After Mayvin pulled off a truly out of this world proposal during the solar eclipse back in August 2017, the two got straight to work. They began with making a pact to 100% agree on everything. “If one of us had doubts about something, it was out. Simple as that,” Simony explains. “It wasn't just my wedding, it was our wedding.” From there, the couple’s one-year engagement was occupied by a number of DIY projects, many of which reflected the talents of each bride. Prime examples: Simony’s ability to source and arrange floral decor as well as any professional florist, and Mayvin’s penchant for building and crafting (see: the ceremony arch, cake decal, signage and more). Anything the couple didn’t make with their own hands, they purchased from their favorite stores, T.J.Maxx and Michaels. “I think it was really important to both of us that we be authentic. At the end of the day, there isn’t anything you’re going to put in your wedding that someone else hasn’t already done before,” Simony points out. “So, we stayed true to us and made sure that everything had a purpose, regardless of if it was trendy. The most important thing was that we had a personal connection to each detail that will still mean something to us when we look back twenty years from now.” It was a state of mind that perfectly complemented their setting, as well. “The first vacation we ever took as a couple was to Provincetown. Now we go there twice a year — it’s very special to us,” says Mayvin. “We decided on Kalmar Village and Truro Vineyards because they could accommodate all of our needs, and North Truro is right next to P-town.” When the big weekend finally came around, Simony and Mayvin arrived the Thursday before the wedding to start setting up. Their guests then started trickling in on Friday, just in time for the couple's Lemonade-themed welcome cookout. “It was great because we were able to greet our friends and family as they got there and introduce them to everyone else,” Mayvin says. That night, the couple and their guests settled into their individual cottages at Kalmar Village (with some staying up late to hang by the bonfires). The next day was then left open for everyone to explore the Cape, party some more and welcome additional incoming guests. By Saturday’s end, Simony and Mayvin’s eighty or so loved ones had been dubbed “the hive” — a fitting squad name considering the fact that the two are beekeepers. Then, though the forecast called for torrential downpours on Sunday, September 9, only a few showers passed through that morning, clearing up just in time for a mild (if a bit chilly) wedding day. Getting ready separately, Simony put on a fabulous, pink Basix Black Label gown while Mayvin slipped into a vintage-inspired Jenny Packham number. They came back together in an open field on Kalmar Village’s grounds that afternooon for the ceremony, where they each walked down the aisle to Rihanna’s “American Oxygen,” surrounded by a sea of white. “Mayvin and I met at a Labor Day Party where everyone was wearing white,” Simony explains. “So, the dress code for our guests was a tribute to that.” The ceremony itself was just as conscientious. Positioned in front of a beautiful hexagon arch that Mayvin constructed herself (“It’s supossed to be reminiscent of honeycomb,” Mayvin says. “Hexagons are the strongest shape in nature, so it also represented a strong foundation of love.”), the brides first heard a few words from their officiants: Patrick, Simony’s Godson, and Ronnie, the couple's good friend. “They wrote their parts of the ceremony separately, but somehow they ended ENGAGED IN SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND 2020 | 153