Samantha & Roberto
could still get married that day , we wanted to , regardless of if we could have guests ,” she says . “ We just continued to plan as best we could .” While the couple was fortunate to be able to keep their original date and venue , the guest capacity regulations were constantly in flux . As a result , they frequently changed their menu , wedding cake and seating arrangements . They even whittled their original guest list down from 100 to twenty-five , but then , two weeks before the wedding , Massachusetts increased its indoor limits . “ Ultimately , we decided to have fifty guests so it would feel more like a celebration ,” Samantha says . “ To our surprise , we loved the smaller , more intimate feel , which wouldn ' t have been an option for us before COVID . We felt it gave us more time to interact with our guests and enjoy our wedding .”
The Venue : Samantha says Saphire Estate had everything they were looking for in a venue : beautiful outdoor ceremony grounds ; a gorgeous , newly constructed cocktail space ; and endless photo opportunities , especially by the lake .
The Ceremony : “ Hearing each other recite our vows was a beautiful moment because it ’ s the base of our marriage and really shows the love we have for each other ,” Samantha says .
The First Dance : Samantha and Roberto went with the modern classic , “ All Of Me ” by John Legend . “ We always loved the song and felt like it described how we felt about each other perfectly ,” Samantha explains .
The Hiccup : On the morning of the wedding , the trolley meant to transport the soon-to-be-weds to their venue broke down . Fortunately , “ the limo company was amazing ,” says Samantha . “ They immediately sent a different vehicle and everything stayed on schedule .” She and Roberto had previously decided that if anything were to go awry on their big day , they would accept it was out of their control and not get upset . “ I think that was the best decision we made ,” she says .
The Meet Cute : Fate certainly hit the nail on the head with this one . “ We met through work . I was a vendor at a local hardware store where he was an employee ,” says Samantha .
The Engagement : Five years later , the couple took a vacation to Florida to visit Roberto ’ s parents . During a romantic dinner cruise around Tampa Bay , they made their way to the top deck where Roberto got down on one knee right at sunset .
The Process : Samantha is the first to admit that wedding planning during a global pandemic was , well , stressful , to put it mildly . And yet : “ We knew that as long as we
The Highlights : “ Our favorite part of the day was definitely the first look . We had wanted to do one because we knew it would give us more opportunities for pictures and to spend more time enjoying our wedding . Beforehand , we were anticipating what each other would look like and whether the other person would cry . It was exciting for the both of us . Not only did it let us get out any nerves we had before the ceremony , but it was the only time throughout the whole wedding when it was just the two of us . Being able to see each other ’ s authentic reaction is a moment neither of us will ever forget .” — Samantha and Roberto .
116 | ENGAGED IN SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND 2022