Olivia & Artem
traditional meets modern aesthetic . “ Our vendors did an amazing job bringing our vision to life .” She and Artem also wanted a venue located in-between Boston and New Jersey with a destination wedding feel . Belle Mer ticked all the boxes . “ It was the first and only venue we visited ,” Olivia explains . “ We fell in love with the clean lines of the venue and its panoramic views of the ocean .”
The Process : The couple had the venue and most of the vendors fully booked just a few months prior to the pandemic ’ s start . “ At that time , we both were working in the hospital caring for COVID patients , so the rest of the plans took a back seat ,” Olivia says . “ By the summer , we realized COVID was not going anywhere , and that our wedding day was going to look a little different than what we had imagined .” Fortunately , their vendors remained supportive throughout . “ Our wedding planner , Danielle , played a huge role in keeping us positive and excited . She always ensured us that it would be perfect no matter what ,” Olivia says . The guest count underwent the biggest change , only getting finalized just three days before the big day . On a bright note , Olivia says the wedding ’ s smaller , more intimate nature allowed them to spend more time with each guest and truly enjoy the day for themselves .
The First Look : “ We wanted to be able to really take in the moment just the two of us and share any emotions we had with each other ,” Olivia recalls . “ There is so much going on leading up to that moment and the minute we saw each other we were immediately at ease . It made us excited to walk down the aisle !”
The Meet Cute : Those medical dramas may just be on to something , after all : These two New Jersey natives first became smitten during their medical residency training .
The Engagement : On the way back home from a trip to Boston , Artem surprised Olivia with what she thought was a spur of the moment stop-off at the scenic Tower Hill Botanic Garden in Boylston , Massachusetts . In actuality , the whole day had been meticulously planned out . “ He took us to the top of an overlook , where he got down on one knee and proposed !” Olivia recalls .
The Vision : “ I always envisioned being surrounded by candles , flowers and neutral colors — lots of creams and whites with natural greenery ,” Olivia says of the wedding ’ s
The Game : During the reception , the newlyweds chose to partake in the sometimes divisive , yet always fun , wedding shoe game . For the unfamiliar , this involves each party holding their own shoe in one hand and their partner ’ s shoe in the other . They sit in chairs back-to-back and when asked a question ( think : “ who ’ s most likely to …?”), they must raise the shoe of the person they think it best applies to . So , were there any surprises ? “ We were mostly on the same page , but there were definitely a few , like when we were asked who the better cook is , we both picked ourselves !” Olivia laughs .
The Highlights : Easy . “ Walking down the aisle as husband and wife !”
The Advice : “ The wedding planning process will be stressful no matter what ,” Olivia says . “ Try to make it fun : have a glass of wine when you and your partner sit down to tackle planning .”
96 | ENGAGED IN SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND 2022