Every so often, you encounter a romance that is not content to just be lavished on one another and, therefore, it spills out into the world around it in the form of service and a strong desire to help others. That is the kind of romance that Johanna and Gabriel have.
The moment we stepped foot in the room, we felt like we were welcome guests at the party instead of hired professionals. Johanna was kind and gracious, happily enjoying her morning of pampering and beautification – not that she needed any help there! Her heart shaped necklace that had been specially crafted by Gabriel, was delicately hanging about her neck. Such a sweet token of their love.
One of the most eye-catching details of their day was the special box that Gabriel had made for Johanna for when he proposed. He’d filled it with memories of their relationship and, hidden beneath a false bottom, was her engagement ring and he dropped to one knee and proposed.
Another thing to note about these two is that they are amazingly intelligent. Johanna is currently working for iOS as an engineer, while attending University of Pennsylvania. And Gabriel? He runs a biotech company that aims to cure cancer by developing a blood test that detects it very early. He’s been in his field for almost 6 years after graduating from Cornell and Penn. Holy wow, these two are smart. They each admit they are fairly big dorks. In fact, during their reception, they played a game where they had to answer questions to see who fit the category more. One question was, who is the bigger nerd, and they each hesitated for a moment, then, raised the others persons marker. It was adorable.
They had a very traditional Orthodox wedding, held in the same church where Sarah and Alex got married almost a year ago. Including a betrothal ceremony, which took place at the entrance to the sanctuary. Johanna’s father was a priest and helped perform the marriage ceremony.
The day flew by for us, a whirlwind of love and laughter. These two are completely wonderful together, and we know that they are even better together than they could have been apart.
Johanna and Gabriel, the sky is the limit for you two! We wish you many many years of growing love and plenty of laughs along the way.
xo, Ashley
The Amazing Professionals Who Made This Day Awesome
Bridesmaids Dresses | Alfred Sung
Bride’s Accessories | Heart shaped necklace designed by groom
Floral Design | Enchanted Florist
Ceremony Venue | St. Philips Orthodox Church
Reception Venue | St. Philips Orthodox Church
Caterer | KOKO BBQ
Cake | Bredenbeck’s
Rentals | Hess Tent
DJ | East Coast Events
