Andrea and Ryan @Rehoboth Country Club, mkPhotography ~ Delaware Beach Wedding Photographers
The Details:
Dress: Davinci Bridal, #8251 – with added crystals
Shoes: Touch Ups (dyeable shoes) in “Robin”- dyed blue to match the bridesmaids dresses
Bridesmaids Dresses: Bill Levkoff, #670 in Horizon Blue
Flowers: Elena’s Florist of Middletown, DE. There were mixes of blue hydrangea, light and dark blue delphinium, white roses and white fresia.
Stationary: theextradetail.com
Hair & Makeup: Made Ya Look! Salon in Rehoboth, DE
Venue & Caterer: Rehoboth Beach Country Club
Cake: Cakes by Jane, Lincoln, DE
Video: All Occasion Video (AOV) of Wilmington, DE
Photobooth: The Wilmington Photo Booth Co.
Music: Just Kidding Around Entertainment of Felton, DE
How They Met
Says the Bride:
I went for a night out on the town at the University of Delaware in late March for one of my best friend’s birthdays. GIRLS NIGHT OUT! We were all about having fun, dancing, and making sure that Rachel (my MOH) enjoyed her 21st birthday! After we had visited a few bars, we walked in to Grotto’s Pizza to meet someone. As luck would have it, Ryan was sitting at the table with them. There were three guys, and Ryan was in the middle. I distinctively remember turning to Erin and saying “The one in the middle is cute!” Unfortunately, I was unavailable at the time. Over the next month or two, I began to get to know Ryan. He seemed like such a great catch! So, it became my mission over the next month to set this guy up with one of my friends. During this time, things with my “last years dooze” as my brothers liked to tease me about, ended. I continued my mission to set Ryan up with one of my friends but somehow I kept giving in when he would ask me to meet him at Grotto’s for a beer and some photohunt. As much as I knew he was in to ME and not one of my friends, I wasn’t ready. Over the summer we grew a little apart. I was at home in New Jersey living it up and Ryan was in Delaware. It wasn’t until homecoming in late October that we rekindled our feelings yet again… at Grotto’s! We began seeing each other and spending more time together. It wasn’t until he showed me a text on his old beater phone from months ago that he never deleted and had saved from me saying “Happy Birthday Ryan” that I knew how much he cared. That December, I finally gave in! Years later, every time we go to Grotto’s, I can’t help but think of that cute boy in the corner and how now he’s mine!
Says the Groom:
Given the frequency of how often I attended Newark Grotto’s I should have known all along that is where I’d meet my future wife. It was a weekday in March and Andrew wanted to meet up to catch some March Madness action. I couldn’t tell you one winner or who even played in any of the games but what I will always remember is seeing Andrea walk through those doors with her girlfriends. Luckily we had a mutual friend that would introduce us and I knew I liked her from the start. Not much was said in our initial meeting but she certainly left a memorable impression. Over the next few months we’d begin to talk, I’d pick Andrea up in my car, we’d grab a few beers, play PhotoHunt hundreds of times, and make several late night trips cruising around Newark. Summer before her Senior year came around and as I like to say, she put me on the backburner. But I knew she was swimming around like a fish that had been hooked. I kept feeding the line slack so she could do her own thing for a while but I knew I had her. And then BAM! Homecoming 2010 comes around and I started reeling her in. We began hanging out again and finally on December 18th (it actually was the 17th but due to her even number obsession I agreed we could push it to the 18th) of that year while hanging out w/ friends I asked Andrea to by my girlfriend!
The Proposal
Says the Groom:
So the plans for The Proposal started somewhere around September or so of 2011. I knew prior to that that I’d be marrying Andrea one day but it was at this time that I actually started the planning on how I’d propose. I knew I wanted to make it special and a little different than the norm but there was one thing above all that I had to make sure of, it HAD to be an even day month and year. Andrea loves even numbers and I knew if I picked an odd day or month I’d hear it. We had been talking about going to Florida in April 2012 and I had thought about doing it then but knew I couldn’t wait that long. So the only month prior to that would have to be February. I looked over the calendar and while looking over the even days in February and what day of the week they would be I narrowed my list of possible dates. While looking over the possible dates I came to the realization that 2 years, 2 months, and 2 days after me and Andrea had officially become boyfriend and girlfriend would fall on Monday February 20th, 2012. The stars couldn’t have aligned any better for an even day to propose so I knew this would be the day it all would take place. Over the next few months I would buy the ring, make sure I got help from a friend to take pictures while I proposed, and start creating the backstories that would eventually add up so she’d have no clue that I was going to propose.
It was finally getting closer to the big day and I knew I had to find a reason for us two to be headed down to Rehoboth for the evening without her getting suspicious. So I called my dad and let him know the proposal was coming soon. Since my mom’s birthday is February 19th I knew I’d be able to just tell her we’d be heading to the beach for a birthday dinner with her. Just to make sure there wasn’t the suspicion of me telling her we’d be going down there I had dad call and ask her out to dinner for a “surprise” dinner for mom. Since it was coming from my dad, Andrea surely believed it and our reason for heading to the beach seemed totally plausible.
So fast forward to February and it was the weekend prior to the big day. I was at Brad’s bachelor party in the mountains of West Virginia and all I could think about was when the time would finally be here that I’d be proposing. Not only was I nervous about that Monday coming up but there was also the fact that since we were in the mountains there was absolutely no cell service. This meant if anything pertaining to the plans needed to be changed it would have to be a last minute call when I’d be returning from West Virginia early Monday morning. To add to that I decided not to tell anyone besides four people that I’d be proposing: my dad so that I could trick Andrea on why we were going to the beach, Andrea’s Vice Principal so that she’d have Tuesday off, my friend who would take pictures of the proposal happening, and of course Andrea’s dad. I thought about telling the guys while we were chilling during the bachelor party but held back because I wanted as many people as possible to be surprised. Throughout the weekend I kept telling Andrew and Dave (who I had rode with) that we had to leave very early Monday morning and I’d be more than happy to drive. I figured if I really had to I’d tell them the reason for leaving so early but luckily they agreed without questioning why we had to leave at the crack of dawn. Oh and the night before we were set to head out, of course my phone w/ little to no service starts telling the wrong time and I am freaking out because I was deathly afraid I’d wake up well past the time I had planned to leave. A few nightmares of that exact situation happening later, my phone actually managed to get its act together and we woke up on time and headed on our 8 hour trip back East.
After speeding my way from West Virginia to Delaware we finally made it back to our house in Wilmington, just in time for me to pick up my bag for the night and get back in the car headed to pick up Andrea. I made it to Andrea’s house and we were on our way to the beach! At one point in the ride Andrea asked why my hands were so sweaty, I just said I don’t know and went on. If she had asked again I was already planning to say I was still hungover from a long weekend. As we were headed to the beach I had planned another well time call by my dad to Andrea with him saying they’d be late for my mom’s surprise birthday dinner. This would mean we’d be getting there earlier than my parents and give us some time to kill. My plan was to just tell Andrea we could walk on the boardwalk for a bit, but luck would have it that she actually suggested it, everything was going great and just as planned!
We finally made it and parked on Rehoboth Avenue sometime around 4:30. Through texting I knew my friend who would be taking pictures was already down there and ready for it all to unfold. As Andrea took a quick pit stop I waved to my friend and everything was a go! Andrea and I walked to the boardwalk, with my mom’s birthday presents in hand and I asked Andrea if we could sit down on the benches real quick. We both sat down and I said to her that one of my mom’s gifts was actually meant for her and not my mom. A bit surprised Andrea starting opening the gift and it was a book which contained photos of us both throughout the past few years. Finally getting to the end of the book, the last two pages were left blank only with the day’s date 2/20/12 and 2 years, 2 months, 2 days written across the top. And this was the point where Andrea and I actually have no clue what was said, but we do agree that I did propose and instead of yes she gave me an “ABSOLUTELY!!!!” I then explained to Andrea that the girl taking pictures on the boardwalk was actually my friend Kylie who I had taking pictures of the whole thing and that those pictures would fill the last pages of the book I just gave her. We then proceeded to have a few pictures taken so we could remember the night forever.
After telling our close friends and family that we had gotten engaged we spent the rest of the night doing a nice little bar crawl through Rehoboth on a quiet February night and just enjoyed ourselves to the fullest! The next day we made our way to the Dogfish Head Brewery for a tour and spent the rest of the day relaxing and getting used to our new titles!
Says the Bride:
So WHEN did he propose- 2 yrs 2 months and 2 days after we became boyfriend and girlfriend to meet my even number ocd. Feb 20, 2012.
WHERE- We were engaged on the boardwalk in Rehoboth! That’s why we chose to have the wedding down at the RBCC. It was the perfect choice. I never had the vision for a full beach wedding but I knew I wanted to get married outside. When we went to the country club and saw the beautiful views in front of the ocean I couldn’t help but think of how perfect it would be to walk down to that green with my father and marry Ryan. My father grew up in Massachusetts and I always related the water to him and my Aunt Carol. I just KNEW they would love it too!
I would describe our wedding as beachy but with an emphasis on starfish, sea glass, and message in the bottle theme. Most people would consider us a very fun couple who is always read to have a good time. We also really enjoy the Phillies. I had a groomsman cake made for Ryan for our rehearsal dinner that was shaped as the Phillies Phanatic. We also attached the garter to a baseball to be thrown to all the men. We also came out to a choreographed dance to Levels Remix by Avicci. We looked like fools, it was perfect.
My favorite moments- My dads amazing speech, watching my aunts and older neighbors from home bust a move on the dance floor with my younger friends, and seeing everyone having an amazing time. Not to mention the MANY people that told me it was the best wedding they have ever been to!
Not to mention our amazing photographers!!!! Thank you Jana and Mike!
