Our Long Beach bride Jaclyn has waited so patiently for us to share her amazing photos! We’re happy to finally present her in her ballgown by Callista Bridal, a wedding dress line exclusive to Strut!
She wrote,
Our wedding day was more than I could have ever dreamed of. I felt absolutely gorgeous in my gown. So many people complimented the uniqueness and the beautiful gold tones of my gown, and they loved how it reminded them of a true fairy-tale wedding. I feel like women really struggle sometimes to feel as beautiful as they really are, and in my beautiful wedding gown with my hair and makeup done I actually FELT beautiful and confident. Tamiko has a genuine gift for matching bride’s with their perfect gown. She helped me through the entire selection process with humor, grace, and understanding. She is FANTASTIC.
My favorite moment was definitely seeing Stephen at the end of the aisle. He looked so handsome, and had the biggest grin on his face. We had worked so hard to get to that moment, between planning our wedding and fulfilling the requirements of the church, filming a TV show in the months leading up to the wedding, struggling with the loss of family members, and a slew of other events that had happened in those months – I knew at that moment that we had already survived so much together, and that this was our reward – a lifetime together with each other, as best friends, confidants, inseparable, and indestructible.
Our ceremony was extra special – Our Priest, Fr.John Collins, was the same priest that baptized me just months before the wedding, and our lectors and presenters of the gifts during our mass were all on the team that helped guide my faith formation, and eventually became like family to us. It’s such an amazing feeling being surrounded by those who you know truly love and support you.
Our big day was filled with so much love and family, and was bittersweet too- the Wednesday before our wedding Stephen lost his Grandma Ramirez (Maternal Grandma) and the week after our wedding, he lost his Grandma Doyle (Paternal Grandma). Because of these sad events though, his brother flew in from overseas where he was stationed in Okinawa to be with the family. So, our already uneven bridal party turned out to be even a little more uneven, but perfectly full in the best way. Stephen is one of 9 children, and this was the first time in a very long time that his whole immediate family was together in one place. We know that blessings often accompany heartbreak, and having all of his siblings there with us to celebrate was nothing short of a miracle.
At our reception, we had the privilege of recreating a first dance for my sister-in-law and her husband. Stephen had recorded their first dance on his cell phone (it was the only footage anyone had) and unfortunately his phone was lost one night while we were out on the town. Knowing we could never retrieve that precious footage, we decided to surprise them and let them have a chance at a second first dance. It made our day that much more special to really put the focus not just on us, but how much love we have for our family.
Everything about our wedding and reception was better than we expected. The food was fantastic, our DJ kept the perfect music playing all night, our flowers were stunning, and all of the small decorative touches that Stephen and I worked so hard on came together very nicely. It was definitely a day to remember.
A week later Stephen and I took off to Ireland for a 16 day honeymoon. We traveled around the whole island taking in the culture, and of course the beautiful scenery. Since then, we have been focusing on building our new life together. We sure are blessed!
Church: St. Robert Bellarmine Catholic Church, Burbank, CA
Presider: Fr. John Collins
Reception: Castaway Burbank
Bridesmaids Hair/Makeup: Kristin Askar and Team- Volume iii Salon, Burbank, CA
Brides Hair: Kristin Askar- Volume iii Salon, Burbank, CA
Brides Makeup: Self
Flowers: Flowers by Leah – Sunland, CA
Photography: Jenstar Photography, North Hollywood, CA
Cake: Jacqui’s Cake Creations, North Hollywood, CA
Grooms/Groomsman’s Attire: Mens Warehouse, Burbank, CA
Papergoods: Bride and Groom
We’re so happy she sent us these amazing photos of her ballgown by Callista Bridal – thanks for your patience, Jaclyn, and for being a Strut Bride! Best wishes from all of us at the Long Beach store!
How much is this dress worth
Aw, Pennie, we’re sorry to say it has been retired and is no longer available. We generally advise brides to budget about $2000 for a ballgown with lots of lace!