This is my last post as the Florentine Fiancée..after all I am now Mrs. Flame! This blog has been such a great outlet for me to plan my wedding from top to bottom. I am so happy with the way everything turned out and so grateful to have so many incredible people by my side, especially the love of my life Tony. If there is anything I learned through this whole process it’s that planning a wedding is a whole lot easier when you are with the right person and I am so lucky to have found the one. I hope people can learn or even just enjoy reading my thoughts on becoming a fiancée and finally turning into a wife. Until the next blog! (Guess what that is going to be!?!)

Love,
Victoria

Tony and I had the best honeymoon! It was all about tapping into our spiritual side, being more in touch with nature and full on relaxing. Ojai was not a long journey from Malibu so it was great not dealing with too much travel time. We checked into the Capri hotel and took in the retro ambiance immediately. We hung out in the cabana near the pool and hit the hot tub. There were old VHS movie rentals for the rooms and we decided to watch the Princess Bride that night together:)

The next couple days were spent eating the best Ojai had to offer, horseback riding, enjoying couples massages, exploring meditation mount, and learning more about each others spiritual presence at Soul Centered. It was such a cleansing and peaceful stay I wish it just could have been longer. Here are some photos!

So much planning, so much prep and then it finally came! It was everything I could have dreamed for and so much more! Were there a few imperfections? Yes. But nothing to take away from the beauty of the day. I loved seeing Tony, taking pictures, walking down the aisle, listening to the toasts, tossing the bouquet, and dancing the night away! Oh there was a lot of dancing! We also got a martini bar tossed in for a couple hours which was so nice for some of our guests:) The pictures turned out great- our sparkler exit was a win! I even surprised Tony with his very own grooms cake and he was blown away! Here are the official pictures brought to you by the best there is SherriJ. Please enjoy as I wrap up this blog of mine:

On the day of my wedding my bridesmaids got me the best gift: a Bridal Survival Kit. I came out of the bathroom and there it was in a cute little Victoria’s Secret box. I opened it up and just started laughing so loudly. It contained everything I could ever need; mainly a lot of tampons. The best part was the little notes from the girls on their own customized stationary. Rachel’s note, written on a Hyatt note pad; Sonya’s note, written on a torn out piece of journal paper; and Stacy’s note, on a perfectly enveloped card. I was so happy they had all put this together and surprised me with it:)

My grandmother made my wedding veil for me!

The morning of my wedding day was surreal. I had just woken up from such a strange dream. I dreamt that my entire wedding had happened but I had no memory of it and I had woken up with Tony in the Honeymoon Suite and he let me know that the whole thing had gone perfectly. I was sad at first because I thought I missed it but then decided I would see the video later and was happy to be in his arms.

So when I actually woke up next to my mom and realized the wedding hadn’t happened yet I was very happy! I wanted to go down to breakfast but my mom said no and that people could not see me before the wedding. She said to order room service. I was stunned; never had I ordered room service in my life! So then I ordered cinnamon french toast and a side of bacon. My mom left to start setting up at Calamigos and I had some time to take it all in…everything not just the breakfast. I signed for the room service as Victoria Heidelberger and I thought that would be the last time I signed that name.

My girls started arriving as did the Susie Chhor make up team. We all took turns in the chairs and everyone’s hair and makeup was turning out perfectly. I had everyone sign the bottom of my Kate Spade shoe with a blue marker; wishing me luck and being my something blue! My MOH Jackie arrived with some strawberries and champagne for us all and we toasted to the day. There was a calmness in the air as we played good music and talked about what was to come.

The last time I saw Tony before the wedding I went to his room for a goodnight kiss and to make sure he was doing ok. Always the protector he was shielding me from some family drama that I didn’t know about and I appreciated it. I kissed him on the elevator and said goodnight and that I would see him soon. Fortunately I got a text from him later that night:

One last I love you before the I do <3

Wedding weekend continued with our welcome party at Bellini Osteria. We had around 40 guests come out to the outdoor patio and Tony and I formed a welcome line and greeted every person as they came in. It was so great getting to spend some one-on-one time with everyone before the wedding day. I kept up with all of the names and had a chance to talk to Tony’s cousins from Wisconsin and see my friends and family as well. We ordered pizza and calamari to snack on and of course had wine with signature bellini’s. People asked us if we were nervous but we just smiled and said we were excited. It was so much fun I didn’t want to leave. Closing time came and I told people I would see them at the wedding!