This wedding is featured in the current issue of Virginia Bride Magazine.
Virginia Bride features weddings weekly here on the blog. Being featured in the blog does not necessarily mean they are featured in the print magazine.
THE FACTS:
THE BRIDE: Maria Brasco, 30, Director of Social Media
THE GROOM: Felix Wurmbach, 30, Attorney
THE DATE: 5/28/22
THE LOCATION: Mimosa Barn Cape Charles, VA
THE NUMBER OF GUESTS: 130
Maria and Felix
This couple may not have shared love at first sight, but Maria and Felix celebrated their unique love story with a sweet wedding ceremony at the Mimosa Barn in Cape Charles.
Maria described the way the couple met at work. “Felix and I first met at Adelphia’s where he was a bouncer, and I was a waitress. He asked me out, and I ignored him (we can laugh about this now). We later reconnected at Rowan University during our senior year of college. Felix played football, and I was the sideline reporter. I asked him for some help. We’ve been together since.”
The couple dated for six years before finally living in the same state as each other again. Felix decided to propose when they were in Philadelphia after they shared dinner in Dilworth Park. Maria wrote, “It was incredible, and we were on a high all night.”
For the wedding, Maria did most of the planning before hiring a planner for the last six weeks before the big day. Maria has a self-declared type-A personality. She wanted her hands on everything during the planning process. She said, “It was definitely a lot and was overwhelming at times. As we got closer and all the smaller ticket items came up, I was so glad to have Amber Justine Events. It honestly was worth every dime and made our whole day go so smoothly. Amber and her team crushed it.”
Maria’s gown was an A-line ivory gown from Essence of Australia. Maria said that her seamstress, Monica Parisi Velez, cut a slit in the seam to give that special “pop” to the dress. She added, “My veil came from Etsy (Prim & Prairie), my necklace was custom by Desimone Jewelers, and the bracelet was my mom’s.”
Maria chose dresses for her bridesmaids from Mumu Weddings. They wore the Claire Midi Dress in Soft Beige Chiffon. She said, “I liked that the dresses were neutral and customizable with the ties. I had nine bridesmaids and one junior bridesmaid, each of different heights and sizes. The dresses fit everyone wonderfully and are definitely something they can wear again. The guys’ tuxes were rentals from a local store, in a dark navy with navy trim. Felix’s tux had a black trim on the lapel. Felix had six groomsmen and one junior groomsman.”
For their special day, they chose the Mimosa Barn venue for their ceremony and reception. Maria said, “The stunning bar is completely set off the beaten path with tall trees. There’s a small inlet that is in the foreground, and the views are just gorgeous. We got married under the trees and enhanced the natural beauty of the space. It had rained hard the week prior. I was so worried about the weather! But the day turned out beautiful: sunny and 75 degrees.”
Maria had a specific vision for the wedding florals. She said, “I wanted all ivory roses. Simple, elegant, and timeless. We had roses trail up the two trees behind us during the ceremony and roses popping out of the ground down the aisle. This was a last-minute addition, but I’m so glad we did it. The bridesmaids’ bouquets had ivory and blush roses.”
The couple chose to write their own vows, which, Maria admitted, scared her a bit. She said, “How can you encompass seven-plus years together? We both had a great mixture of sentimental and humor in our written vows. I centered mine around how no matter where we are, he’s my home. His was a little more lighthearted and made promises like, ‘When your family is ganging up on you at Sunday pasta, I promise to take your side even if I think you’re wrong’.”
The couple wanted to celebrate their ancestry in their wedding celebration. Maria said, “Felix was born in Germany and moved to America at six. I’m Italian-American and born and raised in South Jersey. We had a prayer read in English by my brother-in-law, Tyler, and Felix’s Uncle Thomas read it in German.”
For their cocktail hour, Maria and Felix offered signature cocktails, including a spicy “Maria-rita” and a Melo Mule named after their dog. While guests drank these delights, music from Frank Sinatra, Etta James, and Nat King Cole played.
Menu highlights from their celebration included smoked duck on brioche with apple relish and mustard aioli, veggie spring rolls, bacon-wrapped scallops, and a roaming raw bard. For mains, they served chicken with goat cheese, cherries, and a balsamic reduction, braised beef short ribs, and butternut squash ravioli. For a late-night snack, they offered a French fry bar and mini milkshakes. Maria and Felix shared a simple cake of vanilla chiffon with white chocolate mousse and vanilla buttercream.
Maria admits that on the day, of all the things she forgot, it was shaving her legs. “No one could see, and it wasn’t that bad, but I did panic in the bus on our way to the venue.”
One of the most unique gifts they received and loved came from Felix’s German relatives. “Felix’s family from Germany found a creative way to give us Euros for our trip to Italy. His aunt and uncle cut out photos of us and placed them on top of magazine cutouts of different places in Italy, then rolled up Euros to go along with each stop. It was very sweet, and lots of thought was put into it which meant the most.”
INGREDIENTS LIST:
CEREMONY SITE & RECEPTION SITE: Mimosa Barn, Paula Wells (Cape Charles, VA) Events@mimosabarn.com
PHOTOGRAPHY: Fredericks Photo & Film, Shawna Fredericks (VA): shawna@fredericksphotoandfilms.com
VIDEOGRAPHY: Fredericks Photo & Film, Chris Fredericks (VA): shawna@fredericksphotoandfilms.com
PLANNER: Amber Justine Events, Amber Brady (VA): amber@amberjustine.com
OFFICIANT: Ben Roybal (Los Angeles, CA)
GOWN: Essense of Australia, bought at the Bridal Garden in NJ.
VEIL: Prim & Prairie, Etsy
SHOES: Harlo AU, (Australia)
BRIDE HAIR & MAKEUP: Bongiorno Bella, Phylicia Bongiorno Kalivoda (Pittsburgh, PA)
BRIDESMAIDS’ HAIR & MAKEUP: Michele Turns North (Cape Charles, VA): michele.renae.lewis@gmail.com
BRIDESMAID DRESSES: Mumu Weddings (online)
FORMALWEAR: Lifestyle Tuxedo (Sewell, NJ)
INVITATIONS: Designed in Canva & printed at Rowan University ☺
FLOWERS: East Beach Flowers, Dawn McFadden (VA): 757-692-3296 or dawn.mcfadden@icloud.com
RENTAL EQUIPMENT: Eastern Shore Rentals: eseventsandrentals@gmail.com
CATERING & CAKE: Chef by Design Catering Co. (Norfolk, VA): 757.496.3900 or emily@chefbydesigncatering.com MUSIC Ceremony and Reception
DANCE LESSONS: The LaPierre Ballroom Dance Studio (Glassboro, NJ): (856) 307-9464
TRANSPORTATION: Orange Peel (Virginia Beach, VA): transport@orangepeeltransportation.com or 757.463.7500
ACCOMMODATIONS: Hotel Cape Charles & Cape Charles Rentals
HONEYMOON: Journey House, Teresa Wilds (Oklahoma City, OK): teresa@journeyhouse.com or 405.463.5808
If you are planning a wedding in Roanoke Virginia, Richmond Virginia, Fredericksburg/Northern Virginia, The Shenandoah Valley, Coastal Virginia or in Charlottesville/ Lynchburg Va. we can help with your wedding planning and ideas.
