Would you just LOOK at that chuppah?! The all-white floral scheme, the mirrored columns, and above all, the height! Total masterpiece. And would you believe that every last detail of Melissa and Joey’s beautiful Jewish wedding is just as stunning?
Take Melissa’s jawdroppingly gorgeous Reem Acra gown. It’s truly the ultimate princess fantasy dress, with gorgeous detailing as far as the eye can see – don’t miss the closeups in El Marco Rojo’s exquisite photos of the day. Pure romance.
We’d also like to mention that Melissa and Joey had 420 (!) guests at their wedding – and yet they managed to assemble sweet welcome bags (made of straw and pompoms, channeling those beachy local vibes) for each and every one. The bags highlighted the couple’s wedding hashtag, #joeytienesasson (the bride’s last name is Sasson), and were stuffed with hangover packs, water, and welcome snacks– including some traditional Colombian sweets.
Oh, and this also happens to be Smashing The Glass’s first ever Colombian wedding, which we’re pretty jazzed about – read on for all the rest of the details…
How we met
Melissa, the bride: We met through mutual friends – our families had also known each other for many years. After a few years of getting to know each other, we met again at Joey’s cousin’s wedding and that is where our story really began.
I was living in Bogota, Colombia, and my husband Joey, lived in Miami, so we saw each other every 15 days or more if we could.
A Ballroom Wedding
We got married at Hotel Conrad, Cartagena de Indias, Colombia. The celebration took place in the hotel’s ballroom.
Pure Romance
Everything was super romantic, inspired by purity – we used lots of white with some golden touches and pale pinks. Sary Chaki was our wedding planner. In addition, Andres Cortes made the decoration and he did my bouquet.
A Reem Acra Dress
I wore a Reem Acra dress. I found it in Chernaya Bridal House, in the Design District in Miami.
Since I was young, I’ve always known I wanted my dress to be delicate, elegant, and sophisticated, with laces details and long sleeves. However, when the time came and I was searching for my dress I changed my mind. It’s different when you see the dresses on your body, with your personality.
I felt like this one was my dress because when I put it on I felt like myself – and because it made me cry!
My dress was an ivory princess cut, made of transparent tulle and embroidered with flowers and lace petals. In the inner part, there was another layer of cloth on the back embroidered with pure roses.
Accessories
My veil was from Chernaya Bridal House and we added some flowers made by Helmuth André Beltran.
The handsome groom
Joey’s suit, tie and shoes were from Dolce & Gabbana and his watch was from Rolex.
Flowers
Andres Cortes, the wedding decorator, made my bouquet. It had white orchids and roses with pale pink details.
Welcome Bags
For our guests we prepared some welcome bags made of straw, with white and yellow colors. We include our wedding hashtag, #joeytienesasson, and colorful pompons. In addition, we gave the men straw hats in different colors. We had hangover packs with our wedding logo and welcome snacks and water – popcorn, mani, salted “roscas”, sweet cookies, “cocadas” (traditional Colombian dessert) and dry food.
An Emotional Ceremony
We had an outside wedding in the most beautiful part of the hotel – there’s a golf course surrounded by palms which form a beautiful path, and you can see the sea behind everything. The sky was pink because it was sunset; the singer we had at the ceremony was incredible too.
The walk down the aisle with my parents and seeing my future husband there… it was super emotional; my heart was full of joy and emotions.
Let’s dance
Dancing the hora was a very special moment because we could feel the energy of being married, and releasing all the stress and energy that had built-up during the day.
Our first dance as a married couple was one of my top moments.
Welcome Party
The day before the wedding, we had a welcome party on the beach. That’s when we started to feel like our dream wedding was coming true and we were the protagonists.
Honeymoon in South Asia
We spent one month and a half travelling in South Asia. We went to Japan (Tokio, Kioto and Hakone), then Hong Kong, Vietnam (Hoian, Hanoi, and Halong Bay), Amanpulo’s Hotel in the Philippines, Bali (Ubud), Singapore, and then we ended the trip in Barcelona.
Advice to couples currently planning their wedding
First, do not stress yourself out! I know it sounds difficult, but know that everything is going to be perfect. The most important thing is the love between the couple, sometimes it’s easy to forget about the process during your engagement because you are so focused on the big day.
If you can, hire a wedding planner, you will be more relaxed and you will enjoy your wedding day and the process too. Also it is very important to take care of your loved one’s needs, and vice versa. Moreover, of course, ENJOY! Life passes sooo fast!
Melissa & Joey’s little white book
Photography – El Marco Rojo
Video – Al Agua Producciones
Wedding planner – Sary Chaki
Venue – Hotel Conrad
Bride’s dress – Reem Acra found and fitted at Chernaya Bridal House
Bride’s shoes – Badgley Mischka
Groom’s attire – Dolce & Gabbana and Rolex
Flowers – Andres Cortes
DJ – DJ Ariel Waldman
Cake – Myriam Camhi
Kippot – Kippot World
