“Stay here with me”
4 words echo in Berenice’s memories. The same ones that echoed a whisper of promise, love and eternal bond on a Sunday in mid-November. An intimate ceremony set along the most picturesque beach, loved ones witnessed the divine union of two souls, intertwined forever. Berenice and Ben.
Gushing over their magical relationship, Berenice shares with the WFML team about the couple’s unforgettable moments, her wedding and styling vision, and some advice they’d give future brides who are planning their own wedding.
“Marriage means to commit to deepening and upgrading our connection for the rest of our lives. It means to level up together and hold each other to our own expansion. It means to know that we choose each other for all our gifts and imperfections, and that we always nurture the desire to lean in when we most want to lean away. It means love, and seeing each other, Now.”
Search for Love
What started as an unassuming conversation in a seemingly vast void of Tinder matches, turned out to be soulmates meeting at the right time. Sifting and swiping through profiles, a phrase stopped Berenice in her tracks.
“Open Heart, Open Mind.”
Her eyes shifted towards the name.
Ben.
Feeling a sense of hope (and relief from the bizarre photos from some of the profiles), Berenice added Ben on Instagram. And thus begins the blooming of their relationship. They spoke every single day for weeks on end, exchanging back-and-forth conversations that were filled with patience, understanding and deeply moving questions that allowed the couple to get to know each other intimately.
Eventually, one day, Ben spontaneously asked Berenice to jump on for their first video call. Having just showered and appearing fresh-faced without any makeup, Berenice was initially reluctant, but Ben reassured her.
“We had our first video call, and he told me I was beautiful. Then he made me swear I wouldn’t wear makeup on our second date and continued to win me over with his open heart and open mind.”
The Proposal (With a Touch of Humour)
During a vacation at Oeschinen Lake, Switzerland, Ben told Berenice that he wanted to help film some content for her business. Flying his drone out, he asked Berenice to stand at the edge of the cliff to get the perfect shot. And in the next moment, the proposal played out exactly like a rom-com scene! With everything in place, Ben reached out and placed his hands on her shoulders and said,
“Ber, I choose you forever.”
He knelt down on one knee. Took the ring out from his pocket. And the next moment…
“Oh, my back!”
When Ben did ask Berenice for her hand in marriage, she couldn’t stop crying for about 15 minutes before she wholeheartedly said YES.
Vision for The Perfect Gown
A free-spirited and eccentric soul, Berenice had no idea what kind of fabric, colour, or silhouette she wanted for her wedding gown. Looking back on her dress shopping experience, she divulged that she only had bits of fuzzy ideas in her head, which was hard to articulate into words.
“I want to look like I stepped out of a forest pool naked, covered in leaves, with a waterfall pouring down from my waist.”
That’s the only request Berenice wanted. And while it was a tall order, our Dress Designer, Vanessa, loved Berenice’s unique style and worked together with her to bring her vision to life. During the appointment, the pair pulled different designs together until Berenice was fawning over what her dream gown could look like. After experimenting with different looks, Berenice was standing in a custom dress that she could envision herself on her wedding day.
Then, Vanessa appeared with some fabric.
And in the next moment, Berenice was fixated on the mirror, eyes lit up, and in a gown that she did not want to take off. The highlight that made her dress complete:
Sheer embroidered sleeves.
The perfect accessory that Berenice felt transformed the dress from beautiful and elegant to sensational and timeless.
“It was effortless, radiant, exciting and one of my favourite memories from the wedding! Vanessa was down-to-earth, open, creative and curious. I had my bride tribe there and they gushed over everything and anything I wanted, while Vanessa met every request with a sparkle in her eye. She was refreshingly creative and responded to my poorly articulated ideas with endless enthusiasm. So we experimented until I walked away with the most unique and beautiful dress design, I had ever imagined in my entire life. She had helped me make a dress I had never seen before, that fit my style of classy elven bridal goddess, perfectly. I left the boutique already knowing I had chosen my dress and dressmaker.”
That said, Berenice still had to be a responsible bride, going around different bridal shops to make sure she was not making a rash decision. But that only confirmed that she found her perfect dress at When Freddie Met Lilly.
The Big Day and The Big Promise
While the entire day seemed to pass by in a blur, Berenice reminisced the exact moment when time stood still. The moment when the whole world seemed to fall away.
The duo were standing at the altar, facing each other. Reciting her vows that she had just finished the morning of, Berenice utters a scared promise from the very depths of her soul, one that she had intentionally crafted to keep true for life. In her words, “Words are spells, so when we cast them - we code dreams into reality.” And that was what she intended to do.
When the duo were officially married by their friend and officiant, all of Berenice’s senses seemed to be amplified, especially within the space that had fallen silent to witness the union. Everything was deafeningly quiet, except Berenice’s own soft crying escaping from her lips ever so often. Not knowing what was happening around her, she could only feel Ben’s hands firmly holding her still, and she heard the most heartwarming sentence:
“Stay here with me”
Berenice chest cracked open as she gave her life to him at that every moment, her soul feeling like she was dancing and floating on air.
And the cherry on top of their cermonious day (apart from being with both their entire families), was how all her wedding plans came together in a stunning vision. Inspired by the ocean and her dried evergreen bouquet, speckles of Mediterranean whites, beige, turquoise-ocean blues and lush green adorned the venue as it came together in a vibrant boho chic theme. Even the cake was on brand, showing the amalgamation of the couple’s journey: a radiant, flowing river of their evolving relationship.
From Bride to Bride-to-Be: Advice For Future Brides
- Walk slowly down the aisle. Even stop and take everything in. It will be over before you know it, so savour the moment. Future you will thank you because you will remember every breathtaking, heart-cracking moment of that ceremony.
- Get a badass bride tribe and an awesome Best Man. You wouldn't have to plan anything then. :)
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After you’ve said your vows at the altar and kissed, take a moment to gaze into each other’s eyes and be still. Let the moment last for an eternity.
One for the Memories
Berenice's dress has not seen its last days just yet. The couple are actually thinking of wearing them out to dinner one day or have another photoshoot in Bali. Talk about romanticising life and living in the moment!
To Berenice, we absolutely loved every moment with you – from meeting to taking care of you and your beautiful gals. We wish you and Ben all the love and joy to last a lifetime. You guys make the most stunning and cutest couple.
From WFML x
Vendor Tags:
Celebrant: @thejacoboneill
MC/DJ and Best Man: @dj_garrysheba
Wedding Venue: @babalou_weddings_events
Bride: @berbreathwork
Cake: @marinamachadocakes
