Sara Brosious, founder and owner of her namesake bridal accessories brand, and Jonathan Brosious met online in 2008, “when internet dating was just starting,” she says. Jon was the third guy she went on a date with—he drove into the city from New Jersey. “Several of Jon’s friends joined this dating site together as sort of a joke. I don’t think either of us thought we would meet our significant other.”
Around two years later, he proposed at his mom’s home in Westchester on Easter weekend. Jon enlisted his young nephews to hide the ring in an Easter basket and place it under a nearby tree. While he took Sara on a walk around the neighborhood, he “stumbled” upon the basket and got down on one knee.
Since Sara grew up in Central Florida, they decided on hosting their wedding in Winter Park—also so the mother-of-the-bride could help with planning. “I wanted a romantic, vintage-inspired garden wedding, and the Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens had the perfect view overlooking a lake,” Sara says. And for the reception, the couple chose the Winter Park Farmer’s Market in a converted former train station. Sara and Jon set the date for June 18, 2011, and At Last Wedding + Event Design took over to bring their vision to life.
Below, Sara shares how she redesigned her mother’s wedding gown, the trend she wishes was around when she got married, her favorite part of her reception, and more:
How did you choose what you wore?
“As a womenswear designer by trade, I knew I wanted to design my own gown. I was fascinated by the idea of redesigning my mom’s gown, and when my mom gave me the go-ahead, I was sold on the idea. Sleeves were coming back in style, and I knew I wanted something feminine and fitted in the hips and waist to accentuate my best features.”
“Once I decided on a garden setting for the wedding, I worked with an amazing seamstress in NYC to create a custom pattern for me and use as much of my mom’s dress as possible. We cut the ’70s scalloped bell sleeves off and transformed them into short flutter sleeves; we also used most of the original lace bodice. We added a silk waistband, and I wanted a fit and flare skirt with lots of tulle and drama. I found Carolina Herrera floral taffeta I loved at Mood fabrics in NYC and used it as an under layer of the skirt to add a little color.”
“We even transferred the original silk covered buttons from my mom’s gown to my new dress. I also wore her original veil which was trimmed with the same scalloped lace as the sleeves.”
What’s one recent trend that you wish had been around when you got married?
“I love the bow trend. I have really enjoyed designing veils with 1960s-style bows in a modern, updated way. The Anna Blair Bow Veil and the Priscilla Bow Veil on Over The Moon are my style to a T! If headbands were as big as they are today, I would have also designed some fun headbands for my bridesmaids!”
What was your favorite part of the reception?
“My favorite part of the reception was my bridal party closing the reception, dancing together with high kicks singing ‘New York, New York.'”
What is one thing you would do differently if you could get married again?
“I think that everything happens for a reason—no regrets! I would say that I sometimes I wish we got married in a more intimate ceremony on an island, but then we would have missed out on so many family and friends being able to be a part of our special day, so I think we made the right choice. Also, I would not recommend getting married in June in Florida because of the heat!”
What’s one piece of marriage advice you like to give out?
“Marriage is a special bond and should be cherished! It won’t always be a fairytale, but if you love each other, you can get through anything. Celebrate your marriage year after year. We have a tradition of watching our wedding video every anniversary. This past year, our son, who is five, watched some of it with us!”
