Beyond the Perfect Proposal: Pucciarellis in Paradise

Gabrielle and Nicholas met in July 2009 while Gabby was working a part time job next door to a pizzeria owned by Nick's friend. The pair were introduced by her boss at the time and Gabby says she knew Nick was the one the moment she met him. They have been together for over 7 years and have been engaged since December 2014.

Nick proposed to Gabby at Manhattan restaurant "One if by Land, Two if by Sea." with an engraved spoon that read "will you marry me?"

Gabby and Nick decided to do something unique for their wedding day and planned for a destination wedding in Montego Bay, Jamaica on January 14, 2017. Gabby shares her planning advice and words of wisdom for brides to be looking to have a destination wedding as well!

For starters, Gabby's first piece of advice to the newly engaged is to take your time with the planning. Despite all the pressure to plan the perfect day, there's no need to rush- you have the rest of your lives to spend together so enjoy your engagement days. Gabby tells us that her easiest decision when planning was the initial decision to have a destination wedding, despite the challenges the planning would bring. One of the big hurdles for planning a destination wedding is communication- most of the communication is through email so it's important to take a deep breath and realize that it may take time (and patience) for your questions to be addressed. Gabby recommends having a seasoned wedding planner in the destination to help facilitate the communication with the location and vendors. There's a lot to take into consideration when planning an event in another country so having someone who knows the area and has planned events there before takes a lot of the stress off you and your fiance. It's also important to have insider knowledge to advise you on weather, what kind of decor and flowers are available in the area, inclusive/non-inclusive packages for your guest, and everything else you would want to know when planning. One of the biggest difficulties that Gabby found while planning was trying to stay on budget, which is not a challenge unique to destination weddings.

All difficulties aside, a destination wedding is a uniquely special way to celebrate your wedding day. The people you love travel a long way to be with you on your day- Gabby and Nick were blessed to have around 120 of their closest family and friends with them on a beautiful sunny day in Jamaica. Second only to her groom and their guests, the weather wasGabby's favorite part of the day- it had rained during the week which made the sunny day even more special.

Gabby's most important advice is perhaps the most simple- "Take your groom and look around the room for a moment. Look at all of the people that care about you both and are celebrating YOU. Realize that all the time and money spent on planning was worth it. ENJOY!!!"

Congratulations to Gabby and Nick! We wish you a lifetime of happiness!

Here's a look at some of the details that helped make their day so special:

Gabby's complete list of vendors:

The location:

• Ceremony: Hyatt Ziva Rose Hall, Jamaica
• Reception: Rose Hall Great House, Montego Bay Jamaica

The look:

• Dress:
  • Designer: Flora Bridal @florabridal
  • Purchased at Gabriella Bridal Salon in Soho Manhattan 155 Wooster St, unit 3W New York, New York @gabriellabridal
• Veil: Gabriella Bridal Salon
• Shoes/Accessories: Imagine by Vince Camuto
• Hair: Rochelle Gordan @rochellethestylist
• Makeup: Brennan Reichlin @glossybee
• Wedding bands: Gerald Peters
• Bride's jewelry: Mikimoto diamond & pearl earrings purchased from Gerald Peters
• Groom's accessories: Breitling Transocean Chronograph Unitime purchased from Gerald Peters
• Bride's garter: Elle New York @elle_newyork
• Bride's headpiece: @ulyana.aster
• Flower girl dresses: Etsy Boutique Somsi Couture
• Bridesmaid Dresses: Aidan Mattox @ Bloomingdales
• Bridesmaid robes from @plumprettysugar and slippers from @prettyyoulondon.

The decor:

• Flowers: Helen G Events @helengevents
• Signs/table decorations: Helen G Events @helengevents
• Invitations, Programs, and Menus: Lion in the Sun Park Slope, Brooklyn @lioninthesunps
• Place settings: Elle New York @elle_newyork

The services:

• Photographer/Videographer: Visual Image Video & Photography @visualimage.videophoto located in Staten Island & New Jersey
• DJ/Band: DJ Michael LiConti @djmichaelliconti

The eats:

• Cake: Leanne Cooke: @leeleecooke

Inspiration: Instagrams such as:

• @mindyweiss
• @theknot
• @weddedwonderland