Real Wedding: Stefania & Justin
Invitations: Invitations by Susan Photography: Bello Photography
Stefania Palladino and Justin Bishop were freshmen in high school when Justin noticed Stefania tutoring a seventh grader during a free period. Although Stefania now reflects that Justin probably knew about as much as the seventh grader about the subject, at the time, his offer to help her teach the younger student was compelling enough to spark up a conversation. After getting to know one another at a couple of concerts and parties, Justin asked Stefania out at one of his basketball games and they started dating that December. As Stefania and Justin grew up over the next ten years, their relationship evolved. Although they spent some time apart, Stefania says that they knew they would end up together.
When vacationing in South Carolina with some friends Justin and Stefania decided to spend an evening alone. No one knew what Justin had up his sleeve for the night. After dinner the couple went for a walk along the beach. The weather was less than ideal-- not cold, but a little drizzly, just not romantic, Justin says. They began taking pictures of one another. Justin took a few pictures of Stefania posing on some drift wood and then handed the camera to her. He started giving her directions-- "OK take a picture of me here...alright now take one of me over here....OK now take a picture of me asking you to marry me." As he said this, Justin got down on one knee, pulled the ring out of his pocket and asked Stefania to be his wife. She said yes and she did get a picture of Justin fumbling to take the ring out of his pocket.
Justin's family has a summer home in North Falmouth and for years the couple spent summer weekends there with family and friends. They say Cape Cod was the natural choice for the wedding. Although Stefania and Justin were certain they wanted to be married on the Cape, Stefania explains that she didn't want the regular seaside themed, Cape wedding, but something classic and elegant. Stefania says she wanted to recreate a traditional ballroom outside, with gilded gold chairs and mountains of white blossoms. Although Stefania wasn't sure Justin and her family understood her vision during the planning process, when the big day arrived, the weather was beautiful and the outdoor ballroom was perfect.
Justin's father passed away when the couple was in high school so they remembered him through the day, in the programs, during mass and in Justin's brother and best man's speech. When Justin's brother noted how proud of him their father would be - the first of five to get married - there was a round of applause.
Stefania and Justin kept a number of traditions on their wedding day. Stefania had her come old, some borrowed and something blue and her grandmother pinned an Italian horn charm inside of her dress to keep the "Evil Eye" away, an Italian tradition. Justin's uncle sang Sweet Caroline at the end of the night, a family tradition. Stefania and Justin decided not to see one another before the ceremony, which was a challenge but Stefania says that finally seeing Justin at the ceremony was one of the best moments of the day.