Castell de Tamarit

Wedding Day

Wedding

Reception

Our Wedding

Helloooo friends and family! As many of you know, Brett and I are having our wedding at Tamarit Castle in Tarragona, Spain - one hour south of Barcelona. Sharing this news came with an onslaught of questions.&nbsp; Why Spain? Why so far? Dana, why can't you do something easier?&nbsp;Please. Allow me to explain.&nbsp;I have always wanted a destination wedding. Both Brett and I&nbsp;have been blessed with the ability&nbsp;and privilege to travel - which&nbsp;has been a foundation of our relationship. For us, traveling isn't so much the collection of souvenirs or checked off boxes. It's the admiration and respect&nbsp;of different cultures. It's the wonder of not knowing what you may discover. And&nbsp;it is the open mindedness of admitting that you're not always right. Traveling is a large part of what has shaped us to be who we are. Together, we have gotten to explore and experience too many places to list out. It was our dream to share what we love through our wedding. That's also why we&nbsp;picked a place we&nbsp;hadn't been to&nbsp;(yes, you read that correctly) - we&nbsp;wanted to explore a new place with you; Brett has technically&nbsp;been to Barcelona, but hasn't had the chance to really explore it yet. Having our wedding in Spain was also&nbsp;our way of "helping" some of our guests&nbsp;experience Europe for the first time and to also share an incredible experience with our loved ones. Spain was a great fit because it's western Europe (shorter/cheaper flights) and because&nbsp;we have been to Tenerife and Madrid and fell in love with Spanish culture consisting&nbsp;of&nbsp;friendly people, delicious food, and is visually stunning. We chose a&nbsp;castle as the wedding venue because there is nothing like it in the states and we wanted to have and share that&nbsp;new experience.&nbsp; And why couldn't I&nbsp;have picked something easier?&nbsp;Because it's me and when have I everrrr been able to do that!? ;) We realize that Mondays are atypical wedding days, but our thought process is that most guests will arrive the Friday before to get settled and adjust to the time zone over the weekend; attend the wedding Monday; and then leave whenever it makes sense for them. But it is totally up to you! Brett and I both completely understand this is a big trip. It is a significant amount of time and money and the last thing we want is for someone to feel pressure or stress about attending. So if you can't make it for any reason at all, we totally understand! But we sure hope you can!&nbsp;

(Please note - the wedding itself is adults only, thank you for understanding!)&nbsp;We do kindly&nbsp;ask that all guests&nbsp;RSVP by February 15, 2020.

Como se dice wedding?!

Brett and I met through a dating app called Bumble. We started messaging on a Sunday and he asked me to go&nbsp;out that&nbsp;Monday. Although I thought he was weird for asking me out on a Monday (who does that?!), I&nbsp;found his quickness to ask me out&nbsp;to be refreshing. For those that don't know how dating apps work, a solid 70% of the people you match with ends up becoming a&nbsp;pen pal&nbsp;(message each other and never meet).

Anyways.&nbsp;Monday night comes around and I looked super cute - black leggings, long light blue tank, and heels (obviously)&nbsp;-&nbsp;all accessorized to perfection. Brett picks me up (chivalry!)&nbsp;wearing a t-shirt and jeans (welp!). I noticed that the car he picked me up in was exceptionally clean and my spidey senses started firing away. So in the most smartass voice I can muster,&nbsp;I&nbsp;challenged, "You didn't strike me as a Prius kind of guy." After a brief interrogation, I quickly&nbsp;discovered that Brett did not actually live in SoFlo, was driving a rental, and that he was in&nbsp;fact a pilot from New Hampshire, to which I retorted with “Dammit Brett. I told you I don’t deal with ‘travelers’ of any kind!” Normally I would have demanded that I be let out of the car immediately to “move onto the next one” (cue the z-snap and Beyonce's "Single Ladies"), but we were on our way to get sushi which happens to be my favorite and I was pretty hungry.



The conversation shifts... and my darling fiance thought it would be an appropriate&nbsp;time to talk about the UBER.SERIAL.KILLER. As he is driving me. To our first date.&nbsp;In a car that is not his.&nbsp;At night. To a place I've never been. Lovely.



As he begins to go into great detail describing&nbsp;with how these poor female victims were murdered, I began to grip my key in the manner that all females do when they feel threatened. I was ready to&nbsp;stab him in the god damn&nbsp;jugular.&nbsp;



But lucky for Brett, he pulled up to the restaurant&nbsp;before I could go full on Jack Bauer on him. Phew, close call.



“It was ranked number one on Yelp!” Brett said with abounding confidence. Much to (both of) our amusement, we were immediately taken aback by the -ahem- ambiance... this fine establishment rested between a Laundromat and a...place? small shack? structure? I’m not sure what exactly it was but it would make the perfect location for a Law and Order SVU episode. Between the aesthetic,&nbsp;the janky front door, the lone employee (a Russian man) who literally microwaved Brett's teriyaki chicken, all with Celine Dion playing in the background... laughs were shared at every ridiculously absurd moment. And there were many.



Thinking I’d never see Brett again, I wanted to further escalate my entertainment - so naturally I brought up the best dinner table topics: religion and politics. But as a result of that doubt of seeing Brett again, our conversation was authentic - we didn’t have to impress each other if this was the last time we’d see each other. It was a helluva&nbsp;first date. There was no first kiss that night, but there was something even more special happening in the universe.

We Both Swiped Right, A Modern Day Romance

Brett and I were on vacation in Bermuda visiting our favorite people and places.&nbsp;We had spent the day at an event where we caught up with folks and jumped in the ocean periodically. It was a great day! Although we had dinner reservations, I suggested “we should just get pizza”, as we were both pretty sun drained. Brett didn’t respond to that idea so I went with it. We went back to our Air BnB to shower and primp.

I went into this trip thinking “it could happen”. But when we were done getting ready for dinner, I glanced at his pockets and didn’t see a jewelry box bulge; I shrugged it off accepting it wasn’t going to be tonight and maybe not this trip. I then ruin my freshly done hair by smashing a helmet on my head to scoot to one of my favorite places on the island, The Reefs. Immediately, I tear up by my favorite view of Bermuda. Brett pointed to one of the four tables on the beach and said that was where we were having dinner (I thought it was going to be in their restaurant). I was thrilled by this thoughtful surprise and have always wanted to have a fancy dinner on the beach, so although I didn’t think “it was going to happen”, I was still delighted to cross off a bucket list item.As we wait (for once in our lives we were early - THAT should have been my clue!), we ordered some drinks. Brett, a swizzle; and I had something with a whole lotta rum and maybe a&nbsp;fleck of mango. Then it was time to be sat at our beachside table, and our hostess escorted us there. Brett asks for her to snap a photo of us, which I thought nothing of because I told him I had wanted a photo BEFORE we ate because I was wearing a crop top.That's when&nbsp;things got blurry. Brett grabbed&nbsp;my hands. “You’re my best friend.” “Lover.” "Soul mate."&nbsp;To which I oh so romantically responded with, “Oh.my.gosh, IT’S HAPPENING.” We both laugh. “Spend the rest of my life”. And then he was on one knee holding the most&nbsp;magnificent-wouldn’t-change-a-thing ring out. With giant smiles and laughter (from being totally surprised) we put the ring on my finger. As we sealed it with a kiss, Brett lifted me in the air and spun me around - that was my favorite part, uncontainable joy.

The Proposal

PLEASE&nbsp;MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A PASSPORT!&nbsp;

Accommodations: We highly suggest looking into Air BnB's! Barcelona has TONS of options for GREAT deals. Do not wait long to do this as the good spots will&nbsp;fill up fast.&nbsp;

Plane Tickets:&nbsp;If they are under $400 round trip, book em'. The lowest we've seen is $320, but the normal rate is closer to $370.

Money: Spain uses euros, rather than dollars. It is almost a 1:1 ratio. (1 USD to .90 Euro).&nbsp;Although most places take credit cards these days, it is handy to have cash for things like taxis and hole-in-the-walls.

Safety: Be aware of what handbags you use as pick pockets love to prey on tourists. We also highly recommend <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Credit-Protector-Blocking-Aluminum-Safety/dp/B00SWK2PSA" target="_blank">these</a> to help protect your credit card from scanners.

Respect:&nbsp;Let us not forget that we are guests of their country. Please do not litter and please be mindful.&nbsp;

Language: Fun fact!&nbsp;Spanish is not the only language spoken in Barcelona. In fact, the most prevalent language there is Catalan. Here are a few phrases to get you started. You'll find that an honest effort to speak the local language will yield the friendliest experience.

<ul><li>Hello&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Hola, Bon dia</li><li>Do you speak English? &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Que parla angles?</li><li>Excuse me&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Dispensi! Perdoni!</li><li>Sorry&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Perdo! Em sap greu</li><li>Where’s the toilet?&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;On es el lavabo?</li><li>How much is this?&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Quant costa aixo?</li><li>Nice to meet you.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Molt de gust.</li></ul>

Logistical Notes

Our Story

Details

Photos

Kyle Abbott

Michele is my beautiful, way cooler than I could ever be, cousin. We became very close after our Papa passed away - we are certain that he would be happy to know that he brought us together.&nbsp; When she came to visit me in Bermuda, our cousinship morphed into best friendship and I could not imagine my wedding without her.&nbsp;We talk almost everyday (in the most unfiltered way possible, might I&nbsp;add, lol)&nbsp;and she has been my biggest support in planning this special day.&nbsp;

In true Meade (my mom's side of the family) fashion, she is the perfect mix of beauty and brains and is an engineer. She lives in Toms River, NJ.

Michele Meade

Marshall "Moose" Podgurski

I&nbsp;met Whitney at James Madison University (Go Dukes!) when we were suite-mates in a dorm at random. She quickly became my best friend and we were inseparable, dubbing each other "wifey". We ended up living in an apartment together during our&nbsp;junior and senior year and had an absolute blast. I'm pretty sure there were no other people on this planet that had seen as many Law and Order SVU episodes or ordered as many JJ Gargantuans from Jimmy John's during that wild time of life! Whitney was also my co-conspirator every year when we participated in Relay for Life (a fundraiser that raises money for American Cancer Society).&nbsp;

Whitney grew up doing pageants and once convinced me (after a solid 3 years of campaigning) to do one. If you have the chance, you can have her tell you that story... let's just say that audience&nbsp;wasn't&nbsp;ready! ;)&nbsp;





I&nbsp;also had the honor of being a bridesmaid in Whitney's wedding (that seems so long ago!). She is currently an INCREDIBLE kindergarten teacher (and&nbsp;the most creative educator I've ever encountered).&nbsp;Whitney is now married to Reese (who is an unbelievable knife thrower - yes, you read that correctly!)&nbsp;and has&nbsp;two boys - Weston and Beckett!

Whitney Sims Smith

Levins and I&nbsp;became best friends while I&nbsp;was living in South Florida.&nbsp;&nbsp;We actually met working at a job that was more or less a total sham, haha. I didn't work there for long&nbsp;-&nbsp;it turns out that I wasn't very good at selling ads for magazines that don't actually exist and Levins was only slightly better. We easily&nbsp; have about 1000 other stories that are just as ridiculous and I could not love our friendship anymore.&nbsp;My fondest memories include&nbsp;fancy dinners, beach days, blurry nights, festivals, birthday celebrations,&nbsp;sharing boy updates, texting each other&nbsp;dog photos (her yorkie, Riley,&nbsp;is my nephew), spending the weekend with her family in Naples,&nbsp;and attending&nbsp;hockey games. Speaking of sports, she's originally from Philly, so she has a LOT&nbsp;to say about sports and I love that about her, even if she roots for a scummy hockey team. ;)&nbsp;

Levins is still holding it down in SoFlo and is a successful recruiter!

Kristen "Levins"

Ethan Goodrich

Brooke and I have known each other since we were kids. We went to middle school, high school, and college (Go Dukes!) together. We played tall girl sports all throughout our lives - basketball and volleyball, but we both preferred basketball. She was faster and I was more aggressive - we made an awesome team.&nbsp;The type of friendship Brookie and I have is the type that can only come from also being a teammate.&nbsp;At JMU we were so excited to become roommates and we now have the most absurd memories. An old roommate of ours (that Whitney and I&nbsp;creatively drove out, lol)&nbsp;had hung this gnarly lime green sheet across the wall in our living room that everyone else hated. So when that girl left, Brooke and I&nbsp;took it upon ourselves to transform that wall, artfully might I add. I don't recall what provoked it, but it was likely fueled by the classy beverages of Aristocrat vodka and Natty Light, we took silver markers and in huge letters wrote "People We Want To Punch In The Face". Then we added names.&nbsp;HGTV had nothing on us!&nbsp;You would not believe the names we added to that wall. Friends, guests, family members wrote names on that wall!&nbsp;It was incredible. Legendary.&nbsp;Her dog, Roxy, and her at the time boyfriend, Daniel, were basically our other roomies - the conversations were so fun. A couple years later, I was able to be a bridesmaid in Brooke and Daniel's wedding which one of the best fancy dance parties I've ever been to! There may or may not be a photo somewhere of yours truly and Brooke's dad smoking cigars while boogie'ing. :) Brooke and Daniel now live in Salem, VA&nbsp;with their 3 freakishly beautiful children.

Brooke Sapp

Kieran

Evan Gurley

Jay Wyss!&nbsp;I always say his first and last name together. We went to middle and high school together, but we didn't share any classes, so our conversations never went beyond "hi!". Then we randomly bumped into each other at the mall in our mid-twenties&nbsp;and we have been best friends ever since.&nbsp;

Jay has always been an avid runner. He ran in college, coached college, and is still extremely competitive.&nbsp;He helped me get through my full&nbsp;marathon (my one and only race)&nbsp;and has always been one of the most supportive people in my life. (But I love to remind him that I've still run further than him (only because of&nbsp;the marathon).&nbsp;&nbsp;



Jay and I are EXACT opposites. He's shy, I'm not. He's methodical, I fly by the seat of my pants. He's rational, I'm emotional (though, let it be known I prefer the term "expressive"). He is my voice of reason when I'm at a Level 10 and I am his voice of fun when he is at a Level 1.&nbsp;Despite our wildly different personalities, we are the best of friends. We have SO&nbsp;MUCH&nbsp;BLACKMAIL on each other. It's really spectacular.&nbsp;

Jay Wyss

Angelica and I met while walking down A1A in Fort Lauderdale, which is&nbsp;like a boardwalk sans the boards.&nbsp;I was actually with Levins just&nbsp;going for a walk (I'm pretty sure EVERY&nbsp;friend of mine in Soflo was forced to go on a walk with me at least 5x because I'm obsessed with walking)&nbsp;and Angelica was with someone (who also became a friend) who had a cute dog so I freaked out with excitement over the dog and everyone became instant friends. Angelica and I quickly learned that we&nbsp;operate on the same hysterical wavelength and we laugh about damn near everything. I honestly can't think of a single memory where we didn't end up in literal fits of laughter. Angelica is one of the funnest people I know-&nbsp; she's super active&nbsp;and competes in triathlons, has traveled more than anyone I know (which is saying a lot, considering I'm marrying a pilot), works in marketing (like myself),&nbsp;has the best attitude, and is&nbsp;a total girl's girl!&nbsp;

My favorite memory would have to be during our girls trip to Panama which Angelica hosted (she's from there) when we discovered at the exact&nbsp;same moment that we have the same karaoke song, "Gangsta's Paradise". Without any discussion, we began rapping and there may or may not have been some "interpretive dance" (and tequila)&nbsp;involved. All I'm saying... if this song comes on at the reception, everyone needs to circle around and brace yourselves, you will be in for a TREAT. ;)

Angelica Guardia

Mamie and I&nbsp;met through mutual friends through the hockey team my dad coaches for. I had been living in Soflo when Mamie decided to move down herself and that was when we connected.&nbsp;We were both equally thrilled to have a "Virginia friend"&nbsp;down there, which really means someone reasonably normal. Mamie has always been&nbsp;game for whatever (insane) adventure I thought sounded fun -&nbsp;even that time we went SNUBA diving when it was 63 degrees outside in Key West. Or that time we went for a walk across the 17th Street bridge and nearly died (BUT DID WE DIE THOUGH?!).&nbsp;Or going to the&nbsp;everglades for my birthday so I could have authentic gator bites. Or when we acted like classy broads at a bbq, eating with our pinkys up,&nbsp;hosted by The Jungle Queen (Soflo reference). We have had the BEST times together.&nbsp;

I was even blessed with the opportunity to be in her wedding! It was such a wonderful day, with so many epic dance moves. Mamie and her awesome husband, Tyler, recently bought a house in Powhatan, VA&nbsp;where they have settled down with their&nbsp;precious&nbsp;new baby boy, Lanson.

Mamie Willeson

Bridesmaid in Spirit!Emily has been my&nbsp;BFF since middle school! We rode the bus together and everything! Throughout middle and high school we had countless&nbsp;sleepovers, pool days,&nbsp;and hilarious jokes. It's one of those friendships where her parents are my parents and my parents are hers.&nbsp;

Some fun facts about our friendship:

- We have an unofficial record at Kings Dominion for riding The Rebel Yell 42 times in one day.

-Emily survived me learning how to drive and to this day&nbsp;still helps me with my lack of sense of direction.&nbsp;

- Our parents had to give us phone limits pre-cellphone days. "Tell Emily she can't call more than 5 times per day."&nbsp;

- If one of us was in trouble, our parents usually let us still talk to each other on the phone because it wasn't fair "to punish the other sibling".

- Most of my family calls me Dane. Emily also calls me Dane. :)

- I&nbsp;(somehow) convinced her to run a full marathon with me when neither of us had ever run anything before. And we (somehow) did it.

-"Lean on Me" is our song.

Emily has THE BEST LAUGH - the kind that makes you laugh just hearing it because it's so happy.&nbsp;

She is married to a nice guy, Larry, who I also really like (we all know I would have scared him off otherwise). They have two beautiful and oh so sweet little girls who I pray also inherit Emily's laugh!

Emily Holstrom

Bridesmaid in Spirit!

Colleen and I were destined to become best friends, or "biffles"&nbsp;is what we like to call ourselves. We met in 6th grade playing AAU&nbsp;basketball. Colleen moved onto other things (ahem, junior olympic swimmer) the following years and we sort of lost touch (we were in different counties and schools). Then, when&nbsp;I got sick, her mom ended up being our case manager (and was a saving grace for our family). The next year, her dad ended up being my 8th grade science teacher (I dare you to ask me what Newton's Laws are). It was a chaotic time for my family, but we stayed in touch through our parents here and there.



It's now 2009 and high school and college is past us. We randomly ran into each other and reconnected at the modeling agency that we both modeled at! Neither of us could believe it, and it was like we picked up where we left off from&nbsp;when we were 11. I ended up getting to be a bridesmaid on her special day, too!&nbsp;Our entire friendship is filled with so many&nbsp;freaky moments and we both love them. We are entirely different, yet exactly the same. I wouldn't have it any other way, and I don't think the universe would either.&nbsp;



Colleen and her husband (who I&nbsp;also love) and her FOUR&nbsp;children live in Midlothian, VA. Although Coll can't make the wedding, I am certain I'll feel her presence and heart.&nbsp;

Colleen Wallace

Wedding Party

Q + A

Registry

Travel

Casa Batlló is a building in the center of Barcelona. It was designed by Antoni Gaudí, and is considered one of his masterpieces.

Gaudi's Casa Batlló

This playful urban park, the work of architect Antoni Gaudi, features peaceful greens, winding paths and many sculptures and mosaics designed by Gaudi himself.&nbsp;This one sells out quickly and it is recommended you book it in advance.

Park Güell

There are tons of options in the link provided.

Food and Drink Tours

The Basílica de la Sagrada Família, also known as the Sagrada Família, is a large unfinished Roman Catholic minor basilica in Barcelona, Catalonia. Designed by Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí.

Dana & Dana

Dana & Dana

Registry