Lauren and Bradley met when at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine in 2012—they were assigned to the same orientation group. Read about their perfectly-Parisian proposal, how they stay sane planning a wedding from all corners of the country, and what it means to have true joy.
Give us the details! When? Where? How?
Although Lauren was aware Bradley had purchased her ring in the spring of 2016, he had done a great job of leaving her guessing as to when the proposal would happen.
After graduating from dental school, Lauren and Bradley were gifted a trip to Paris, Barcelona and Amsterdam from their wonderful families. Their first stop was France! The day of the proposal, Lauren and Brad hiked their way through the winding and hilly streets of the 18th Arrondissement on their way to the Sacre Coeur in the artsy village of Montmartre high above Paris. During a steep climb through the beautiful Montmartre gardens, they spotted a shaded rustic bridge with gorgeous city views.
Although the wedding itself is just one day, the feelings and emotions shared amongst ourselves and our guests that day will be with Bradley and I for a lifetime.
Standing on the bridge snapping photos of the city below, and completely confused by Brad’s unusual outpouring of emotion, Lauren quizzically stared at Brad until she heard him say the words, “and I want to give you something that will represent all of this….” After that point, all Lauren remembers is crying as Brad got down on one knee and revealed her beautiful ring.
Shannon Cronin Photography
What has been your favorite experience planning the wedding?
Wedding planning has been an especially unique and challenging experience for our family. Because Brad’s family lives in Delray Beach, Florida, I am in a dental residency program in Boston, Massachusetts, Bradley is in a different dental residency program in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and my parents live in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Pennsylvania, we have been doing a lot of FaceTime/texting/Google Docs wedding planning.
Since we are all so far apart, but everyone’s opinions are so important and we want them to be heard and expressed in our wedding, we have begun to bond as a family through out this process. Therefore, I would have to say my favorite experience so far has been planning a trip down to Florida so that my mom, Brad, his mom, and myself can have a tasting at our venue and visit different florists! I cannot wait to all be together in the sunshine state.
How do you stay sane under the pressures of wedding planning?
I am so lucky to have 10 (yep, TEN) bridesmaids and countless other girlfriends who have been incredibly supportive through out this hectic process. They are patient enough to know not to ask me for too many details too early on, but they are also loving and caring and frequently check in on me offering to lend a hand. Although only two of my bridesmaids are here with me in Boston, they ensure I never feel lonely or overburdened.
Additionally, Brad has been so great about handling my minor panic attacks when they do inevitably occur. One of the things I love most about him is his ability to stay calm under immense pressure, and just speaking with him helps me to recenter myself and refocus my thoughts on what is actually the most important thing about our wedding: marrying him!
Shannon Cronin Photography
What is your favorite part of using Joy for your wedding?
I love that Joy is private! I feel secure knowing that only my guests are privy to our private information and photos. Additionally, I think that is has a very easy-to-use interface which is friendly for both the baby boomers as well as millennials. I am not especially computer savvy, but this website was VERY easy to use and customize and it has the feel of a very expensive website.
What piece of advice would you give couples to ensure that they use Joy to its fullest potential?
Spend some time manipulating the site to utilize it to it’s full potential. Take time to continue to adjust the customizations photos and design until you’ve exhausted all of the options. I created my initial website about 1 month ago, but I’ve continued to fine tune and tweak it almost daily. I know that when I share my Joy link in a week or so on social media, it will perfectly reflect our style as a couple.
At Joy we believe that even though a wedding lasts a day, joy lasts forever. What does that mean to you?
To me, joy means spending time with my closest friends and my new extended family as we commemorate our first day as a married couple. It is reflecting on the happiness that I call to mind when I envision what this day will be like, and what all of this preparation and work symbolizes and celebrates. Although the wedding itself is just one day, the feelings and emotions shared amongst ourselves and our guests that day will be with Bradley and I for a lifetime.
Shannon Cronin Photography
