Saturday January 19, 2019
Ft Lauderdale, Florida
2300 days 8 hrs 30 mins ago
Story
The first time I saw Matt, I remember thinking, "Oh wow, he’s cute. He obviously didn't get the message that only seniors come to this restaurant."
Carrabba's in Delray Beach is just a stone's throw from my house, and I know all the regulars by name. I am always the youngster of the group at my favorite Italian restaurant. All of the regulars are over 70-years-old. So a good-looking young guy in a sea of seniors and retirees definitely caught my attention.
I took a seat directly across the bar from him and I couldn't help but smile when we locked eyes for the first time.
Then I noticed that Matt was talking to a young woman sitting beside him. I figured they were together, but ten minutes later she got up and left.
Immediately Matt turned to me from across the bar and said, "What are you doing all the way over there? Come over here and talk to me."
(He still insists it wasn't a line!)
We had a great time... talking and laughing until the restaurant closed down. He asked for my number and we went our separate ways. I thought I would never hear from him again, and even told him so before we parted...
I said, "It's a shame you won't remember me in the morning."
He replied, "That won't happen." :)
Tidbits
How did you first meet?
See Our Story!
Who made the first move? How?
He made the first move when he texted me the next morning. A few hours later we had plans for dinner that week.
What's your favorite activity together?
Simple pleasures! We love to cook together, sing and dance, enjoy the sunset, walk on the beach, talk, laugh and watch a good movie.
What was your most memorable date?
Five weeks after we met, Matt made one of my longtime dreams come true, when he planned a trip to Napa Valley, CA for me. We spent the first day biking along the Santa Monica boardwalk. Then we rented a convertible, drove to Napa Valley for wine tastings, spent a few days in San Francisco, then took the Pacific Coast train back to LA.
How did he propose?
In California again, two years after we met, Matt proposed to me. Here's how it happened... We drove up the Pacific Coast Highway in a convertible once again, making stops in Monterrey, Carmel-By-the-Sea, Big Sur, and Santa Barbara.
On our last stop, in Malibu, Matt and I hiked from the beach to the top of Point Dume, a coastal bluff high above the ocean. While enjoying a spectacular sunset view of the Pacific Ocean, the Santa Monica Mountains, and the California Coast... Matt proposed.
Were you surprised?
I was overwhelmed and overjoyed. In our very first conversation Matt told me, "I'm 42 years old. I've never been married. And I'm never going to get married." So yes, I was as surprised as all of you! I think even Matt was surprised! LOL
Matt, what do you love most about Tamara?
Tamara is the most amazing human being I've ever known. Smart, funny, spiritual, beautiful, fun. I admire and respect her. She make life fun and she makes me a better man.
Tam, what do you most love about Matt?
Too much to tell!
First, he is a genuinely good, godly, decent human being. He has character. You can count on him. He truly cares about others. He always wants to make sure everyone feels included, comfortable, and accepted. He is faithful, trustworthy and loyal.
I love Matt's humor and we laugh all the time. I say he is my own personal Comedy Central.
He's a total stud. And tall! He can reach high shelves for me!
I'm as comfortable with Matt as I am with myself. He just feels "right" to me. We are compatible.
This may be old-fashioned, and I am happily guilty of that, but I love that Matt comes from a good, solid family. That's majorly important to me because I believe family is everything. There are no people on the planet I'd rather spend time with than my family members.
I also love that Matt wants to grow spiritually with me, that we attend church together, that he has a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and that he is a man of prayer.
I read a quote that impacted me greatly: "If you are single, don't try to find someone PERFECT. Perfect people don't exist. Instead look for someone who is willing to be PERFECTED with you."
I love that Matt strives to grow personally, professionally, physically, financially, relationally, and spiritually. That's the kind of man I want to do life with!
Schedule
Travel
Wedding Party
Jillian Forte
Maid of Honor
Elizabeth Forte
Flower Girl
Finley Forte
Flower Girl
Julia Forte
Flower Girl
Brian Forte
Brother of the Bride
Marc Phillips
Brother of the Groom
Q & A
For all our friends and family who have lots of questions, please check out our Q & A first!
When is the RSVP deadline?
Nov 30, 2018
Can I bring a date?
Absolutely!
Are kids welcome?
Teenagers and adults only please
What is the dress code?
The dress code for the wedding is semi-formal. A very helpful description (and examples) of semi-formal attire for men, women and teens is found here:
What should I wear for the wedding?
Summer suits for men and summer dresses or pant suits for ladies.
We suggest neutral colors such as white, cream, beige, ivory, sand, stone, grey, navy, charcoal, or black. Want to add some color? We suggest soft beach shades like ocean blue, shell pink, blush, peach, or coral. This will give us a more pleasing and coordinated look for family pictures.
Men: Sport or suit jackets with a button down shirt are recommended for men, but no tie is necessary. For a more relaxed alternative, we'd suggest a white, off-white, french blue, grey or black button-down dress shirt and dress slacks.
Ladies: You can bring along some high heels if you like for the reception, but for the beach ceremony, flats or sandals are recommended. We will exchange vows oceanside so be prepared to feel the sand in your toes. You may also want to bring along a scarf, pashmina, wrap or shawl to cover up with if there is wind on the beach or a nip in the air.
What are your wedding colors?
This is probably the absence of color but... Ivory, Blush, Champaign, Grey and Black. We love uncomplicated neutral shades.
Does your wedding have a theme?
Is "easy breezy beach elegance" a theme? We just want everyone to be comfortable and have fun.
Will there be much walking?
There should not be much walking involved, but comfortable shoes are definitely recommended. Between the beach wedding ceremony site and the Beach House reception, there is about a 2-minute walk.
Is it okay to take pictures with our phones and cameras during the wedding?
We kindly request an unplugged ceremony and that you turn off your phones and devices during the wedding ceremony and reception. We want to enjoy all of you and each other without distractions. We have terrific photographers who will capture the wedding/ reception and after the wedding free downloads of the photos will be available to all our guests. The link will be posted here after the wedding.
Do you have a social media hashtag?
No, we've chosen to have a small, private, intimate event with just our family and a few close friends. Matt prefers to keep a low profile on social media. Tamara has a significant social media following but her participation in it is primarily career-related. She does not post much about her life and family because she prefers to keep her private life private.
How can I help the couple have the best time during their wedding day?
Thank you for asking! Any simple ways that you see to pitch in would be much appreciated. Of course nobody is expected to help but if you'd like to, things like cake cutting, serving, tidying... these are all appreciated. This is a family affair and we'd love to see our family blend and bond by pulling off this special event together!
What time will the reception end?
Between 10:00 and 10:30 PM.
I am coming from out of town. Where should I stay?
Please see the Travel Section of this website for recommendations. We wish we had room for everyone to stay together at the Beach House, but we are limited to six bedrooms.
Here are our early RSVP family members staying at the Beach House:
Mom and Dad Phillips (Linda and Bob)
Matt's brother Mark
Tam's brother Brian and his wife Jillian
Tamara's sons Zack and Andrew
And our Nashville fam: Uncle Beep Beep (Jim) and Aunt Coo Coo (Carolyn) and Matt's sweet cousins Amy and Meg
What time should I arrive?
Out-of-town guests please plan to arrive by Friday, January 18 between 2:00 PM and 5:00 PM.
Locals please join us for the beach wedding ceremony on Saturday, January 19 at 4:00 PM, reception immediately following.
If you are an out-of-town family member who is staying at the Beach House with us and you plan to arrive prior to Friday, January 18, we ask that you please take a hotel until January 18 because we will be prepping the house on January 16-17 for your arrival on January 18.
Also, if you are a family member staying at the Beach House with us, you are welcome to stay Thursday, January 18 - Monday, January 21 (which is a holiday: Martin Luther King, Jr Day).
Matt and I will stay on Sunday to hang out with the family. Then we will all check out by noon on Monday, January 21, 2019.
Of course if you need to leave on Sunday to get back to work, we understand and will miss you.
I have a question not answered here; how do I contact you?
Please email tamaramotivates@gmail.com with the subject line "Phillips Wedding Question" and I'll get your question answered!
Will last names be changing after the wedding?
Yes. I am honored to be a "future Phillips." I'll continue to go by Tamara Lowe professionally because I've produced videos, online courses, books, etc. too numerous to rebrand. Personally I will go by my married name, Tamara Phillips.
Registry
Your presence is enough of a present to us! But for those of you who are stubborn (you know who you are!), we've started a Honeymoon Fund to help us with our dream trip. Click on the Zola logo below to check out our honeymoon plans!