The Franco’s elegant Florida wedding celebrates love and family with sweet decor, gorgeous photography, and sentimental details.
Alexandria & Bernard’s lives first intertwined while working at Olive Garden in 2013. Bernard had been working as a server for a few years and Alexandria was starting out as a hostess. Alexandria recalls, “We were great friends and coworkers, and then boom!”
Their friendship-turned-romance led to love and after a sweet proposal during the pandemic, they finally said I-do on December 31, 2021. Their elegant Florida wedding brought friends and family near and far together to celebrate. They couldn’t have asked for a more perfect day!
Learn more about their love story (including their adorable proposal story!) below.
- Couple: Bernard & Alexandria Franco
- Occupations: Bernard is currently a service assistant for a financial advising company. He is also a server for Olive Garden part time. Alexandria is a Behavior Specialist for an elementary school for Orange County and specializes working with students with disabilities. She supports Autism Spectrum Disorder classrooms.
Quick Facts:
- Wedding date: December 31, 2021
- Wedding location: Lake Mary Event Center, Florida
- Gifts for their bridesmaids & groomsmen:The groomsmen received gold tie clips and a flask in a box with their names on it. The bridesmaids received a bag with a black satin robe, earrings, and a cup with names on it.
- Gifts for one another: Bernard gave Alexandria a heart necklace with their engagement photo in it.
- Ceremony entrance song: All my life- K-Ci and Jojo
- First dance song: A whole New World- Zayn and Zhavia
How they met…
We met at Olive Garden in 2013. I was 19 years old and Bernard was 22. It was one of my first jobs out while I was in college. Bernard had been working there for a few years before I started. He was a server and I was a host. We were great friends and coworkers and then boom!
The proposal…
We moved to Charlotte, North Carolina in the middle of a pandemic in August of 2020. (Crazy, we know). We fell in love with Charlotte and enjoyed visiting so much, we said, why not?! During our first visit to Charlotte in December of 2019, we went to the White Water Center for ice skating and the Christmas light trail in the forest.
In December of 2020, Bernard had family in town visiting us for the first time since we moved there. We loved the White Water Center and wanted his family to share in that same experience. Little did I know, he had planned with his sister, Priscilla, to propose there.
A night to remember…
We went ice skating and ended our night with the light trail. Bernard decided to propose under the lights where we had taken our first photo during out first visit. We were all taking a family photo. Bernard was standing behind me. After the photo was taken, I went to walk away. He grabbed my hand and got down on his knee.
I thought he was messing with me and I couldn’t believe he was finally popping the question. His whole family, my brother and a few of our friends were there. Everyone was just as surprised and in awe! It truly was a surprise and we were so excited. Even if I did think it was a joke LOL.
Sending love from above…
The ceremony…
Mr. & Mrs. Franco…
Wedding attire…
Bernard refused to share with me what he was wearing. He said if he had to wait to see what I was wearing, that I had to do the same. He wore a white tux with a black tie and pants. I wore an ivory Maggie Sottero dress. The style was Greensley and had lace all over with a sheer top. The dress hugged all the right places!
Wedding shopping experience…
Wedding shopping was fun for us. It was pretty easy to pick a style together. We made our signs and together, our vision came alive.
Favorite wedding day memories…
For myself, was hearing eachother’s vows. It was truly us wrapped up into words. Having the officiant read it took the nerves away and made it that much more special. Bernard’s favorite part would be having so many of our loved ones supporting us and hearing the speeches from those closest to us. Also, finally being able to see each other at the alter.
Cutting the cake…
Wedding advice for other engaged couples…
Don’t stress over the little details. The night goes by so fast. We made it a point to make sure we prioritized spending our time together throughout the night. That is what really made it special. We heard so many times how other couples said they barely spent any time together on their day and we didn’t want that. So prioritizing that for us meant a lot. Actually being able to do that meant the world. Also, know that you can spend so much money on all the details, but people really remember the food, the music and the fun!
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Vendors:
- Wedding planner: Samantha Polito with Wonderstruck Wedding and Event Planning
- Photography: Jessica Thomas Photography
- Wedding dress designer: Maggie Sottero
- Wedding dress salon: The Dressing Room Celebration
- Bridesmaids dresses: Azazie and David’s Bridal
- Hair/makeup: Sally! & Beauty by Mel G.
- Shoes: Shein
- Ceremony location & reception location: Lake Mary Events Center, Florida
- Catering and Cake: Magic Occasions
- Groom’s attire/groomsmen attire: Men’s Wearhouse
- Greenery Backdrop: Dolce Party Boutique
Beautiful couple. I wish them the best.