July 17, 2024

Mila + Gabe’s Wedding at The Farm at Dover

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Serial entrepreneur, wedding photog, happy wife, momma of four. When I'm not photographing the most meaningful moments, I'm wandering my hobby farm, coffee (or bourbon) in hand.

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HEY, IT'S EMILY


Mila and Gabe’s wedding at The Farm at Dover

Mila and Gabe traveled across the country to stand before their friends and family, sharing their love and commitment to each other. Their wedding day at The Farm at Dover was stunning. The details of their day were beautiful, and the love and joy they share was so evident.


How They Met

They met on a dating app and decided to try a first date. Both of them were skeptical, making backup plans they could easily duck out for… but it turns out, they didn’t need them. To say their first date went well would be an understatement. They walked around the city for TWELVE HOURS, talking like they’d known each other forever… not wanting the date to end. The next day, a stranger on the street told them they were a “beautiful couple,” evidence of their effortless attraction and connection.


The Proposal

Mila: “We were taking a family trip with Gabe’s parents and siblings to Italy. And we went on a beach walk at Spiaggia di Mondello. Ruby (Gabe’s sister) somehow convinced me that she wanted to hold my stuff. The rest of the family was trailing behind us as Gabe and I held hands and walked on the beach, taking in the beauty of the Sicilian Coast.

Earlier that day, I felt that Gabe was acting weird as every time I’d walk into a room, he’d soon after leave. Syd, Ruby, Margaret and I had also tried to all get our nails done… but because of scheduling issues, I was the only one who ended up getting them done – a sign I clearly overlooked.

But as we were walking on the beach I was looking out at the waves and gorgeous sunset. And then, as I turn to Gabe to tell him to look, I see him kneeling on one knee.

My heart started beating sooo fast and it felt like we were the only people at the beach, and that nothing else mattered.

He must have been nervous (and he does NOT get nervous that often). He was only able to quickly blurt out, “You’re my best friend and I don’t want any other best friends.. will you marry me?” (It was the sweetest thing.)

And I squealed with joy (there’s a funny video) and, without any second thought, I screamed “YES!”

Afterwards, we went to a delicious pizza place and next to where we were sitting, there was a painting of the Little Mermaid, my favorite childhood cartoon and Disney princess. It felt like the universe was smiling and congratulating us and joining in our joy!”

Gabe: “My story starts far before Mila’s.

I was extremely nervous about the safety of the engagement ring, so I put it into a fanny pack that was tightly strapped to my waist during our travel from San Francisco to Zurich to Palermo. Mila was asleep within 45 minutes of our flight taking off, while I nervously clutched my bag, making sure that nothing happened to it.

When I went up to use the restroom, one of the flight attendants could tell I was nervous and asked what was going on. I explained I had an engagement ring in my fanny pack and could not relax. He let me know that he would bring me a beer every 30 minutes for the remainer of the flight to calm my nerves.

While we were in Sicily, the entire family was sneakily figuring out details of the proposal, when Mila was showering or not around. Everyone knows Mila is a big water person so we decided it would be best for the proposal to take place on the beach around sunset.

We had dinner reservations that night and purposefully left well in advance so that my mom could propose us all taking a walk prior to dinner.

As we walked ahead of the group, I knew that everyone had their cameras ready. When it came to the actual proposal, I pretty much blacked out but through the video recordings and testimonials have a good idea of how it went.

We then had an awesome Italian dinner and stayed up at the rental house swimming, drinking, and dancing.”


Vendor Love:

Mila and Gabe’s Farm at Dover wedding day was a beautiful expression of their joy and love. A big thanks to the vendor team behind the scenes –

Venue: Farm at Dover | Coordination: Valerie with Simply Elegant | Florist: The Floralie | Cake Design: Blackbird Bakery | DJ: DJ Fuzzy Logic | HMUA: Beauty Unveiled by Tia | Bridal Boutiqe: Anthropologie | Bridesmaid Wear: David’s Bridal | Men’s Wear: Suit Supply | Officiant: Rabbi Moishe | Linens & Catering: Chef Jack’s | Photography & Films: The McNiels Photo & Films


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