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#EnzoaniRealBride: Ciara & Blake

How a Dress Inspired a Hollywood Glam Wedding

Sometimes, the love of your life can turn out to be the person you least expect. That was certainly the case for Ciara, a then-college student who was reluctant to go out with Blake, a fellow student and familiar face in the library. But with a little persistence and heart, Blake grew closer to Ciara, showing up for her when she needed him most - and Ciara took a chance on him. What could have been a bad night with a broken-down car instead became the beginning of something beautiful. Read on to find out how Ciara and Blake's love story unfolded, and how Ciara's Blue by Enzoani Gabes gown even had a hand in designing her entire wedding!

THE DRESS

"I went alone with my Mom to Betsy Robinson's Bridal Collection on a whim. We literally had not planned this trip, but happened to see an Enzoani gown in the window and wanted to stop. The intricate detail wowed me from the beginning and when we went inside, I asked to see other gowns by Enzoani. As I was pointed to the rack, I saw glittering tulle and gold appliqués and was instantly stunned. It was literally the first dress I tried on. I know this isn't typical, but I knew it was the one! I went through the motions, and tried on other gowns just to make sure that the Gabes was "the one," but everything else I tried one I compared to it. My mom loved it and so did I, and we knew that Blake would too!! The gold appliqué on the gown ended up inspiring the entire theme for our wedding! It was just meant to be!!"

THE LOVE STORY

"Blake and I met in college through mutual friends. At the time I was not looking for a relationship. It was hard for him to admit that he stared at me for weeks in the library and "noticed my pink pen" before finally working up the courage to ask me to hang out. At first I didn't agree. Blake also doesn't love to admit that he was (is) relentless and memorized some of my class times just so that he would "run into me" after class. One chilly night, Blake walked me to my car after class when I realized my car wouldn't start. A ride home turned into Starbucks, which then led to dinner, which then led to Blake driving me around for hours while we talked non-stop and finally watched the sun rise. When Blake finally dropped me off at home, I could not sleep. It had hit me that the guy who I didn't want to give a chance- was the love of my life!! The rest is history."

THE WEDDING

"Our first look was one to remember. We met by the harbor where family and friends could see us from the hotel balconies and complete strangers stopped to cheer as they realized what was happening! I took a long, exciting walk to Blake and the whole while I became more and more emotional. As he stood with his back to me, I couldn't help but wonder what he would think when we saw each other and what he would think of my gown! He told me the next day that moments of our relationship were flashing through his head like a movie, and that my gown was "so me." When Blake turned around, we both cried like babies, and cheers erupted from the crowd that had formed around us on the harbor! It was the most exciting and amazing moment of anticipation, one that I will truly never forget."

MY ADVICE...

"After my wedding planning experience, I learned that there is a lot of hype and pressure around making your event perfect, but it's more important to remember the real reason for this day - to marry your best friend and to dance the night away with all the people you love the most!"

"Enzoani was one of the only wedding gown designers that I looked at and had no doubt about. I am all for fashion-forward pieces, but I knew I wanted something that was classic and stunning and that I knew I wouldn't look back on and regret wearing! Thank you Enzoani for making the most dreamy bridal gowns!!"