A stunning new home built by the groom's brother in law was the perfect fit for a couple in search of an intimate, modern, fun feel for their wedding day. Focusing on family, they brought their vision of a "Dinner Party in The Garden" to life with lots of twinkle lights, natural elements, and thoughtful details. (Aaand there might be a chicken or two in the mix!) Close friend Kalia Lily Photography captured all the loveliness.
For Avel and Nicole, the number one priority on their wedding day was keeping it intimate and meaningful. They wanted their children to feel included, and for them all to be surrounded by the love of their closest family and friends. When Avel's sister, Rose, and brother-in-law, Omar, offered up their stunning new home in South Miami, it was the perfect solution to the location search: "The Peacock House is a custom modern home designed and built by Omar that features solar power and a rainwater collection system. A large central courtyard opens to respect
existing 100 year old oaks. It's truly a unique, beautiful and amazing home. We immediately said yes and so commenced our planning!"
Nicole, a realtor in Jupiter, and Avel, a licensing consultant and expediter, met on Match five years ago. With hectic schedules at both work and home, Nicole tells us that they make it work by being a great team: "We keep each other laughing, which keeps our home life happy. Juggling work and family life can be tricky, but together we keep things moving. Life together is wonderful and gets better each day!"
Avel is the most patient man I've ever met! He is a great father/stepfather to our three children. He is kind, hardworking, a fantastic cook and totally adorable!! I am THE luckiest woman to have found him. I tend to be a 'bit' of a worry wart, but Avel easily calms my nerves. He's become my rock and it is a wonderful feeling.
“What I love about Nicole is that she is beautiful and such a sweet, loving and caring person. She is an awesome mother and step mother to our children. I love coming home to her and her beautiful smile. It is great knowing that I have a partner in life that I can count on.”
Some of Nicole's favorite moments of the day were before the ceremony: First, getting ready at the hotel with her girlfriends, mom, sister in law and daughters; and then, when seeing Avel for their first look: "I was a bit nervous getting ready, but once I finally saw him, everything was perfect."
The couple's three children were their attendants, and Avel's brother in law, Bart, their officiant.
Keeping with the intimate, laid-back feel they were going for, the two kept the decor simple: "We also had a budget we needed to stick with and the beauty of the home and surrounding gardens was more amazing than any store bought decorations would have ever been! Being the Pinterest addict that I am, over the last year, I had really fallen in love with the idea of using succulents for wedding flowers. Avel's sister Rose took me to Isaac Farms in Miami to find the perfect succulents for our big day. We purchased all the plants for our DIY centerpieces from Isaac Farms. I also met Jania there, who helped us with our vision and made our beautiful succulent bouquets and boutonnieres."
One of Nicole's closest friends, Debra, owns a shortbread company and provided beautifully packaged cookies for the couple's favors.
The other two important factors to us were the photography and the catering. After deciding on a date I called Kalia immediately to make sure she would be available. Photos were the most important thing to me and Kalia has known our family for years. I was so relieved that she was going to be our photographer. After interviewing a couple of caterers, we met with Ron Kerr of Bite Catering Co. Once we tasted his food, we knew he was the one! Even weeks after the wedding, all our guests were commenting on how delicious the food was. Ron and his staff did an amazing job!
We had heartfelt speeches from our children, family and friends, delicious food, dancing, and a mojito bar at the restored Argo camper on the property! We even had a chicken in a bow tie! We ended the night with a donut bar, instead of a traditional wedding cake and everyone left with a smile. Sounds like just the kind of party we love. Congratulations to the whole family!
