On September 4th 2024, we witnessed a beautiful celebration of love, family, and community as our visionary founders, Wendy and Gabe Rivera, renewed their vows for their 20th wedding anniversary! We’re so excited to share with you all the magical details!

1. The Historic Setting for a Timeless Love Story

Fredericksburg, a beautiful town that is rich in history is also owner Gabe’s hometown, it’s where Wendy & Gabe’s married life began, and it’s where Ava Laurénne Bride was born! Which is what made the Publisher Tribute Hotel, which celebrates the rich history of this town, the perfect backdrop for this celebration to start! The bridal suite at the Publisher is a spacious and elegant setting that gave ample room for hair and makeup and stunning bridal portraits.

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2. The Bridal Brunch

The day began at the new boutique hotel, The Publisher, located in downtown Fredericksburg. This elegant space was the ideal setting for Wendy and Gabe to get ready for their big day! Wendy enjoyed the full bridal package at The Publisher, complete with access to the stunning bridal suite and a private bridal luncheon. A true pre-wedding luxury experience! While Wendy was pampered, Gabe, their son, and his close friends relaxed and got ready in The Publisher’s grooms suite—a perfect spot for celebration and photos. For brides planning their wedding in Fredericksburg, The Publisher Hotel is the ultimate stay! It’s chic, luxurious, and has everything you need to make your day extra special. Brides who mention Ava Laurénne Bride while booking at The Publisher receive a special room rate—perfect for extending your dress shopping experience into a mini getaway!

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‍3. The First Look

Wendy and Gabe’s first look on the grand white staircase at The Publisher was a moment straight out of a fairy tale. Brides—don’t miss this spot for your own first look photos!

4. Wendy’s Entire Bridal Look

We are still swooning over seeing Wendy, our incredible leader as a blushing bride! Her hair and make up were expertly done by two of our absolute favorites, Aw Six Thirty and Alissa Joy Makeup!

5. Held at Ava Laurénne Bride

When starting Ava Laurénne Bride, Wendy & Gabe were committed to the idea that celebration and creating once-on-a-lifetime moments for brides is the core mission of the brand. Every detail from the set up of the shop, decor, appointment process, to post-appointment perks was done with the mindset that at Laurénne Bride, the fairytale never ends! What better place to celebrate their love than at the very heart of their brand? The boutique that has celebrated countless love stories was now the setting for their own!

6. The Custom Justin Alexander Gown

Wendy looked absolutely stunning in her custom-designed Justin Alexander ball gown. The ball-gown was long sleeved, corseted, and covered in lace and sparkle. The luxurious fabric and silhouette brought a sense of fairytale and magic, and embodied their continuing fairytale.

7. The Train and Other Secret Details

Justin Alexander masterfully embroidered  the names of Wendy and Gabe’s children (Ava Laurénne, Gabriel Joseph, and their first born who they lost at 8 months gestation, Savannah Laurelle in the lace of the train of her gown. It was sweet and meaningful.

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9. The 22nd

Additionally Justin Alexander had another personalization added to Wendy’s gown! The number “22” was masterfully worked into the lace on the wrist of her sleeve in honor of the date the couple celebrated EVERY month, as it’s the date of the day they knew they loved each other.

10. Echoes of Wendy’s original look

Wendy’s original wedding dress was lovingly customized by Moni Rees, a dear friend and bridal seamstress, who again brought magic to Wendy’s attire for this special day as she further customized her gown for her vow renewal too! Additionally, Wendy wore her original wedding headpiece, and her original shoes that she personally hand- decorated and wore 20 years ago for her wedding. 

11. A Necklace with Deep Meaning

Wendy’s necklace featured a diamond from her original wedding ring, symbolizing the enduring strength and growth of their love over the years.

12. The Deep Connection, Stories, and Love

With the ceremony being officiated by their pastor and several toasts made by family and friends from all stages of life, everyone in attendance enjoyed stories that made us laugh, tear up, think, and most importantly remember that love is truly the greatest gift in life and should be celebrated all the time! 

13. “The Pour Out” Motion Books the perfect memory gift!

At Ava Laurénne our brides experience something called a “pour out” where we provide them a box full of prompts like “I believe in everything you do in the world because…” Every team member at both locations recorded messages in response to some of those prompts for Wendy and Gabe. The entire video was then added to a lovely keepsake from the day by “The Motion Books”.

14. Music from the Heart

Wendy and Gabe share a deep love for music—both are talented vocalists and have been known to sing in their shop from time to time. The evening was filled with breathtaking musical moments, from the lively sounds of The Silver Tones Swing Band at the reception to a stunning performance by their son, Gabriel. He sang Josh Groban’s "For Always and Forever," the couple’s special song, adding a deeply personal and emotional touch to the evening!

15. Couture Florals that stunned by Wendy Mercer

The decor, designed by the talented couture floral designer Wendy Mercer, was stunning. Choosing to orient the space with the towering windows as the backdrop was genius. And focussing the floral impact on the center window was breathtaking. Soft blues, ivories, and muted greens in giant hydrangeas and garden roses was classic and perfectly bridal. Wendy carried a chic and simple bouquet of blue hydrangeas.

16. Heartfelt Vows

Wendy and Gabe’s vows were written by the couple themselves and were filled with the wisdom and love gained over 20 years. Their words were a touching reminder of the importance of celebrating love every day.

17. Love is Like Gold

Our design team took inspiration from a saying we love from Gabe Rivera that says “love doesn’t grow. It is more like gold, it purifies with time.” All throughout the night, touches of gold adorned every aspect…from the gold aisle runner, the gold leaf flakes in the champagne, to the gold cake topper, and the gold bar necklaces and cufflinks that were the favors.

18. The Custom Projections

Ryan from Luminuss Productions brought custom staging and used the grand, central sandstone vault as his canvas projecting the custom logo and theme saying for the vow renewal to set the tone for the entire event.

19. Incredible Meal by The Rivera’s Favorite Restaurant, Orofinos!

Fredericksburg played such a pivotal role in Wendy and Gabe’s love story and continues to be the backdrop for Ava Laurénne Bride’s success. Not only is the town full of charm and history but is also home to several incredible eateries! We have several favorites at Ava Laurénne Bride and Orofino is at the top of this list! The authentic italian restaurant provided an unbelievable fare that included chicken piccata, roasted potatoes, and creamy penne pasta!

20. Couture Cake with life-like Hand-sculpted Sugar Gumpaste Florals

Lillian Nathalie Cakes crafted a breathtaking three-teire cake with bass relief details and a bouquet of sugar gumpaste floral sculptures adorned it, and were the talk of the event! You had to touch them to believe they weren’t real flowers. The cake flavor was dark chocolate Merlot and it was exactly as amazing as you would want that to be! They also crafted a remarkable dessert table in the vault with shortbread and lemon curd pastries, mini trifles, and dark chocolate cupcakes. This cake artist is the one you want if you’re looking for wow factor and incredibly delicious, elevated flavors for your wedding!

21. The Magazine Cover and Signage 

The iconic magazine moment was refreshed as “The Vow Renewal Edition” and the logo for the renewal was added to moments throughout the space, making the entire event beautifully through-composed from start to finish.

22. Love That Inspires

Wendy said it best: “Love is a miracle that deserves to be celebrated every day. Wendy and Gabe’s love story isn’t just theirs—it’s the foundation of Ava Laurénne Bride’s mission. Their vow renewal continues to inspire brides all over the world!

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