The Wedding Dress: June 1-3, 2018

"Once in a while, in the middle of an ordinary life, love gives us a fairytale." 

Melissa Brown

I really never had in mind what kind of dress I wanted before the wedding. I knew I wanted it to be very white because I didn't want it to clash with Paul's summer whites. I did also know that I wanted my mother, sister, and mother-in-law there when I found it.  It would be the first time our mothers had met and I couldn't think of a better way to also introduce them both to Richmond and specifically the sites Paul and I had chosen for our big day than to make a girls weekend. 

We booked a weekend at Linden Row Inn, a few bridal shop appointments, a tasting at the rehearsal dinner restaurant, Bistro 27 and brunch at The Jefferson Hotel where we would have our reception. 

Here trying on shoes, a veil, and a tiara. Very surreal to be putting any of these things on. My favorite part of this photo is my mother beaming in her seat. 

After going to a few places and not finding anything at all, we landed at Tiffany's Bridal. My mother-in-law struck a conversation with one of the ladies on the floor. Her daughter had recently married a man from Charlotte (love those men)  and she liked Barbara's shoes. She decided that the woman she was waiting for was running late so she would pass her to another colleague and that she wanted to work with us. 

I'm trying a million dresses on and she was so knowledgable about everything I asked. Later, we came to find out she owned the boutique. We were *IN*!

So much beautiful...

Women at different times had told me that I would end up with the exact opposite of what I thought I would like. I went looking for lace and ended up falling for satin. 

We found the dress! 

Relieved we headed toward the restaurant for the tasting and ate all the delicious food William had prepared. 

We then finally headed back to Linden Row. Our rooms were right next to each other and I surprised each of them with a box of goodies. Just to let them know how happy I was that we were all together and how much I loved each of them. Marriage to me has always meant Paul but it also meant that we would both be expanding our families. There's nothing that makes us happier. 

Here is a picture of the box for my mother-in-law...

Linden Row Inn was beyond accommodating.  We were so glad that most of our guests housed there. 

Little delicious local chocolates attached didn't last for a picture...

We then headed to bed and got ready in the morning for Mass at the Cathedral and brunch at The Jefferson.

Never in any of the times I've been to Richmond guessed that the city would one day be so important to me!

Afterward, Mom, Sarah and I headed to the Greater Richmond Bridal Show and had a *little* fun...

We headed home happy and for the first time, I felt like this was really happening. I am getting married!

10 months later...

The dress was picked up and ready to be tailored. I closed the back, added buttons and made the front a high neck....

I felt so beautiful and so perfect that day. My mother gifted me with the most beautiful dress and I never wanted to take it off. At the end of the night I looked at the bottom of the my dress and it was so dirty! I knew it had all of Richmond on it. I wouldn't want it any other way.

Oh and big white ballgowns are perfect for dancing with your brand new husband...

At the end of the day, it's the bride who makes the dress, not the other way around." | Kang Chun Lin

My Dear Aunt Gracie

I was sitting here at my desk, working ( which is the job I have now for the next two weeks with my broken foot) and suddenly I believe it all processed that I lost my dear Aunt Gracie. 

A funny realization I had was that I always remember Aunt Gracie old. There was never a time in my life when I saw her young so a part of me; I think a part of all of us; assumed she'd just always be around. She's always been strong, always youthful and always with a glass of wine..

There was no one more pure of heart than Grace Medaglia. Her hugs were pure, her heart was the size of planet Earth and her love of life and family was incomparable. She appreciated every single day and took joy in every member of her family. My father in particular was always moved to a young boy when Aunt Gracie was around, my opinionated mother quiet to listen to everything she had to say, my stoic brother amused by every moment she made, my adorable sister enthralled when she was around. We were thankful for every McDonald's gift card, Christmas card, birthday card and call we would receive. I don't know how an event can go by now without her or without hearing a loud, "I love you, too" at the end of a phone call..

I was scrolling through photos today and thanked God above that I have these photos to cherish..

I can see her little face poking through the crowd smiling at my dad and I walking down the aisle. I didn't realize how important this photo would be to me until now. 

My cousin Jane brought Aunt Gracie onto the dance floor. My sister and I each grabbed a hand and danced. She was so little and smiling. I again didn't realize how important this photo would be. Which is the way I feel about alot of these photos filled to the brim with faces I love and care about. 

Paul and I knew from the moment we got engaged that we wanted a big wedding with everyone there. Even if that meant planning through nursing school, deployment, and any other added stress: we were doing this because there is only one day in your life where you can have everyone you love in one room. We got that day and I'm so thankful that Aunt Gracie was able to be there. It wouldn't have been the same without her. It won't be the same without her.

The Engagement: March 19th 2018

The day of Our Engagement:

 We had just spent four or five days in Charlotte, NC before going to Savannah, Georgia to meet Paul's extended family and celebrate their second Christmas, St. Patrick's Day. Paul would be on his way to deployment very soon. We had spoken about marriage several times, Paul asked me if I was sure I didn't want to spend a year in Spain alone before settling down and whenever our weekends together would end he would say, " I wish you would just propose already so we didn't have to go through this anymore." Haha.

I was hoping that this trip we'd planned would be the time where he would propose! Why not? Savannah is beautiful, so much family and I thought if he didn't propose now then he would when he got back! Right?!

We spent our whole week in Savannah. It was beautiful. There were so many opportune times where you could ask someone a very important question. Instead, we enjoyed our time and I told myself to not think about it so I could enjoy myself. I loved Paul and I loved him whether we were engaged or not. Nothing could change that.

At the end of the trip, we drove back to Norfolk after one more stop in Charlotte and March 19th was just like any other day. We got Chick-Fila for breakfast and came home to take a nap before we unloaded the car. Yet, before I went back on my way to Kilmarnock we had a thirty-minute shoot scheduled that evening in Sandbridge Beach, VA. Paul and I only had cell phone photo quality photos together and before he left I wanted something I could look at for the next 8 months....

We were getting ready to leave and Paul took FOREVER to get ready. As we were getting in the car it looked like it was going to storm. I suggested that we reschedule the photos again for later in the week but Paul was determined that it wouldn't rain.. We HAD to get there.

We got there and I had a long green dress that I bought for the photos. I was so excited to get photos in a flowy dress on the beach with the love of my life. It all hardly felt real..

We then went to change into our second outfit. I quickly slipped into another dress while in the car but Paul said he needed to change his pants in the bathroom. I thought if I could change my dress and shoes in the car he surely could too but fine. He said, "Go down to the beach and get some solo shots so that I can have those with me on deployment." I said, "Okay." Just totally unassuming.

In the meantime, Paul had gone to the bathroom to pray before he proposed. Cue tears later when I found this out...


I was down on the beach and the photographer knew what was going to happen because Paul had emailed her of his plans earlier that week. I noticed she just kept looking at me and smiling. I look up at the top of the beach and see Paul with a full smile making his way down to me.

We start taking photos and I feel Paul squeeze my hand to turn me around and then he says, "I love you." I said, "I love you too.."


Paul: "No, I love you so much that I don't want you to be my girlfriend anymore. I want you to be my wife."

Cue my heart completely stopping. I just remember putting my hand over my mouth and seeing him get down on one knee and vaguely hearing snaps from the photographer around us.

Paul: Will you marry me?

Bianca: "Yes!"
All I could muster was to close my mouth that was on the floor and go in to kiss him because anything I could say just wouldn't be enough...

After our kiss, I couldn't stop saying, "We're engaged!!" 

I called my mom and she knew and yelled in the background to the family that it had happened! 

I called my sister who isn't a public crier to hear her gasp and cry which made me bawl even more. 

We called Paul's mom where she greeted us with the most hearty congratulations. I couldn't believe I was growing my family to some of the best people I've ever met. We got ahold of Paul's brothers who knew, as well! We barely were able to stay on the phone with anyone because we couldn't stop kissing! (sorry mom!)

We finally got ahold of Paul's dad where Paul thanked his dad for making him a man and I knew

that this was the best day of my life and I was marrying the best man I have ever known. 

We don't exactly remember how we made it home that night but we stopped on the way because Paul wanted to pick up flowers for my mom and beer for my dad. 

We got back to my house so late and I couldn't even tell you the rest because I just remember being up all night staring at my ring. 

We later found out it was the feast of St. Joseph which makes so much sense because Paul is so giving, kind, and God-fearing like Jesus' father is said to be. He always puts me before him. When someone loves you this way you put them before you and that's what made us work while dating in school and being in the military. The purpose of every day changed when we realized we loved each other. We chose each other.