This Fashion Publicist Wore a Skirt Set From Sept for Her Beautiful South Florida Wedding
Welcome to Who What Wear Weddings, the destination for style-minded weddings. Expect insightful tips straight from the newlyweds, shoppable elements, and plenty of must-save imagery as we share the nuptials of our favorite fashion people getting married. For upcoming features, share your submissions here.
"If you ask Chris, he would say he was playing the long game, but I doubt this is what he had in mind our sophomore year in college," says Kelli Orihuela, VIP and influence manager at Hermès, as she reflects on the beginning of her relationship with now-husband fintech sales executive Chris Denci. The two first crossed paths at the University of Delaware, where they were in the same public speaking course. At the time, they only knew each other as classmates. "We barely spoke, but he forced me to pay attention to him during a class exercise where everyone in the audience had to raise their hand and could only put it down when the speaker made eye contact for a few seconds," Orihuela recalls. "When it was my turn, he was the last person raising his hand, and even though I spoke directly to him for a full minute, he refused to put his hand down just to lock in my attention."
It didn't lead to anything at the time, but the moment stayed with them. The night before graduation, the two found each other in line outside the same bar, but only a brief hello came from it—nothing more. Months later, while they were both in New York, fate intervened again. "I was at Vanity Fair at the time and attended a brand event downtown," Orihuela explains. "[I] posted the venue on my Instagram story, and the next day, I received a message from Chris asking if I lived in New York." As it turned out, Denci was staying with a family friend in Tribeca just around the corner from Orihuela's office at One World Trade Center. "He finally asked me to grab drinks, and long story short, we have been together ever since, sharing a bottle of rosé and French fries at Grand Banks," she says.
When it came time for the proposal, Orihuela admits she had a feeling it was coming, but the moment still caught her completely off guard. "It was Christmas Day, and Chris was about a week away from relocating to London for six months, and I assumed he would finally pop the question across the pond," she says. Instead, it happened in a very intimate setting. "We were opening presents in our pajamas alongside our golden retriever, Tucker, when I noticed all of my presents were wrapped in white boxes with white ribbon," she says. It wasn't in the first box but the second, where Orihuela found a glass ornament with a ring inside—the same method Denci's dad used when he proposed to his mom. "I could barely form words and was so emotional, [which is] very off-brand for me," she says. "I am certainly grateful he proposed in our living room!"
Soon after the proposal, wedding planning began, and the couple chose Marco Island in Florida, a location with personal significance and stunning scenery that needed no embellishment. "Chris's parents have had a home in Marco Island for almost 15 years, a place I had never heard of before we got together, but now, I can't live without [it]," Orihuela shares. The two were instantly drawn to Hideaway Beach Club for its effortless charm and miles of private beach. "Every inch of the property was beautiful and new, not only in style but also a first-time experience for all of our guests," she says. Read on to admire the couple's very intentional yet effortless design approach; Orihuela's two-piece Sept wedding look, which she paired with her "something borrowed" veil; the "tropical dance club" after-party; and the handful of other special details that made the weekend feel uniquely their own.
"It was important to us to have some welcome event the day before the wedding as a thank-you to everyone making the trek to South Florida. My twin sister Nicole, who had gotten married a year prior, also said it was one of the best decisions she made so you can catch up with as many people as you can and leave small talk out of the big day. She was exactly right."
"I wanted to go for something more fun and nontraditional for the welcome party, which was my style but in a completely different direction than my wedding dress. With the help of a friend and VIP stylist, Yael Quint, I was connected with Albright Fashion Library, the home of everything from vintage Chanel to pieces from Christopher Esber's newest collection. I had worked with them on many photo shoots and was able to browse their collection a few weeks before my styling appointment since I was cutting it close. They had amazing options and styled me from head to toe. Ultimately, with input from industry friends, I went with a blush sequin knit Magda Butrym stunner with rhinestone straps. The slightly loose fit, satin-matching slingbacks, and simple drop earrings gave it the touch of effortless style I aim for in every outfit.
"Unlike me, Chris knew exactly what he wanted to wear! A loose double-breasted suit à la Seth Rogen's character in The Studio custom-made by Fresco Apparel, founded by Chris's uncle. I chose the olive-tan color, a bit outside his comfort zone, and paired it with his favorite pair of tan Hermès drivers."
"We knew immediately that Island Country Club, where Chris's parents are members, would be the perfect venue for our rehearsal dinner and welcome party. We were able to take over the full upper deck looking over the golf course that has a few firepits and a great view of the sunset. In terms of décor, we let the view do all of the talking."
Details from the welcome party.
WWW Weddings Tip: "Once the festivities start, enjoy yourself, and take it all in! This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that goes by faster than you can imagine, so be present, and enjoy the fruits of your labor."
"With my wedding party only being two people, the initial getting-ready group was rather small: my twin sister, the maid of honor; soon-to-be sister-in-law as my only bridesmaid; mom; stepmom; and soon-to-be mother-in-law."
"Creating the invites was one of my favorite and most stressful (self-induced, of course) processes of wedding planning. For all wedding stationery, I worked with Little Black Dress Paperie, based in Morristown, New Jersey, not too far from where I grew up. I knew I wanted something colorful and tonal, giving maximum impact with a minimal approach. It was also very important to me to have the invites, florals, décor, etc., read more like a chic dinner party than a wedding. After creating three different color stories, I went with the color cayenne for the main invitation, a deep red-orange that was fun and unexpected yet very true to the setting, donned with a large [debossed] palm tree and white high-gloss letterpress. I chose a rattan print for the bellyband in the same colorway, which blended everything together perfectly."
"I wore an off-white short silk slip dress from a Bottega Veneta sample sale I scored a few years prior and a floor-length apricot-colored Frette silk button-up robe, which I fully plan to rewear with jeans. The ruffle details on the slip were the perfect amount of frill, while the relaxed style of the robe made me feel like I was getting ready at home rather than at the wedding venue. My glam approach was more red carpet with a sprinkle of sultry, focusing on strong brows, a thick lash line, and a really good lip, something a friend and recent bride had passed on to me. I'm happy I listened!
WWW Weddings Tip: "Check resale websites! I found some of my favorite pieces on Poshmark and eBay for a fraction of the price."
"Dress shopping was certainly a highlight, but I wanted to be extremely mindful regarding the number of appointments I booked. I made a very short list of designers and boutiques I absolutely needed to visit, then a backup list in case I needed to broaden my search."
"Sept was my third appointment, and once I walked into the showroom, I felt how special it was. The collections are not nearly as vast as those of the big bridal brands, which I appreciated because they offer a very distinct point of view. Sept also recently released a collection featuring separates, which really broadened my options. During my second appointment, which I attended alone and was meant to trim down my top options to a final two, I spotted a sheer corset top that was draped to perfection and had a texture I had never seen in bridal before. Matthew, the manager and most amazing sales associate, grabbed a sleek silk skirt with a small train, which balanced the top perfectly. What sealed the deal is that it made me feel everything I wanted to feel on my wedding day: beautiful, timeless, and like myself. When it came to accessories, I wanted to stay true to myself and keep it simple. I wore my grandmother's pearl-and-diamond drop earrings that she and many other women in my family have worn down the aisle, plus a diamond tennis bracelet from my other grandmother."
"Chris wore a black Burberry tuxedo that I had gotten him during my time at Vanity Fair. It fit him like a dream and is made of a magical blend that we have been trying to hunt down ever since. Like most grooms, he really made his outfit special with his accessories: sterling silver oval Tiffany & Co cuff links with his initials engraved, a birthday present I had given him years prior, and custom black velvet tuxedo loafers from a little shop in London. The store offered custom embroidery, one toe with a bluefin tuna and the other with our golden retriever. If you know Chris, you know his two other big loves are deep-sea fishing and our dog! They gave the perfect touch of playful personality but still toed the line of traditional black tie."
"A few hours [into the day], a small group of my closest friends joined to get the party going!"
WWW Weddings Tip: "Be very mindful of who you include in your inner circle for input, whether it's dress shopping, designing your invites, florals, etc. At the end of the day, you always have time to sleep on a decision, then trust your gut."
WWW Weddings Tip: "Start with how you want the day to feel and what you want your guests to walk away with rather than all the physical aspects you want to incorporate. This helped me craft my overall aesthetic and clear the noise in my head when I had to make big decisions."
"Honorable mention to my Etsy witch! I started to look at the forecast a week prior, which started as perfect, but in true Florida fashion, it completely changed to rain all weekend the following day. The wedding would have been a completely different vibe if we were indoors the entire time. Not only did she come through with no rain, but it was [also] the perfect temperature, slight breeze, partially overcast and with the most amazing 20-minute-long sunset."
"The ceremony was clean and simple—not only because it was the shortest part of the night, but the pared-down nature of it symbolized the whole reason for a wedding: love and people! Wicker lanterns at the entryway framed the white sand aisle that led to a round platform that blended seamlessly into the beach. Around the platform were bushels of tropical greenery, the perfect earthy element accenting our ocean backdrop. Chairs and umbrellas to shade guests from the South Florida sun were slightly varying hues of natural wood that were used to support the surroundings instead of taking away."
My florist wrapped my bouquet with a rosary that was made from the flowers at my late grandfather's funeral and a cross brooch as my 'something blue.'"
"I kept my hair down in big, loose curls to break up the material draped by my collarbone and the two-tier veil. The veil I borrowed from my sister had a horsehair trim, which complemented the texture of the top of my dress and gave the veil some structure."
"The bouquets carried by my bridal party of two and me were the only pop of color, minimal in size, and made up of two kinds of sunset-hued stems."
"Chris's cousin Michael was the perfect officiant—thoughtful, funny, captivating—and included the perfect amount of marital advice. The ceremony was the perfect length and a great kickoff to cocktail hour."
WWW Weddings Tip: "Borrow! Not only was this a money saver for small things like frames for the memorial table, but wearing family jewelry and my sister's wedding veil added the perfect amount of sentimental value."
"I loved my dress so much that I was never really interested in a second look, but another advantage of choosing separates was being able to swap out one piece to get a completely different look. After some time on the dance floor, I traded my floor-length fitted skirt for a satin micro mini that was secretly a skort so I could dance the night away. My white satin Aquazzura slingback sandals with crystal bows also got their very deserved time to shine. I also bought an ivory duchesse silk Courtney Zheng bralette to wear with my Sept skirt in case I wanted to give that a new life too, but I spent too much time dancing to change a second time, which is what every bride should do!"
"Cocktail hour is always one of my favorite moments of a wedding, as it can set the tone for the rest of the party if done right. I knew this was where I wanted to start introducing color as a buildup instead of a major moment, especially since the pool deck was so vast. A table hosting the escort cards, printed on the same fresh green as the bar menus, was also a slight nod to our invitations with the palm tree and our initials in script, all printed in a deeper shade of green."
"Sit-down dinner on the beach was my big wow moment! While I love a neutral, I thought a pop of color against the vastness of the beach and pure white sand would create a very impactful moment without having 101 design elements. When choosing the color scheme, I wanted something unexpected yet complementary to the setting, which led me to sunset hues, leaning more toward the orange-red part of the spectrum rather than pinks. Like my invitations, keeping the majority of elements monochromatic can make even the loudest of colors more approachable, which is how I landed on the florals, seat, and table cards all mirroring the orangey-red linens."
"We had our band play a few songs to get the party going, then Chris and I took center stage for our upbeat first dance. A dance with my dad followed to Stevie Wonder's 'Isn't She Lovely,' which my dad famously sang to my sister and me when he held us for the first time in the hospital. He took great pride in choreographing our dance and will always be one of my favorite dance partners. Chris and his mom closed the dances with 'Forever Young,' which everyone sang the chorus to before storming the dance floor."
WWW Weddings Tip: "Don't just look at weddings for inspiration. I found this extremely helpful, especially when it came to color schemes and décor. I drew a ton of inspiration from color combinations found in nature, interior design, and even runway looks. In terms of décor, I shifted my focus from wedding receptions to brand trips, hotels, restaurants, and even birthday parties!"
"Having patterned linens was important to me, as I saw it more as an added texture without physical thrills. I chose two different colors of the same striped linen to use on both the standing and seated tables, which paired perfectly given the larger width of the stripe and the more muted tones of terra-cotta and green. Every other table was adorned with a small rattan bud vase with minimal tropical stems that varied from table to table."
"For the final moment of the night, I wanted to create a tropical dance club. As we walked from the beach, multicolored lights flooded through the ballroom windows, welcoming guests to the dance floor. We also added uplighting in a dark emerald green alongside the walls to the left and right of our nine-piece band. The room's high ceilings allowed for clusters of wicker and rattan lanterns to hang above the dance floor, complementing the clusters of lanterns that framed the stage and were accompanied by large tropical palms. The shift to dark hues completed the color spectrum and symbolized the night's final moment. From start to finish, everyone was on the dance floor, and I even made it onstage. What more could you ask for?"
Wedding Planner: Kelci Leigh Events
Photographers: Kara Jean Lanteigne, Julie Cate Christman, and Joseph Rogero
Videographer: So Loved Films
Hair and Makeup Artist: Unbreakable Beauty
Band: Bay Kings Band
Striped-Linen Designer: Nuage Design
Solid-Linen Designer: Taylor Rental
Florist: West & Rock
Stationery Designer: Little Black Dress Paperie
Furniture Rentals: Taylor Rental and Plíthos Event Rentals
If you're interested in having your wedding featured on our site, please fill out our Who What Wear Weddings submission form here.
