Unconventional Path

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High school lovebirds Taylor Hatfield and Thomas Pitera had been dating for one week when Thomas told Taylor he loved her. Her response wasn’t quite what he had hoped — she broke up with him and didn’t speak to him again for a year.

Luckily for the pair, that wasn’t the end. A year later, the Richmond natives picked up where they left off, and Thomas eventually proposed to Taylor in November 2013.

In honor of the groom’s Catholic upbringing, they exchanged vows in the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart. The couple’s favorite moment occurred during the ceremony, when they started hysterically laughing during the deacon’s sermon. “I couldn’t tell you why,” Taylor says. “We were just staring into each other’s eyes, enjoying the surreal moment that we were finally doing this. Instead of crying, we just started laughing.” 

The ceremony was followed by an elegant black-tie reception at the historic Hippodrome Theater. The bride’s love of the Roaring ’20s was the basis for an old Hollywood glamour theme, complete with golden glitter, shimmering pearls, vintage glass bottles and even an antique typewriter among the décor. Guests enjoyed a plated dinner with choice of crab-stuffed tilapia, vegetarian pasta or chicken marsala. 

Keeping with their unconventional track record, the bride wore a dramatic fit-and-flare gown with black floral lace accents from Bridal Elegance, an unexpected choice that blew away the groom’s traditional Italian family — “in a good way,” he says.

September 27, 2014

CAKE: Cakes by Graham

CATERING: Provided by the Hippodrome Theater

FLORAL DESIGN: Ronnie Wayne Palmore

MAKEUP: Dustin, M.A.C. (Nordstrom) 

HAIR: Nikki Williams, Mango Salon

PHOTOGRAPHY: PW Photography