Real Brides: Raquel

How she met her husband: "I met David in 2011 at a house party in the East Village of Manhattan. I didn't remember much of our meeting, though David apparently did. As he walked up stoop of the brownstone and looked through a part of the door that was glass, he says he saw me walking toward him. "Who is that?" David enthusiastically asked my brother, his friend. I invited my brother and he, in turn, brought David—which he may have quickly regretted. "That's my sister," my brother replied, irritated. We were just friends for the first two years we knew each other. I was in a relationship when we met, and David claims he dated other women—I never saw them because he never brought a date if he knew I'd be there. It so happened that I was there pretty frequently. If my brother invited one of us out to hang out with a group of people, we each would ask him if the other was coming too. David and I would always end up alone, talking to each other: outside smoking a cigarette or on adjoining stools at the corner of a bar. There was no physical romance, even if the tension was palpable. On one late June night in Brooklyn, it was the same routine: David and I found ourselves leaning against a red brick wall, sharing a cigarette, as our friends talked inside a bar around the corner. My day was awful, I told him. Then, suddenly, David broke routine. He pulled me close to him, looked into my eyes, and quietly told me something I will never forget. Then he kissed me." 
How she knew her dress was "the one": "One of my dearest friends and bridesmaids is the manager at a local bridal boutique in Austin, TX. The moment I got engaged, she insisted I come in the shop to try on gowns, so within two weeks of the engagement, I was at Second Summer Bride. I had my eye on another gown, but when I put it on, I didn’t feel that “wow” factor, I knew I was going to feel when I found the right one. I’m an image consultant, so when I try on something I love, whether it’s a sundress or my wedding dress, I know when it’s perfect. Because of my career, I thought I would be the one to pick the dress, but sure enough, my friend Natalie pulled the Val Stefani for me to try. From the moment I slipped into it, I got a feeling—something close to indescribable, but every bride who has found her dress, knows it. I didn’t just feel beautiful, I felt radiant. I was glowing in the gown. I felt relaxed, calm and beyond certain that this was the one." Photo by Melissa Glynn Photography.
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