Shine Bright Like a Diamond: Gorgeous Ballroom Wedding in Daytona Beach, FL

Christian and Vanessa met while attending Azusa Pacific University freshman year of college in 2011.

After being best friends for nearly 5 years, they both realized we were indeed made for each other, and they decided to make their relationship official. Vanessa shares, “We got engaged on my birthday on May 8, 2019. Having our dream fairy tale wedding entailed lots of planning ensuring everything was exactly what we wanted. Our wedding color was white and diamond. I’m fascinated with bling and wanted to make sure our cake, decorations, etc. entailed lots of bling. My gown was custom made by the talented Inna Rudenko.”

See all of the details from their gorgeous ballroom wedding below.

Couple: Christian Sanders and Vanessa Sanders
Location of Wedding: Crystal Ballroom at Sunset Harbor
Wedding Date: 10/13/19

Quick Facts

Favorite item on menu: Haitian food
First dance song: Best part by Daniel Caesar
Advice for brides: Stay organized and have a good timeline.

Tell us how you met and all about the proposal.

I met my other half while attending Azusa Pacific University freshman year of college in 2011. After being best friends for nearly 5 years, we both realized we were indeed made for each other. We got engaged on my birthday on May 8, 2018. It was the perfect surprise celebrating my birthday with my closest family.

How did you know they were “the one”?

We knew we were each other’s soulmate because we had a bond, a deep friendship that we felt nothing could ever break. We knew God placed us in each other’s life for a reason and as we always say, “There’s no sweeter love than being with your best friend.”

Describe your wedding style.

Our wedding color was white and diamond. I’m fascinated with bling and wanted to make sure our cake, decorations, etc entailed lots of bling. We definitely went all out for our wedding.

Describe your wedding dress and your favorite wedding accessory.

My gown was custom made by the talented Inna Rudenko. I definitely wanted to look like a princess for my wedding and every accessory from my dress, headpiece, and earring reflected that. My dress was puffy ruffled and tulle with a long train. The top, sleeves, and neck were covered in Swarovski crystals.

What is your best memory from your wedding?

Our entrance and first dance were the best memory from our wedding. Our grand entrance included confetti, CO2 jets, and our first dance included sparklers, dance on the cloud. We were all about the details.