Lis Simon Bride Brenda
Meanwhile, in Vegas…
An elopement in the land of neon lights.
What a babe! Our dearest Brenda wearing her Keegan dress.
T H E L O V E S T O R Y
Peter and Brenda met on an online dating site over 11 years ago. Funny thing, neither of them had ever considered online dating before then and joined around the same time. They ended up emailing each other back and forth for weeks before meeting in person, a coffee date on August 1, 2010. A simple coffee date turned into a 3-hour conversation and discovery of shared hobbies. “That was our official first date and we have since always celebrated August 1st as our Starbucks Day anniversary.
T H E P R O P O S A L
October 3, 2020“I was completely surprised when Peter actually proposed! After all, we had been together over 10 years and by then, I guess I just figured we were good with how things were at that point!”
Brenda is a single mom of two boys and has been juggling a zillion other things in between for over a decade was certainly a challenge at times, but hey, she always made things work! The proposal apparently started after she told Peter about “an absolutely wonderful bride” she had at her shoppe (oh yes, in addition to raising two boys and juggling a zillion things, I also own a bridal shoppe.) Brenda told Peter how sweet the bride was and how she was able to create her dream dress in a quick turnaround time (thanks to the Lis Simon team of course!) “The kicker was that this bride worked for a local jeweller, and I guess Peter and used that as a nice segue to go find her and discuss creating a ring for me – totally unbeknownst to me!”
Peter managed to create a beautiful ring for Brenda and wanted to give it to her during their 10th year anniversary, August 1st, however the ring was not ready in time. Peter ended up proposing on the 3rd of October: “I was completely surprised – as if I figured if something was going to happen, it would have probably happened on August 1st! Needless to say, it was definitely worth the wait!” The proposal is romantic or let’s say it was straight out of a movie! Peter planned a night out and took her to a park with a gorgeous gazebo. “He got down on one knee and I was so overcome with emotion at that point! It was lightly sprinkling rain and he even came ready with an umbrella. It was very romantic and very special, and every time I pass that park to this day, it makes me smile!”
T H E D R E S S
“My dress shopping experience was definitely different, as I am usually the one helping other brides to find their dream dress!”
If you didn’t know, Brenda owns a bridal shop and is named after her! Brenda Babe everybody!
Trying on the dresses as THE bride was an experience for her. She had her mom, sister, and friend with her one afternoon and just started pulling some options that would be great for her. Like with so many of her brides, “I ended up pulling something I NEVER would have thought!”
Keegan was the dress she chose. At first, Brenda didn’t feel confident with formal strapless dresses since she has a small bust and never thought those styles would be an option for her. However, she always liked the edginess of the dress-from the lace pattern to the jagged finish on the hemline, to the pull-on bell sleeves. “I just never considered that could be MY look! I tried it on a whim, and when I came out, everyone just looked at each other. I saw myself in the dress and had ‘that moment’ and brought me to tears”. She never thought a 48-year-old would be able to pull of the look. The longer she had the dress on, the more she fell in love with it, “it was indeed the ONE! Such an incredibly GORGEOUS and UNIQUE dress!” Lastly, to finish off any special touches, Brenda was able to customize the measurements for a perfect fit!
T H E E L O P E M E N T
August 1, 2021, at The Venetian in Las VegasThe couple had to make sure that Brenda’s sons were going to be at the ceremony, along with Peter’s brother who is the best man, and their dearest friends including Brenda’s man of honour and best babe. “We decided to make a whirlwind weekend out of it and were able to enjoy the perfect getaway to celebrate our marriage!” None of them posted any pictures or details until after the ceremony – it truly was a surprise! “I think we may have broken the internet when we posted our first pic from the ceremony as official husband and wife! They were so happy that they decided to “make it official” that way, as it truly was so romantic and intimate and the perfect way to say, “I Do!”
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO ELOPE?The couple decided to elope due to all the rescheduled weddings from the last few years as it was difficult to find a venue, caterer, and vendors for the date of August 1st. Brenda was beginning to get discouraged when they couldn’t find a venue. Peter came up with the idea of eloping in Vegas, however, she thought “there was no way we could ever do that – our families would be so upset!” as they always considered getting married with a big celebration with family and friends.
The more they talked about eloping, the more they started considering the idea. Brenda reached out to a wedding planner at The Venetian, the planner confirmed that they can do a “secret elopement” on their special date and resume the reception when they get back. “We loved the idea and had so much fun planning our ‘secret Vegas wedding!’”
HIGHLIGHTS FROM YOUR ELOPEMENT“The ceremony definitely took my breath away in so many ways!”
Brenda and Peter are huge music people and immediately knew they wanted to do something special with the music to mark such a special day. She was able to work with the wedding planner at The Venetian to hire a string trio to play they favourite classic rock favourites, “rearranged” to suit the ceremony!
Anecdotes from the bride:
Having the string trio was amazing and the music was such a personal touch that we will never forget!
I walked down the aisle to a rearranged version of INXS’s “Never Tear Us Apart” and it was perfect!
I would have to say that my favourite moments were walking down the aisle and seeing Peter waiting for me.
Exchanging vows that we had written ourselves in the gorgeous sunshine in such a gorgeous venue, surrounded by a small group of loved ones who helped us celebrate such a milestone in our lives together!
From Brenda
I tell all my brides if they are even considering an elopement-GO FOR IT! We had so much fun “making it official” with our small circle, and then we celebrated with family and friends later that month back home. I truly felt we were able to really focus on “us” and the actual ceremony by eloping and it made it so much more special and romantic!
Special thanks to:
I actually lucked out with a wonderful wedding planner at The Venetian who assisted with all of the arrangements for the actual ceremony. I am fortunate to have some wonderful friends who live in Vegas and were able to connect me with the incredibly talented Ayren and JC for my hair and makeup.
Venue: The Venetian Las Vegas
Photographer: Cushman Photography
Hair: Ayren White
Makeup: JC Ramirez
Dress: Keegan by Lis Simon Bridal
Suits: JP Tailors
