"When the man of her dreams proposed in exactly the way she had always hoped, Juliane DiRamio knew their relationship was meant to be. Her boyfriend, Joseph Sebastiano, wowed her with a magical proposal in Palm Beach, complete with the horse-drawn carriage that Juliane had always fantasized about. “Joe made me feel like such a princess!” she exclaims.

Set on marrying near the bride’s hometown in Massachusetts, Juliane and Joe visited Newport, Rhode Island to view possible reception sites. “We were so excited to plan our wedding,” says Juliane. “We wanted to make sure it was truly unique and special in every way.” When they visited a magnificent mansion that was on their list of potential venues, the couple knew instantly that it was The One. “I remember thinking to myself how absolutely amazing the home was and how it looked like a fairy-tale castle,” Juliane remembers. The mansion’s Grand Ballroom was even more striking than the couple had hoped for – it featured opulent gilded walls, sparkling crystal chandeliers, dramatic French doors, a hand-painted mural of the sky across the ceiling, and a breathtaking view of the ocean.

On the day of the wedding, bridesmaids carrying bouquets of roses, orchids, and stephanotis blossoms lined up in front of the exquisite marble altar at the house of worship chosen for the occasion. “The first time we visited the church, I walked down the aisle to meet the priest and got teary-eyed envisioning my wedding day,” says the bride. “That is how I knew it was the place where we’d be married.” The church boasted its own unique features such as a detailed painting of angels above the altar and walls in a romantic shade of pink, so the décor was kept simple with large bows in satin and tulle tied to the end of each pew. For her walk down the aisle, Juliane paired her ravishing Rivini gown with her mother’s delicate heirloom veil. “Not only did it have sentimental value because my mom wore it on her wedding day, it was also the most beautiful veil I had ever seen,” says the bride. Having opted for a traditional Catholic mass, the couple chose music for the ceremony that would be largely sung in Italian as a nod to their mutual heritage. “Our soloists poured so much emotion into their duet of ‘The Prayer’ by Andrea Bocelli and Celine Dion,” recalls Joe. “I think that everyone would agree that it was a heartfelt performance.”

Juliane’s chosen color palette of muted pinks and yellows mixed with ivory and gold created a beautiful complement to the ballroom’s interior design at the reception. Centerpieces of roses, hydrangeas, and orchids alternating in tall and short arrangements were set upon tables that had each been given a special name. “Each table was labeled with a word that had some importance to us as a couple,” explains Juliane. The names ranged from regions in Italy from which the couple’s respective ancestors had originated, to the towns where the bride and groom were raised. “We included an explanation of the significance of the word at each table,” adds the bride. “It took a lot of time and effort, but our guests appreciated it!” A sparkling crystal horse and carriage topped the couple’s towering wedding cake, continuing a theme that was threaded throughout the event as a tribute to Joe’s memorable proposal. The couple’s final personal touch was to dedicate a song to their parents at the end of the night. “Joe and I felt truly blessed to have had the wedding of our dreams, and we owed it all to our parents,” concludes the bride. “The song was a memorable and sentimental way to thank them for all that they’d done for us.”

Juliane admits to being a tremendous romantic, and therefore her favorite part of the day was seeing her groom for the first time. Joe couldn’t agree more. “There is nothing better than knowing that the person you love is at the end of the aisle waiting to spend the rest of their life with you,” he says.