Bride

When Madeline Cefolia and Matthew Carlos met during their junior year of high school in 2009, they didn’t exactly have a love-at-first-sight moment. In fact, it took two years before they even started dating. Once they did, however, the two knew that they were made for each other; and on December 7, 2019, it became official. “We had family pictures scheduled for his family at the Christmas Tree Farm in Covington; and when we arrived, we were told that everyone else was ‘running late,’” recalls Madeline, a civil engineer. “The photographer took us into the farm for a few pictures while we waited for the rest of the family, and Matthew proposed. After that, we did an entire engagement photo session.” Almost exactly a year later, on December 5, 2020, Madeline walked down the aisle at the Villa in Carriere, Mississippi, wearing a gorgeous A-line white satin gown with a beaded, sheer back to meet Matthew at the altar. As 250 guests watched, the couple exchanged vows and were pronounced married before joining their loved ones for a reception on-site. As guests enjoyed a massive spread of traditional dishes including brisket, spinach dip, muffulettas, crawfish etouffee, crawfish Monica, a mashed potato bar, mac-n-cheese, green beans, bread pudding, crawfish pies, gumbo, and salad, Madeline and Matthew celebrated the fact that they were able to have the wedding of their dreams, even in the midst of so much chaos. “The entire day, from start to finish, was incredible,” says Madeline.

“I feel like our wedding was so unique because it was so us. Being together for so long, you imagine the day you can finally be married to your best friend; and you want everything to be perfect, but you wake up and realize that whatever it ends up being will be perfect. We had an entire table full of photos of us from the previous nine years, a huge homemade wood backdrop for the photo booth, a coffee bar, and a s’mores station set up outside.” After dining and dancing—with a break to cut into their three-tier white cake adorned with flowers and a tiny plastic replica of their Rottweiler, Chevy—and more dancing, the newlymarried Carlos's were sent off by the light of hundreds of sparklers. “I can say my absolute favorite part of the entire night was when everyone was outside for the send off, and it was just

me and my new husband,” says Madeline. “We looked at each other and said, ‘We did the damn thing!’ With everything going on in the world and all the questions of ‘If you have your wedding, is it safe enough?’ and ‘Is now the best time?’ nothing else mattered in that moment except for us, and I will remember that forever.” Having said their goodbyes, the newlyweds went on their way to their honeymoon at the all-inclusive resort, Excellence Playa Mujeres, near Cancun, Mexico. “Everything at the resort was amazing. We did absolutely nothing for the first couple days until we explored to the island of Isla Mujeres for a day and then laid by the beach and just relaxed for an entire week,” Madeline says. “It was definitely a trip to remember.” Now back home in Slidell, they look forward to spending the rest of their lives being “us”—best friends who love each other more than they could ever have imagined, way back when they first met in high school.

Breathtaking Venue, Memorable Events

Our breathtaking 13-acre wedding venue and retreat, in Covington, is nestled along the Little Tchefuncte River. Its white sandy dunes and shimmering currents will make you feel transported to another world.

If at first you succeed, try, try again.

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