Marriage
We were introduced to Samuel Blot and Thaina Madere two years ago when their proposal story struck a chord with us.
After meeting time and time again, Sam pursued Thaina, and although it wasn't love at first sight for Thaina, she eventually fell for him. Over time, the love they felt grew, but would eventually prove to not be enough and the couple broke up.
It wouldn't take Sam long to realize Thaina was his one, though. For nine months, he prayed, he bided his time, he fasted, and most of all, he worked to become the man that Thaina needed him to be and the man that she deserved. He courted her thoroughly for a second time and nine months later, he proposed. "I knew that forever was what I wanted to be for her, and I knew I couldn't settle for anything less. It wasn't instant, but I won her back – and I've felt like I won the lottery every day since," he said.
When the time came to propose to her in that beautiful garden setting, he had no doubts the love of his life would say "yes."
A little over a year later, they made their commitment official under the eyes of God and surrounded by family and friends on November 5, 2017. From "She Said Yes" to "I Do," we're happy to join the Blots as they tie the knot and embark on their journey to forever. Read on as the bride and groom share some of the key elements that made their big day truly special.
Here & Now
"We had gone through so much up to that point, saying 'I do' wasn't really a leap, it was a confirmation of what we already knew. When you go through the moments in our relationship, when it is time to say 'I do,' we knew that it was a promise already paid for in hugs, sweat, and tears," she said.
The Sweetest Thing
"It's hard to pick [a favorite memory] but the morning of the wedding I woke up feeling so much peace and so sure that I was exactly where I needed to be," Thaina said. "I thought I would be stressed because it was the day of and I still hadn't written my vows, but all of the anxiousness of wedding prep ceased to exist because at that point, nothing else mattered but that I was hours away from becoming one with my man."
From This Moment On
"The most memorable moment [for me that day] was when I first saw her turn the corner to walk down the aisle," Sam recalled. "I knew she would be beautiful, but I could never imagine how beautiful. When I saw her, though I knew before, I was reminded that this is my wife; my forever. As she walked down the aisle, I knew there would be tears, but as a man who rarely cries I was surprised to find I had more than enough for the both of us."
Always & Forever
"We feel that even though we've been in love for years, marriage is the beginning of our great journey," Thaina shared. "So far, we have already had moments where we can't believe the blessings we have received, and we're only in the first few months! Living with your best friend has been as amazing as it sounds. We banter back and forth, get on each other's nerves, squabble over leaving the seat up, and learn about all kinds of strange habits; but as Sam always says, 'That day marked the first day in a long line of the best days of my life.'"
Click through the gallery below for behind-the-scene photos and intimate details that made their wedding amazing.
Jonathan Adjahoe and Ned Magdaleno
"We got married at Scripps Seaside Forum in La Jolla, San Diego. We wanted a beach wedding but didn't like the idea of toes in the sand so the cliffside lawn wedding was our happy medium. We also loved that the glass doors behind the lawn area of our ceremony slid open for an indoor/outdoor reception. I just knew that dancing the night away accompanied by views and sounds of the waves would be magical."
Jonathan Adjahoe and Ned Magdaleno
"The theme of our wedding was Modern, Natural, and Geometric. Shapes played heavily in our choices for decor. We had glass terrariums, a honeycomb altar, Geode cake and cupcakes, and long cylinder floating candle holders. The bridesmaids wore jumpsuits and groomsmen wore carbon fiber hexagonal ties while Sam's tie was gold leaf laid under hexagonal glass."
Jonathan Adjahoe and Ned Magdaleno
"We wanted the details to be a representation of things we love but still wanted it to be elegant, so we opted for clear chiavari chairs so that the attention could remain on the altar and ocean. All of the florals in our reception area and all of the desert except for the center of our cake were white to balance out all of the greenery, geometric décor, and gold details."
Jonathan Adjahoe and Ned Magdaleno
"I had two Maids of Honor and Sam had two Best Men. I owe my rock and sister, Patrice, everything for her endless supply of support. Patrice and Kendra, my childhood best friend, really made sure the process of planning didn't overwhelm me."
Jonathan Adjahoe and Ned Magdaleno
"I wore a fit and flare, subtle ombre baby pink to off white tulle and organza gown by Matthew Christopher for the ceremony. It had an illusion corset back encrusted in Swarovski crystals and sequins. It sparkled but the details weren't loud."
Jonathan Adjahoe and Ned Magdaleno
"I wanted to make sure that I picked something that I wouldn't be embarrassed about 30 years from now so even though I'm not traditional, I didn't want my dress to be trendy. The only alteration I requested was a custom neckline. It was elegant but still had details that felt like me."
Jonathan Adjahoe and Ned Magdaleno
"Sam requested that I stay out of his choice of clothing for him and his groomsmen outside of color choice. Sam worked with style consultant and friend, The Sharper Me, for his Groom's look. He wore a Velvet Wine Smoking Jacket, White Shirt, Gold Hex Tie, Black pants, and Black embroidered velvet loafers. He's come a long way with his choice of clothing (laughs). I loved his look!"
Jonathan Adjahoe and Ned Magdaleno
"Our bouquets were loose and unstructured with olive branches, quicksand roses, orchids, proteas, wine colored flowers and gold sprayed succulents. The boutonnieres were air plants with navy accents and gold seeded eucalyptus. In lieu of flower petals, our flower girls wore flower crowns and walked the aisle with balloons that read 'Hey, Uncle Sam' and 'Here comes your Bride!' Our florist, Petals and Lace Designs, along with our planner Sandra Nicole Designs, did an amazing job bringing our vision to life."
Jonathan Adjahoe and Ned Magdaleno
"The men wore Navy suits, white shirts, carbon fiber hex ties and Black shoes."
Jonathan Adjahoe and Ned Magdaleno
"The ladies work Dark Navy Satin Bandeau Jumpsuits with a cape overlay, burgundy lipstick, asymmetrical gold jewelry, and gold shoes."
Jonathan Adjahoe and Ned Magdaleno
"We opted for live music for our ceremony. My bridal party walked down to 'Our Song' written and performed by Jason Sellers. I walked down the aisle to "Let Me Be Your Everything" by my dear friend and artist, Melanin."
Jonathan Adjahoe and Ned Magdaleno
"I just had to keep in mind that it's our wedding and had permission to break any tradition we'd like to. We are both far from traditional people but would question if it was okay to include or not include certain things. For instance, we knew we weren't a jumping the broom, pouring of the sand, lighting the candle type of couple but family is such a huge part of our lives, so we requested them to come up to the altar and lay hands over us in prayer during the ceremony instead."
Jonathan Adjahoe and Ned Magdaleno
Bride: Thaina M. Blot
Groom: Samuel Blot
Venue: Scripps Seaside Forum
Catering: The French Gourmet
Cake and Desserts: Mix Bake Decorate
Wedding Planner: Sandra Nicole Designs
Florist: Petals and Lace Designs
Videographer: Daniel Lee
Photographers: Jonathan Adjahoe and Ned Magdaleno
Musicians: Riva Precil, Monvelyno Alexis, Jason Sellers, Melanin (Whitney Andrews)
Wedding Dress: Matthew Christopher
Reception Jumpsuit: Jaime Elyse
Style Consultant: The Sharper Me
Men's Ties: Hex Tie
Congrats Mr. & Mrs. Blot!
To keep up with the couple and their newlywed bliss, follow them on Instagram @thainamadere and @blottedinq.
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