Harrell, Lombardo wedding

The city that never sleeps, also known as New York City, brought them together.  Jodi is from Dothan, Ala., and when the opportunity presented itself the former advertising model moved to the Big Apple.  She is now owner and operator of Promote 360, a promotional company that focuses on the entertainment industry in NYC.  Charles calls Morristown, N.J., home and is currently the managing director of Miller Tabak and Co. LLC, a New York trading firm.  The two met at a famous ‘happy hour’ steakhouse in New York.  Jodi and her friend were greeted at the door by a group of guys that took their coats, gave them their seats and bought them drinks.  While talking, one of the guys found out that Jodi was from the ‘Heart of Dixie’ – Alabama.  He snuck off to call his friend, Charles, because he knew he was a fan of southern belles.  In a matter of minutes, Charles walked through the door and made a beeline straight to Jodi, and the rest, as we say, is history.

After dating for a short time, Charles convinced Jodi they were going on a trip to Italy for his work, little did she know what surprises he had in store for her.  Upon their arrival, Charles had the driver take them to a private farmhouse outside of Milan.  They went to a restaurant overlooking the L’Albereta vineyard and while enjoying champagne under a full moon, he popped the question, and of course she said, “Yes!”

The couple love the Florida Gulf Coast and before getting married, had recently purchased a beach house together in Destin. Because of their new ties to the area they chose to have their wedding at the Hilton Sandestin Beach Resort & Spa, on June 6, 2009. Jodi wanted her special day to be perfect, and knew with her busy schedule and travels she needed a reputable wedding planner who she could really count on. After some careful searching, Jodi settled on the well respected Stephanie Tate, of Savoir Faire Weddings, who did a magnificent job planning the ceremony and reception.

The bride wore a strapless, ivory satin taffeta dress which came straight off the Junko Yoshioka  - a NY designer who has dressed such as Jessica Alba- spring 2009 runway collection.  The dress had a satin ribbon that looped all the way down the train and buttoned all the way down the back.  To add a personal touch, the bride had a one off brooch made which she intends to pass down as an heirloom.  She wore a birdcage veil, from Casey’s Bridal Boutique, that was adorned with real ivory feathers.  Her bridesmaids wore a strapless, burnt orange, t-length by Alfred Angelo.  The accessories included a bronze pearl necklaces and matching earrings that were gifts from the bride.  The groom was dressed in a cream-colored pin-stripe suit from Lombardo Custom Apparel.  His groomsmen looked handsome in their Irish linen 3-button khaki suits from J. Crew Bridal.  The ties came from Banana Republic’s collection and matched the bridesmaid’s dresses perfectly.

They rented a clear tent from Nationwide Tents N Events that let the natural light of the moon and stars cascade down upon everyone.  Showtime Events also provided a red aisle way that contrasted beautifully against the white sand.  There was a large monogram sticker of the couples initials placed where they stood. Rev. Maggie Gat, the childhood reverend of the groom’s mother, performed the ceremony. Paul Johnson Photography of Panama City  captured every enchanting moment through the camera lenses, and in front of 200 guests the couple joined hands in marriage to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do they part. 

The reception was held at the world famous Hilton Sandestin Beach Resort’s Coral Ballroom, with dinner provided following the initial reception activities.  Jodi wanted her wedding to be bold and chose red, orange, deep purple and yellow as her colors.  Nouveau Flowers handled the floral duties, and brought in a large pergola and placed it in the center of the ballroom that served as the wedding party’s table.  Fabrics were draped  from the pergola and hanging reflectors from all the chandeliers. Five-Star Audio Visual did a great job achieving what the bride wanted by providing a dimly lit reception causing the sheer fabrics to sparkle.  Additional romantic red lighting and candles really set the mood.

The bride and groom incorporated a “canvas of energy” into their reception.  The guest would pick from the wedding colors and with a paintbrush they would make a stroke of love on the canvas.  The painting now hangs in the couple’s home.  Another unique idea came in the form of a signature drink that the bride created herself called “The Lombardo Colado”. This idea helped to cut back on liquor cost for the night, and was a big hit with those who partook.

The guests were served pre-selected entrees and salad.  The entrees included Filet Mignon served with Yukon mashed potatoes and asparagus, chicken breast stuffed with artichokes and sun dried tomatoes and mixed grill of grouper and Mahi Mahi served over a bed of rice with Caribbean sauce.  The cakes were by Confections on the Coast and were over-the-top.  The wedding cake was 5-tiered, French vanilla flavored, decorated with ivory and ornate coral and seahorses.  The groom’s cake was based off of an African safari with a sunset sky in the background.  It was flavored with pina colada and seemed to be the crowd favorite.  There was a top-shelf open bar and the Birmingham, Alabama based band, More Cowbell, played a mix of country, classic rock and crowd favorites.  After dinner the guests hit the dance floor and danced the night away for hours.
 
An unusual getaway car decorated in balloons with ‘Just Married’ across the windshield came in the form of a customized two and a half ton, gigantic military truck.  A purchase the groom says he “accidentally” made on eBay.  The next morning the couple flew out to Staniel Cay in the Bahamas for a week, where they went snorkeling, fed sharks, and enjoyed the good life, without the hustle and bustle of their normally busy schedules.

The Lombardo’s are now back to work, and busy as ever. They currently commute back and forth between their apartment in New York and their beach house in Destin.