Becnel, Fjord wedding

Sara Becnel and Lee Ford first met folding sweaters at the local Banana Republic in Destin Commons, where the two both worked part time jobs at one time.  Sara - the daughter of well known resort developer, Tom Becnel- is originally from Louisiana and moved to Florida 10 years ago, while Lee who grew up in South Carolina and Ohio, and moved to Destin after graduating from college and being offered a position in the area. Shortly after meeting, the two started dating and became inseparable very quickly… proving that simple encounters- such as folding sweaters- can certainly lead to remarkable outcomes. 

On December 31, 2008 Lee picked Sara up from work late.  They had agreed that instead of going out to celebrate the New Year they would dress up, drink champagne and watch the ball drop at home.  After his late arrival, Lee explained to Sara that “plans had changed”. This would mean Sara would need to rush home and get into her sparkly dress, while Lee changed into his tuxedo, in order to get to their destination on time.  After getting into the car, Lee attempted to blindfold Sara. Unfortunately Sara would not cooperate with Lee because of all the hard work she had just put into fresh eye makeup, she didn’t want to smudge. Lee finally convinced Sara to at least close her eyes until they reached their nearby destination.  Once he stopped the car and told her to open her eyes, Sara saw that they were parked at a big beautiful white house that theyhad passed many times on their walks together.  Sara says that she and Lee would often ooh and ahh about the home and the beautiful lake that sat behind it.  As the couple reached the lake’s dock Sara noticed that a few things looked a bit out of the ordinary. She saw glowing candles and lanterns, chocolate covered strawberries, champagne, cheeses, crackers which Sara describes as being a“true treat for the eyes and the palate”. 

Before Sara could grasp what all of this was about, Lee dropped to one knee and said, “Sara Becnel, will you marry me?” Sara immediately asked,”Is this for real?”, after which she gave Lee the magic answer he was hoping for.
Sara and Lee put their cell phones to work andbegan calling friends and family to tell them the big news.  Sara’s father, Tom Becnel, was not surprised as Lee, being a true gentleman, had asked Mr. Becnel’s permission prior to popping the big question to Sara. After all of this excitement the couple decided to partake in a little more of Lee’s special surprise meal then hit the town to celebrate.

Sara and Lee chose to be married in Florence, Italy for several reasons. They both love to travel abroad, and Sara had never been to Italy but says itwas next on her list.  Lee had studied in Florence while attending college and really enjoyed his time there. Florence, was also Sara’s mother’s favorite city and she had always told her storiesabout how beautiful it was.  Sara told me that she and Lee decided there was no better time to visit Italy, than fortheir wedding.  Sara and Lee chose to be married in the Villa San Michele which Sara describes as “a breathtaking lush Italian garden overlooking the city”.

Sara wore the “Love Knot” dress by Vera Wang; blush in color with a custom-made crystal and pearl brooch adorningthe gown.  Her veil was custom made using fabric from her dress.  In addition to this exquisite dress, Sara wore custom-made Christian Louboutin heels, which matched her dress perfectly and were also adorned with smaller versions of the custom-made crystal and pearl brooches.  Sara’s heels had blue soles instead of the designer’s traditional red soles in order to take care of her “something blue”.

The groom wore a black suit along with a white shirt, both from Joseph A. Banks. Lee’s tie and pocket square were custom made from the same fabric as the bride’s Vera Wang gown. Completing the look- and almost an essential since he was in fact in Italy- were Lee’s Gucci Italian patent leather loafers.

The ceremony in Italy was attended by seven guests. This helped to make the wedding “low-key, relaxed and very special”. The couple had two ceremonies in Italy.  The first was a legal ceremony which was required to be performed at a town hall outside of Florence.  The nighttime blessing was performed at the Villa San Michele which is a monastery built in the 1100s. The ceremony took place in the Italian Garden under an arch covered in greenery, ivory and light pink roses,with Sara carrying a bouquet of tightly bunched brighter pink roses which added the perfect punch of color.  The Garden overlooks the city of Florence, adding to the romance of this very special place.

On September 26, 2009 -two weeks after their Italian wedding- Sara and Lee held a reception at the well known, Palms Resort and Conference Centerin Destin, Florida. The Palms is one of the ABEC Resorts family of properties, owned and developed by Sara’s father.  This reception was a very important event to Sara and Lee, as it gave them the opportunity to celebrate with 130 friends and family members who were not able to see the couple married in Italy. 

Large Screens located on both ends of the ballroom, showed various pictures of Sara and Lee during their relationship and also their gorgeous wedding filmfrom Italy.  Tables were adorned with ivory hydrangeas, light pink roses, and lisianthus’ which were placed in vases with climbing willow and ivy.  Rose petals were also sprinkled on the table and the table centerpieces were alternating from tall to short and surrounded by floating candles and tea lights for a romantic feel.  The magnificent floral arrangements and décor were provided by the highly talented professionals from Florals By The Sea, located in Destin.

The couple’s guests dined on appetizers including, bruschetta, various quiches, and mini crab cakes.  A buffet style set down dinner was also served and consisted of an antipasta platter, tomato and mozzarella salad, fettuccini alfredo with mushrooms, Chicken Parmigiana with Spaghetti, and sliced beef tenderloin.  There were also Italian Breads, steamed vegetables, and mashed potatoes. Sara and Lee chose these foods to keep in the tradition of Italy, and because they are good comfort foods that appeal to almost everyone.  All of the food preparation, catering and serving was provided by the Palms of Destin Resort’s talented chef and staff.  All of Sara’s and Lee’s guests also enjoyed a full top-shelf bar, along with champagne, beer and wine. 

Sara and Lee shared their first dance to the very appropriate classic, Sara Smile, by Hall & Oates.

The live entertainment for the night was handled by well known Destin band, Roshambo -with Jim Couch of KJ’s- providing hours and hours of classics, top 40, and dance tunes to keep the large ball room’s dance floor packed. And packed it was. As the Publisher for Gulf Coast Bride, I had the pleasure of attending the reception personally and getting to know Sara and Lee, as well as some of their family and friends.  From Sara’s father, Tom, and her sister, nieces and extended family, to Lee’s mother, sister, and stepfather…I was very impressed as to how friendly and fun all of the couple’s family were. And as for dancing, this whole group loved to keep the floor full and the party going.

Once the reception finally winded down, Sara and Lee left in a limo filled with about fifteen friends and family members and “headed out on the town.”  Sara said that they had already experienced their honeymoon in Italy so the reception was all about spending time with friends and family, and simply having a good time.”
As for the out-of-town guests of the reception they enjoyed a wonderful weekend of accommodations at either Silver Shells Beach Resort or the Palms of Destin- both ABEC properties, and excellent places to spend a weekend.

Lee and Sara now reside in Winter Park, Florida with their dog Liberty, where they are loving life as newlyweds, and make it a point to return to Destin as often as possible.