An Elegant, Romantic Wedding at Mayfair Hotel and Spa in Coconut Grove , Florida

Janet Llerena (38 and an education major) and Hermes Alvarez (43 and in finance) met through a dating website and dated for three years before getting engaged. Janet always told Hermes that she wanted his daughter to be a part of their engagement because that would be the first step in their journey together as a family. On Christmas 2011, Janet, Hermes and Hermes's daughter were sitting in front of the Christmas tree opening presents when Janet opened a box to find an engagement ring. It was then that Hermes asked Janet if he and his daughter could be a part of Janet's life forever. They decided to have their wedding at the Mayfair Hotel and Spa in Coconut Grove, Florida. "It has old Florida charm with a very zen-like atmosphere," Janet says. Janet wanted a romantic ambiance for the wedding and chose a color palette of gold, blush and champagne to execute this look. "We wanted our wedding to be modern, simplistic yet beautiful," she says. Centerpieces included round arrangements of garden roses, hydrangeas and miniature calla lilies surrounded by candles that added to the romantic feel. Janet says that the most precious parts of the wedding decor, however, were the unity candles. "Our unity candles hold a very special place in my heart because we designed them as a family," she says. Hermes's daughter even took part in the unity candle ceremony. From their engagement to their wedding, Janet and Hermes always made sure to include family.