Sierra and her bridesmaids in their mismatched dressed; Taylor Swift attends the 66th GRAMMY Awards.Photo:Kindle & Grain Photography; Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic
Kindle & Grain Photography; Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic
WhenSierra O’Connellasked her two best friends, Alexis Lunardi, 28, and Niki Gutierrez, 30, to deliver a speech at her wedding reception, the duo asked if there was anything off limits.
“I told them to keep it to around 3-5 minutes because I didn’t want anyone to get bored listening to all the speeches,” O’Connell, 30, tells PEOPLE.
With the single guideline in mind, O’Connell says Lunardi, 28, and Gutierrez, 30, whom she had met while working at Disney World after college, decided to add some flair.
Sierra O’Connell and her bridesmaids in their mismatched dressed.Kindle & Grain Photography
Kindle & Grain Photography
Since O’Connell’s is a long-timeTaylor Swiftfan, they concocted a plan to serenade her with their speech, set to the melody of Swift’s “Love Story.”
“It was Niki’s idea initially to narrate Sierra and Dave’s Love Story (Alexis and Niki’s Version),” the bride recalls. “Alexis, being a seasoned theater enthusiast embraced the idea when Niki suggested it. They got on a call the next day and penned down their lyrics.”
The night before the wedding O’Connell spent the evening with her bridesmaids, but Lunardi and Gutierrez discreetly slipped away to rehearse their speech. O’Connell notes, “I’m usually quite perceptive and hard to catch off guard, but I had no inkling when they mentioned needing to practice because I knew they hadn’t had any time together to rehearse.”
She jokingly adds, “I had no clue what these masterminds were up to while I was enjoying my late-night Taco Bell at 1 a.m. the night before my wedding, as any bride would be do! .”
On Feb. 3, O’Connell and her fiancé Dave exchanged vows in a romantic ceremony in Florida full of Swiftie Easter eggs. She walked down the aisle to an instrumental version of Swift’s “Invisible String.” Her seating chart also consisted of four colorful panels that read “At Every Table, I’ll Save You A Seat,” which is a line from the artist’s song “Lover.”
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Sierra’s O’Connell’s face in pure shock as Niki and Alexis sing their Love Story.Marina Cassou
Marina Cassou
After officially tying the knot and listening to other speeches, it was Lunardi and Gutierrez’s moment to shine.
“As they began their introduction, I went into complete shock,” O’Connell says. “I should have known they would pull such a surprise, but I don’t think even they thought they could pull it off without me knowing!”
“When they first started singing, I had no idea the message would be so personal. I thought maybe just change a few lyrics and names around and sing a verse or two,” she continues. “But as soon as I heard them sing ‘Lewis and Clark in the summer air’ (the street we used to live on), I knew this was much more than just a few changed lyrics.”
She adds, “After the first verse, I assumed that was it. Nope – they had more! They mentioned our time working at Disney, a brief history of how Dave and I met, our silly adventures during our years in The Castle together, the move to California that Dave and I are about to make, and so many cherished memories.”
Although it’s been a month since their wedding day, O’Connell says still she talks about the special moment every day. After the wedding, she posted the song onTikTok.
“I just hope everyone knows just how much I love and care for my friends and truly cannot believe that I have such wonderful friends in my life.”
source: people.com
