Sofia Vergara and Joe Manganiello tied the knot on Sunday, November 22, 2015 in Palm Beach, Florida, and I was fortunate enough not only to be one of the 400 guests in attendance, but also to help Sofia and her family bring her custom design dreams to life.

Leading up to the big day, I worked from start to finish with Sofia, her stylists Jill Lincoln and Jordan Johnson (of style team Jill & Jordan), as well as the design team from Zuhair Murad to create Sofia’s wedding gown. I worked closely on the technical side to make sure the structure of the dress would fit perfectly for Sofia’s liking and to ensure comfortability. Quite a challenge with the many thousands of miles between us in Los Angeles and the designer based in Lebanon! 350 crystals, 11 pounds of sequins, and almost 7 pounds of pearls were used to make Sofia’s design come to life, with the dress being completed just days before the wedding.

But my work didn’t stop with Sofia’s dress. I also custom made pieces for Sofia’s unofficial maid of honor, her lovely niece Claudia Daniela. Sofia, Claudia Daniela, and I designed a lace and tulle dress with Swarowski details, and then I created special custom piece. We swatched and shopped for weeks to find the perfect fabrics, and accomplish the perfect silhouette. Sofia helped me to design the 4 flower girls’ dresses that preceded Sofia’s walk down the aisle, and I custom made them. I tailored outfits for Sofia’s extended family and contributed to other wedding components like the flower girls’ baskets and the custom ring bearer’s pillow.

This wonderful opportunity will definitely remain one of my most cherished experiences (and best party!)!