Michael Mota and Jodi Ricci met while working together at a marketing company. From the moment they started working on projects together, they never wanted to leave the office. Even after a long day together, they wanted to spend any free moment they had in each other’s company.
After a couple years of dating, Michael decided it was time to pop the question – of course, in a magical way. Jodi had been a New England Patriots cheerleader for the past four years, and she was in Punta Cana shooting the Patriots swimsuit calendar. Michael flew down to the Dominican Republic and arranged a surprise engagement that took place in front of all 25 of Jodi’s squad members, during which he got down on one knee and proposed with a beautiful canary diamond ring.
“THE NEWLYWEDS WERE ANNOUNCED ONTO THE FIELD THROUGH THE PATRIOTS HELMET, JUST LIKE ON GAME DAY.”
As soon as Michael and Jodi returned home, they kicked off the wedding planning process with an engagement photography session at Walt Disney World. Jodi had always been in love with the magical, whimsical feeling of Cinderella’s castle, which served as inspiration for the wedding.
After thinking long and hard about where to hold the wedding reception, the couple decided Gillette Stadium would be the perfect fit. Not only was the Patriots Stadium Jodi’s home for the past four years, but it had all the space to bring their dream wedding to life. Jodi even envisioned Cinderella’s castle inside the Optum Field Lounge.
On a beautiful September day, the bride and groom were married at the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul in Providence, Rhode Island. For the reception, the wedding party and newlyweds were announced onto the field through the Patriots helmet, just like on game day. A live video was also streamed on the jumbotron for all guests to see.
Inside, just as the bride had dreamed, the reception space was filled with white roses, hydrangeas, crystals and chandeliers. A selection of royal Tuscan and round tables were paired with chivari chairs, and a towering six-tier wedding cake was covered in fresh roses and canary yellow accents.
Candlelight and white drapery surrounded the newlyweds and their guests while dining on a delectable three-course meal. For a whimsical touch, the bride and groom were seated in Alice in Wonderland chairs.
Gillette Stadium was completely transformed into a dreamland, complete with a selection of glittering, life-sized trees holding up a dessert room filled with every pastry and candy imaginable. The night was topped off with a special performance by the Patriots cheerleaders, which included a costume change for the bride.
There were no words to describe how excited and thrilled the newlyweds felt during their wedding day. The entire experience was a fairytale, and everything Jodi had wished for since she was a little girl.
WEDDING TALENT
Ceremony Location: Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul, Providence, RI ; Reception Location: Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, MA; Planner: I Do Just Weddings Providence, RI; Event Design: Exquisite Events Details & Decor, Newport, RI; Floral Design: Stoneblossom Floral & Event Design, Warren, RI; Wedding Dress and Veil: Galia Lahav; Bridal Salon: Bridal Reflections New York, NY; Bride’s Headpiece: April Soderstrom