Yael Herman and Joseph McNeill met while attending the University of Miami. Both were majoring in Political Science, so they shared some classes together. Their first encounter was in an Ethics and Communications class, but the two didn’t become friends until a year later, while taking a Campaigns and Elections class.
“We dated for about five years and last summer, in August, we went to Portugal with my family,” Yael shares. “We all went to dinner at a beautiful hotel one of the nights we were in Algarve. We had heard that the beach there was a must-see. You could only get there going down a staircase in the rocks, and the beach itself was nestled between these huge rock cliffs. As soon as we got to the beach, at sunset, Joey proposed.”
“EVEN WHEN THE MUSIC WENT OFF, WE KEPT DANCING.”
The wedding planning process began right away. “It was exciting and stressful all at the same time, but our planners made it an incredible experience,” Yael describes.
“Every single question, thought, or idea we had, they heard us and without even the slightest hesitation they started to think of answers, solutions, or ways we could execute our ideas. Nothing was too big or too small for them to tackle. Honestly, working with them was one of the best parts of the process.”
Yael and Joey enjoyed a full week of pre-wedding events before the wedding day arrived. Everything seemed to happen in a flash, and the couple did everything possible to savor and enjoy each moment. “The wedding reception was out of this world beautiful – I had never seen anything like it,” recalls the bride. “The energy at the party was incredible. I can’t even describe it.
I remember asking a friend what time it was, my absolute shock at it being 4:30 a.m. I felt like it was barely 1:00 a.m.! So many people were dancing and having a good time, that the DJ decided to extend the party half an hour more. Even when the music went off, we kept dancing.”
The newlyweds took a mini-moon trip to Turks and Caicos, where they stayed at COMO Parrot Cay, and plan on traveling to Tanzania and Kenya in February.
WEDDING TALENT
Event Design and Planner: LV Event Designs, Miami, FL; Wedding Dress: Vera Wang; Linen: Nüage Designs, Miami, FL
