“We make each other better, support each other and are there for each other in the highs and lows of our lives,” Bussi tells PEOPLE
Credit: Nikki Baker Photography
NEED TO KNOW
- Carolina Hurricanes star Brandon Bussi married Mary Raclawski on Friday, July 17, at Saint Paul’s Parish in Cambridge, Mass.
- The college sweethearts exchanged private vows at sunset before sharing their first dance to “A-Frame” by Jeremy Zucker & Chelsea Cutler, which Raclawski says holds a “special place” in their hearts
- “Right now our lives are hectic, but knowing that this is the beginning is what’s exciting,” Bussi tells PEOPLE
Carolina Hurricanes star Brandon Bussi and his college sweetheart Mary Raclawski are officially husband and wife!
The hockey player, 28, and the content creator, 25, tied the knot on Friday, July 17, at Saint Paul’s Parish in Cambridge, Mass., in front of 187 of their closest family and friends.
Described by the bride as the perfect encapsulation of their “fairytale love story” that brought together “New England elegance” and “timeless, intentional” moments, the wedding featured a raw bar, a four-tier dark chocolate wedding cake with raspberry filling and a custom espresso martini luge.
Credit: Nikki Baker Photography
As they chose their wedding venue, Raclawski tells PEOPLE they knew they wanted to get married in a Catholic church. “Our faith is an important part of our relationship, so celebrating the sacrament of marriage in a traditional church ceremony was our biggest priority,” she says.
Bussi adds that they also wanted to pay tribute to their early beginnings as a couple with their venue as well. “Boston is where we first started our lives together outside of college at Western Michigan University,” Bussi says. “Every summer while we were dating, Mary would visit me while I was goalie training in Boston, so it holds a very special place in our hearts. We have made some incredible friends who have become family in Boston.”
Credit: Nikki Baker Photography
Raclawski walked down the aisle to Pachelbel Canon in D with Organ & Trumpet in a Monte Durham ballgown that she handpicked from Volle’s Bridal near her hometown in Chicago, which, like her wedding theme, she describes as “timeless.” “I was drawn to the elegance of this dress,” she says of the gown, which she completed with Dolce Vita shoes and hair and makeup done by Teryn Brewer and Lauren Reddington. “It felt simple yet grand all at the same time and totally me.”
Credit: Nikki Baker Photography
Meanwhile, Bussi and Raclawski’s wedding bands were custom-designed in collaboration with REEDS Jewelers, a family-owned jeweler that began in Wilmington, N.C. The bride was also styled by REEDS Jewelers for her wedding day look, selecting pieces that “felt timeless, elevated and authentic to her personal style.”
They were also intentional with their floral design by Poppy Flowers for the wedding, which Raclawski describes as the “heart of the décor, featuring abundant blush blooms layered with soft moss green foliage,” adding that it created the “feeling of an elegant garden growing seamlessly” into the Granite Links ballroom where they held the reception.
Credit: Nikki Baker Photography
For the bride’s bouquet and groom’s boutonniere, the couple chose white orchids as a reminder that while their “wedding day is beautiful, the true beauty lies in the commitment [they’re] making to one another.” “Orchids are known for their strength and resilience, flourishing with patience and care, much like a marriage built on faith, trust, and unconditional love,” Raclawski adds.
While they said “I do” with traditional vows at the church, they saved private vows they had written for the reception, which they gave to each other at sunset.
Credit: Nikki Baker Photography
At the reception, they kept the New England theme going with an extravagant spread of food. The raw bar included little neck clams on the half shell, shrimp cocktail and Wellfleet oysters on the half shell, while passed o’deves featured short rib Wellington, buffalo chicken spring rolls, lamb chop lollipops, New England clam chowder sips, lobster rolls, and miniature margherita pizzas.
For the plated dinners, guests chose between grilled filet mignon, grilled salmon and ravioli before indulging in the dark chocolate and raspberry cake with Italian buttercream frosting by Dessert Works, paired with espresso martinis.
Credit: Nikki Baker Photography
“It’s the perfect combination of indulgence and celebration,” Bussi says of the dessert. “Our favorite way to toast the night and keep the dance floor going.”
For their first dance, the couple chose “A-Frame” by Jeremy Zucker & Chelsea Cutler, which Raclawski says holds a “special place” in their hearts.
“One lyric, in particular, perfectly reflects our relationship: ‘In the middle of nowhere, still you make it feel like home,’ “ Raclawski says. “With hockey and life in general, we’ve learned that the future can be unpredictable. We may not always know where we’ll live or what the next season of life will bring, but we’ve realized that home isn’t a place — it’s being together. No matter where life takes us, as long as we have each other, we’ll always feel at home.”
Credit: Nikki Baker Photography
As they wanted to honor all the people who have played a special role in their love story, Bussi says they also opted to host an anniversary dance to celebrate the “couples in our lives who have been incredible role models and inspirations for our relationship.”
The party continued on to the next day as the couple held “One More Toast to the Bussi” at The Tall Ship in Boston.
Though Raclawski admits to PEOPLE that planning their wedding amid Bussi’s busy NHL season, especially leading into the Stanley Cup finals, was slightly “stressful,” the most important part to them was finally being husband and wife.
Credit: Nikki Baker Photography
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“We are both dedicating our lives to each other,” Raclawski says. “Promising to be there for each other through sickness and in health, through some of the best times of our lives and potentially some of the hardest. I find comfort in knowing that wherever life takes us, we will be okay because we have each other. I am so grateful I found a man like Brandon.”
“We make each other better, support each other and are there for each other in the highs and lows of our lives,” Bussi adds. “The most exciting part is the thought of what 20, 30, 40 years down the line might look like. Having kids, growing old together. Right now our lives are hectic, but knowing that this is the beginning is what’s exciting.”
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