Real Bride Talia in Josselyn by Ines Di Santo at her Wedding in Cartagena
Tell us your love story! How did you meet and how did you get to a proposal?
Talia and Federico met in college at Florida State University, and shortly after their relationship began from long distance to living together in Miami. After six years together Federico proposed in the Bahamas, and they were engaged for one year before getting married in Cartagena, Colombia this January.
When you started planning your wedding what did you envision? How close did the actual wedding get to that vision?
When we first started planning the wedding, I envisioned it felt like a fairytale, and the actual wedding surpassed that vision. The day felt like a dream, a fairytale… And it was perfect! Romantic, elegant, and filled with all the love and joy in the world.
What were a few things that were important to you as a couple to include (or not include) in the wedding?
Gratefully we were aligned in everything. We both always envisioned ourselves a church wedding, with everyone we love in one place— we also both wanted a big party! We were both very traditional in the fact that we did not want a first look and we didn’t see each other from the Night Before until the moment we met eyes walking down the aisle.
How did you decide on the location?
Federico, the groom, is Colombian— he was born in Colombia before moving to Miami, where now him and Talia, the bride, have lived together for 3+ years. Early on in our relationship we spent a month together in Cartagena and fell in love with the city— when we started looking at venues there was something special and nostalgic, as well as a nice cultural tie to Cartagena. It became a no brainer.
Let's talk dress! Give us all the deets!
Josselyn by Ines Di Santo was my Wedding Gown and it was a dream. When I was young I dressed up a princess all the time, but I’ve never felt more like a princess than I did on my wedding day in that gown. I knew it was the one from the moment I saw it, and it was fate as it was the only piece from the collection that arrived early at Chic (since I could not make the trunk show)— anyways Kati, my bridal stylist and I, decided to save her for last and from the moment I put that gown on I knew I would be getting married in it.
How did your family, friends, etc play into your wedding planning and wedding day?
We planned the wedding with the support of my parents, Thomas and Carol Bartelmo. We also worked with a local Cartagena Wedding Planner, Mary Cueter (@marycueterofficial on instagram), who made our dreams come to life. We’re forever grateful for the love, support and attention to detail that made that weekend such perfection.
What's one specific memory you have from your wedding day that you don't think you'll ever forget.
The day lives vividly in my mind from the moment the the Cathedral doors opened, to 12 hours later closing out the dance floor with my best friend— and everything in between. But what lives on forever is the pure joy and love we both felt in our hearts that day— it radiates through every memory and every photo
How did you decide on your hair and makeup look?
I was certain I wanted a natural look for my hair and make up. I am not someone who wears a lot of make up in general and wanted to feel like myself on that day. I was also fortunate to have 3 nights of events and 2 wedding days looks so I got to play around with the hair styles all weekend long. Our hair and make up artist was so great, and stayed with me for touch ups all night long— could not recommend Jesus Diaz enough (instagram: @jesusdiazz)
Was there one vendor you used that you wish everyone knew about?
Our Photography team, Amauris and Miguel at We Are Storytellers. They were incredible— we worked with Amauris back in June 2025 for our trial photoshoot and again all weekend long for our wedding in January 2026. The photos are INCREDIBLE (and we’ve only seen a generous preview so far), but more than that the energy they bring and the love and creativity they poor into what they do was unmatched. They travel around the globe— so no matter when or where your wedding will be they are the best team! (instagrams: @amaurisphoto @miguelphoto @weare_storytellers)
Also our planner, Mary Cueter, was amazing. The way she and her team truly transformed each space was surreal and so stunning. She’s local to Cartagena, and does weddings all across Colombia. I could not recommend enough. (instagram: @marycueterofficial)
Where did you go on your honeymoon and what was the best part?
We immediately jetted off to our honeymoon the next morning in Guanacaste, Costa Rica at the Four Seasons on Peninsula Papagayo. The experience in this resort was unmatched. We had a plunge pool in our suite that we used daily, had private dining on the beach at Sunset, and truly got the relaxation we needed after the wedding weekend of our dreams.