Jamie Pandit and Phil Silva got married on August 28, 2021. Pandit, who is transgender, wore a custom sheer dress with 3D appliqué. The dress also featured removable sleeves and a removable train.
Jamie Pandit has been dreaming of the perfect wedding dress for years. Pandit, 33, a content creator, met her now-husband, Phil Silva, a 40-year-old restaurant owner, on Bumble in 2016 in Toronto, Canada, where they still live today. Pandit told Insider that she and Silva fell fast and hard for each other and were already in love by their third date, which was scary for her because she didn’t come out as transgender to him in the first place. “At the time, because I was living in stealth and passing as a cisgender girl, I didn’t really accept my transgender identity,” she said. “But obviously there was a moment when I said, ‘Oh my God, we’re falling in love.’ Things happen so fast. And I have to tell him.” Pandit said she was “scared because I didn’t want to lose love,” but her worries quickly faded after she came out to Silva. “He said he fell in love with me for who I am,” she told Insider. “He said, “I see you. And that’s what matters.” Silva proposed to Pandit in 2019 and they planned their wedding on August 28, 2021. Jamie Pandit and Phil Silva have been together since 2016.Ikonica Although they were excited to plan their wedding, Pandit said it was also stressful for her and Silva both because of the pandemic and because Pandit joined Silva’s friends, family and the public during their engagement. Pandit told Insider that receiving negative comments online and dealing with rejection from loved ones, especially during such an exciting time in her life, “was very difficult.” But one of the reasons she came out while engaged was because she wanted to feel like herself at her wedding, she continued. “I didn’t want people to come to our wedding without really knowing who I am and who we are as a couple,” she said. “We wanted to celebrate this wedding very loudly and proudly.” The story continues
Pandit’s wedding dress was a big part of the celebration
Although she wasn’t always sure she’d find someone to spend her life with, Pandit said she’s been dreaming of her ideal wedding dress for years. While shopping, it was difficult to find a dress that lived up to her imagination. So Pandit ended up having her dream dress custom made by Lee Petra Grebenau through Powder Bridal. The sheer dress was covered in three-dimensional floral appliqués, which were offset by a plunging sweetheart neckline. The corset-style bodice gave way to a fitted skirt. Pandit’s dress also had two removable elements: a sheer train and off-the-shoulder sleeves. Jamie Pandit’s dress was custom-made by Ikonica Pandit told Insider that all the details on the dress had symbolic meaning for her. To her, the flower vines covering the dress symbolized growth. She said she wanted the sheer detailing to speak to the years when she didn’t feel “sexy or feminine” and felt the delicate sparkling beading on the dress highlighted all the light she has in her life now. “I dreamed about these details for years and years, even though I felt like it wasn’t going to happen to me,” he said. When she finally wore the dress on her wedding day, Pandit was emotional. “I definitely started crying when I saw myself,” she said. “I think for every bride, when you put on your wedding dress, it’s special.” “I remember my first dress I wore when I started transitioning,” Pandit said. “It was red, and I still remember how euphoric I felt. And I think that’s the same feeling I got when I put on my dress. It felt like it was more than just a dress.” The dress was a dream come true for Jamie Pandit.Ikonica Pandit and Silva’s photographer, TH Jackson Huang of Ikonica, captured their beauty. Pandit paired the dress with Jimmy Choo shoes for the ceremony and Louboutins for the reception, as well as Mark Lash jewelry. She wore a long veil and Tanya Az styled her hair in loose waves. Pandit added pearls and silk flowers to her hair for the reception. And for her makeup, Pandit went for a natural, cool look created by Aniela.
Pandit said walking down the aisle was important to her
Pandit and Silva were married at Copper Creek, a golf club in Kleinburg, Ontario, where metaphysical minister Aaron Milich officiated. Rias Designs designed and provided flowers for the wedding, which included ribbons in the colors of the trans flag in Pandit’s bouquet, and Event Graffiti did their place table. The couple hired SDE as a videographer. Pandit told Insider that it was important for her to walk down the aisle alone, as she ran away from home when she was just 16 years old. “Although I have the support and acceptance of my parents now, I felt that for most of my life I had to take care of myself and be my own advocate,” Pandit said. “I really wanted to walk alone to commemorate my journey for myself.” “On that walk, I was thinking how lucky I am and how privileged I am to even be able to do this,” she said, adding that she hoped to inspire the “little Jamies out there that I hope will see this wedding” and know ” It can happen to them too.” Pandit said walking down the aisle alone also allowed her to fully focus on Silva, whom she loved. Jamie Pandit and Phil Silva on their wedding day.Ikonica Silva wore a white tuxedo jacket to the wedding with black pants and his cufflinks had the transgender flag on them, Pandit said. He didn’t see her before the ceremony, so Silva was emotional as Pandit walked into their ceremony. “He just couldn’t take his eyes off me,” Pandit said. “It made me feel so beautiful.” AB Limo provided transportation for the wedding. Fruitilicious Cakes made the couple’s wedding cake. DJ Franky J was the couple’s DJ, while Platinum Entertainment provided sound, visual and lighting services for the event. They also had saxophonist Jay Smooth and performances by samba dancers from Dance Vibration and Bollywood dancers from Shadow Entertainment.
Pandit and Silva’s wedding went viral on social media
Pandit shared videos of her wedding day on TikTok and several of her videos went viral in December 2021, with one getting 10 million views. The video responded to a comment that said her in-laws didn’t attend the wedding, showing a video of Phil and his parents entering the ceremony with the caption: “They were there proudly and with lots of love.” She said it was a little overwhelming at times to have so much attention on her day, particularly when she received negative or hurtful comments. She went on to say that she hopes sharing her and Silva’s life publicly can help people live more authentically. “It’s hard to even find love, and then it’s hard to find someone who will love you publicly and openly without wanting to hide your identity,” she said of why she feels it’s important to share her relationship online. Jamie Pandit and Phil Silva’s wedding has gone viral on TikTok several times.Ikonica “I can confidently say that my husband chooses me every day,” Pandit said. “We face the world together.” But most of all, Pandit says she loves that she married her best friend. “I feel like I’m with my best friend and partner in crime,” he said. “He’s always the first person I want to share any news with. He’s my biggest support system.” Read the original article on Insider
