Talia & Dustin

April 21

Knoxville, Tennessee

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Q & A with the Bride:

1. What was the one thing about your venue that made you know it was the one?

I had my wedding at the beautiful St. John Neumann Catholic Church. I grew up going to the church when it was at another location. When I went to college, they built a new gorgeous church, which I alway knew I would be married at if I had a wedding in my hometown.

2. Which three details from your wedding were your favorites?

First, I gave my parents and husband’s parents hankerchiefs at the rehearsal dinner. My father-in-law’s read ”Thank you for raising the perfect man for me,” my mother-in-law’s read “You raised with love a gracious man with whom I’ll share my life. He is lucky to be your son, and I am lucky to be his wife,” my father’s read “Thank you for walking by my sade, today and always” and my mother’s read “To dry your tears as you have always dried mine. Thank you for the wedding of my dreams. I love you.”

Secondly, we had a dessert table with various cakes, pies, cookies, etc. Each dessert was a favorite dessert of either one of my grandparents, Dustin’s grandparents or my maid of honor’s mother (Her mother died the October before from breast cancer). We had each of their pictures by their dessert.

Third, I loved all of our guests. We have such a wonderful family, who were all able to make it. We had the best wedding party, which just made the whole day so much fun as well as all of our guest that were at the reception to party! We just had so much fun at the reception, I remember someone saying at 11:30 p.m., “Are you guys going to leave?” We lost track of time, we were enjoying ourselves! 

3. Give us the one moment from your wedding that you can’t stop thinking about.

That’s easy. The moment all the stress melted away. I was standing behind the church doors listening to the piano start to play “A Thousand Years” by Christina Perri. As soon as the singer started, the doors opened and although the aisle was way too long for me to make out Dustin’s face, I could tell immediately that he was crying by his body language. People were looking at me, but everyone had the sweetest faces watching Dustin. As I got closer, I lost it as well. I have only seen Dustin cry twice in our five years, and deep down, I knew all along he was going to cry at that moment. I just wasn’t prepared for how much it affected me. The last thing that is so vivid to me about that moment is we were both standing on the altar, as the priest was giving his opening remarks, with our backs to the audience passing a kleenex back and forth as we sniffled. 

Clockwise from top left: Photo by Sugar and Soul Photography; photo by Cory Ryan Photography; photo by Kevin Milz Photography; gown by Hayley Paige, photo by Dan Lecca; photo by Melissa McCrotty Photography

Incorporating hearts into your wedding decor can be tricky business. Going too overboard can cause your wedding to look like a second-grade classroom adorned for Valentine’s Day. But a few carefully chosen hearts can add just the right amount of sweet and whimsy to your celebration. Check out some of our favorite heart-shaped ideas for your wedding decor.

Bouquet: If you’re feeling bold, a bouquet made entirely of hearts and feathers packs a contemporary punch.

Programs: The red-and-pink ombre chevron pattern elevates these heart-shaped ceremony programs into true works of art.

Mirror: A vintage-inspired frame with a cheeky heart drawing serves as a fun backdrop for an escort card or dessert table.

Topiary: We love the contrast of the heart’s femininity and the natural, almost edgy-looking, moss. Hang from the ceiling or on the doors to your ceremony venue.

Dress: Mix sexy and sweet with this Hayley Paige gown, featuring a heart-shaped cutout in back.

Are you incorporating hearts in your wedding? Tell us how in the comments!

Jamie & Justin

October 5

Dove Canyon, California

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From the Photographer: “Jamie and Justin wed at the very-private Dove Canyon Country Club, nestled in the hills near Orange County’s Santa Ana Mountains—and one thing is certain about this couple’s future: Their children will have gorgeous eyes. And possibly an affinity for the Anaheim Ducks, as well as hard-core partying, because before their grand exit under a shower of sparklers waved by guests, this wedding brought the house down on the dance floor! Dissatisfied with traditional bridesmaid dresses, Jamie opted to dress her bridesmaids in silver sequins and soft pink folds, and tied in the rest of the wedding design using similar hints of pink in places such as cake embellishments, sparkly lettering on the soles of her shoes, and the ceremony seating sign. Justin put his own touch on the affair, as well: he is a photographer, and set up an open-air photobooth capture some of the revelry as the night wore on.” – Luminaire Images

Olivia & Simon

May 25

North Garden, Virginia

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From the Event Planner: “Olivia and Simon, both University of Virginia graduates wanted a wedding that was ‘very Charlottesville’ but also full of  tradition. Simon was born in Kenya and grew up in Botswana, Africa and Olivia is from Ridgefield, Conneticut. So how much fun would it be to incorporate African customs into their ceremony and reception? We loved the singing by Simon’s family members during the wedding ceremony. Their singing was not only beautiful, but brought a sense of happiness and excitement to everyone in their presence. The blanket ceremony was also one of our very favorite moments – laying down blankets as the bride and groom recessed not letting their feet touch the ground.” – Amore Events by Cody

Alison & Len

October 6

Washington, DC

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Q & A with the Bride:

What was the one thing about your venue that made you know it was the one?

One was the timeless/historic nature of DAR and the second was the breathtaking portico with views of the Washington Monument.  It was the perfect location and our guests couldn’t stop raving about it!

Which three details from your wedding were your favorites?

1. I think the most important and best decision we made was to have a cocktail-style reception.  Our guests spent the whole night socializing, dancing, eating, and drinking rather than being held to the tight schedule of a sit-down dinner.  It was awesome hearing so many of our guests say “It’s over already? Can we get an extra hour?”  And, FYI, our guests got plenty of food (I mention that because it was a concern for us during planning)!
2. The music.  There was the perfect mix of music to keep everyone on the dance floor the entire reception.
3. The location.  I was born and raised in DC but my husband is from New York.  It was important to me to have a “very DC” wedding and DAR was exactly that.  Both our out-of-town and local guests were in awe of the DAR – the building, the view, and the overall atmosphere.  DAR was also the perfect backdrop for stunning pictures!

Give us the one moment in your wedding day you can’t stop thinking about.

Our first look.  It was absolutely the best decision Len and I made when planning our day!  The first look was an amazing moment.  The sequence of photos captured by our photographer, Meredith Hanafi, are our absolute favorites!  Also, the first look made seeing each other a private moment that we could really enjoy.