Rachel & Dylan

September 14

Wilmington, North Carolina

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Q&A with the Bride

Which three details from your wedding were your favorites?

1. The archway that Tamara (of Tamara Wade Designs) built and decorated for us looked magical when she finished with it. The burlap and clustered flowers were the ideal combination of rustic and romantic.
2. The fingerprint tree that we used in lieu of a more traditional guest book was also both a crowd-pleaser and a terrific way to display a memory from the wedding. We had it designed on Etsy.com and it came with leaf-colored ink and a pen. Our guests put thumbprint “leaves” on the tree and signed their print. We framed it afterward and it’s hanging in our home, a constant reminder of our loved ones sharing an awesome day with us.
3. The old books tied with lace and the lemon-lined Mason jars were two little decorative things we’re pretty proud of. The books came from thrift and antique stores all over the state. Me, my Mom, and Tamara would pick a few up at a time for pennies and at the wedding, Tamara tied them in little bundles with lace craft ribbon to scatter on the tables. They were a touch I thought of because of my love for reading and literature. As for the lemon jars, they went with our color palette and were such a happy, fresh addition to the tables.

If you could offer one piece of advice for other couples planning their wedding, what would it be?

There are two things that my husband and I would offer as key advice to anyone planning a wedding. First, know that you can absolutely achieve your wedding vision, no matter what that budget is. The budget simply dictates how you get there. Most of what we used for decoration we either made ourselves at a fraction of the cost, or we ordered it from somewhere like Etsy, where you can get one-of-a-kind items at-cost or just above. Second, don’t be afraid to plan the wedding that best fits who you are. For us, I felt strongly that I didn’t want an out-of-the-box wedding, so I planned it myself. Our ceremony was a mix of traditional passages and poetic recitations. We wrote our own silly-romantic vows to one another (which lightened the solemn mood considerably!), but we also repeated the traditional “til’ death do us part” bit. We skipped a receiving line altogether, and took many of our formal portraits before the ceremony so we’d have more time with family and friends. Our recessional was The Imperial March from Star Wars! The point is this—to be your happiest and most comfortable, include plenty of elements that speak to the people you are. Embrace that!

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

For both of us, it’s probably the moment before the wedding when we saw one another all dressed up for the first time. We were getting ready to take our “First Look” photos and our photographer (Melissa Stallings) had Dylan stand with his back turned to me as I approached so that she could capture that instant where we laid eyes on each other for the first time. That was one emotional moment for everyone! I highly recommend a first look session for the bride and groom before the ceremony. It gave us more time to be with our guests after the wedding, and seeing each other beforehand allowed us a precious moment of privacy and a chance to shake off our pre-wedding jitters before the ceremony. 

Karina & V.J.

October 20

St. Petersburg, Florida

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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?

We love downtown St. Petersburg, and we were looking for an outdoor waterfront venue. When the Dali Museum opened, we knew it was the prefect venue not only because we got engaged in the city, but because of my love of Dali art and my family being from Spain. We have eclectic taste, and the Dali’s unique space gave us beautiful architecture, an outdoor garden with waterfront views and great art!

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

1. The live flamenco band.
2. The candlelit reception in the garden, and the gorgeous centerpieces with beautiful, bright circus roses against the eggplant linens and copper and gold accents. We even had FIREWORKS, perfection!
3. Wedding stationary.

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

V.J. and I exchanged wedding arras, which are Spanish coins during our ceremony. The coins were from my Abulea’s (grandmother) hometown in Valencia, Spain. Each coin symbolizes the commitments we made to each other: love, trust, respect, joy, happiness, harmony, wisdom, wholeness, nurture, care, cooperation and peace. It was so meaningful for us to carry on this tradition for our family and have these coins as an heirloom.

Jessica & Jason

October 13

Grand Rapids, Michigan

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Q & A with the couple:

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

When we first started searching for a venue we looked at a lot of country clubs.  We realized that we love Grand Rapids and we really wanted something unique that would show our out-of-town guests why we love it so much.  The Goei Center still features its original character and charm. We felt that it was a unique location that expressed our personalities and styles as a couple

Which three details from your wedding were your favorites?

1. The venue.

2. Jason’s grandmother baked our wedding cake and Jessica’s close friend Kasi created the cake’s decorations. Jessica featured photographs of her grandmothers and great-grandmother on their wedding day on the cake table.

3. We had an accordionist play during the cocktail hour.  It was a highlight for our guests.

We could go on and on, it’s hard to pick just three.

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

Jessica: We chose not to see each other before the ceremony.  We know that it is popular to do photographs before the ceremony, but for us it was important to keep that first view down the aisle authentic.  We chose to have photographs done with the two of us on opposite sides of a brick wall, holding hands and exchanging cards.  It was so exciting knowing that he was just around the corner but it still left an element of surprise and romance.

Jason: The entire ceremony.  The humor of getting the microphone stuck on my grandmother’s outfit.  The constant reminders to myself to keep calm, and hoping that everyone couldn’t see my legs quivering.  To that first glance of seeing Jessica, the woman that was going to be my wife, escorted down the aisle with her parents.  Those are images I will never forget and will always be able to replay again and again in my mind.

Lindsey & Matthew

June 15

Newport Beach, California

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From the photographer:

“Matt and Lindsey’s summer Newport Beach wedding was one I had been looking forward to all year. They held their wedding at one of my favorite venues, the Newport Beach Marriott and enlisted some of my favorite vendors. LVL Events really tied their day together, leaving not one detail to chance. Matt and Lindsey tied the knot under the gorgeous outdoor gazebo on the Marriott lawn and their ceremony  could not have been more perfect. Their reception followed in one of the hotel’s grand ballrooms, adorned in pink floral arrangements, by Bloom Box, that were simply breathtaking. Matt and Lindsey were given a first look of their reception site before their guests so that they could take it all in and were they surprised. I would have to say their favorite detail of their room was their sweetheart table, which was not covered in your standard linens but instead a blanket of fresh pink roses. . . absolutely stunning! The remainder of their day included a dress change by Lindsey, out of her stunning fairytale gown into a shorter version of the same gown, so chic! And of course a fun photo booth, caricature artist and a classic ice cream station to put the perfect ending touch on a perfect wedding day. ” – Lily Stein Photography

Michelle & Chad

September 22

Dardanelle, Arkansas

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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 knew this wedding venue was the one because of its close proximity to our hometown.  Also, the openness and barn was absolutely beautiful and perfect to have a wedding with our close friends and family.

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

1. Flowers

2. Reception Tables

3. Cake 

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

The ceremony is the one thing I will never forget! It was so beautiful and so sweet. I will always remember the day I married my best friend!