Cailin & Ryan

October 19

Thurmont, Maryland

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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?

Even on a weekday morning when no events were set up, Thorpewood’s lodge was warm and inviting from the minute we walked in the door. Everything about the place was gorgeous in a very natural and laid-back way, and we knew that all of our friends and family would feel at home celebrating with us there.

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

Our favorite details were the things that made the day “ours,” and it’s difficult to narrow them down. Ryan’s mom spent hours baking desserts for the reception, including his favorite chocolate chip oatmeal cookies. My aunt and uncle built a sign post showing the distance to all of the towns we had lived, which our guests passed on the way to the ceremony site. Since I grew up in Florida and Ryan is from California, we had a sand ceremony using sand from beaches where we had spent lots of time growing up. We also chose readings and music that had meaning for us, even though most would not be considered traditional wedding picks. I loved walking down the aisle to Peter Gabriel and watching our guests laugh during the readings.

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

My husband is a known procrastinator, who was up until 4 a.m. the night before the wedding writing his vows. Knowing that, I was completely blown away when he spoke, and I’m not sure that I even noticed the 100 or so people, who were watching us.

Erin & Jason

November 4

Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina

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From the photographer: 

“Magical is the best way to describe the day. Jason and Erin vowed to be together at the magnificent Boone Hall Plantation in front of their family and friends. Two people so devoutly in love, and two families so excited for their union. You couldn’t help but smile as Erin walked down the aisle. She shared silent moments with her Dad, and you noticed the moment when her smile turned into a kiss and a tear goodbye as her Dad gave her away. The reception started with more enthusiasm from guests than ever seen before. Friends joined them on the dance floor all night long. They danced, smiled, laughed and hugged until the music stopped. As Jason and Erin made their exit through sparklers, they stopped, shared a kiss and turned to their parents to thank them, which was a perfect ending to a perfect night.”

Rebecca & Devon

May 26

Carlsbad, California

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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?

Leo Carrillo Ranch was the only venue in California that we considered. I am from South Carolina originally and we looked at several Charleston venues but decided to make things simple by getting married in the state where we live. We knew we wanted an outdoor venue, and Leo Carrillo is just stunning- everything was in bloom in May.

Which three details from your wedding were your favorites?

We wanted a “Southern” California wedding- to bring elements of South Carolina and Southern California together in a big celebration. The food and surroundings really helped bring the theme together. Our photographers really made us feel comfortable and took photos that we look back on very fondly. And I loved having help from Devon’s family to handmake everything from the place cards, the fans/programs, and our backdrop- our guests loved posing in front of it throughout the day.

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

We had our brother-in-law, Matt Sloan, perform the ceremony Devon and I wrote together, and it felt perfect standing outside, surrounded by our family and friends as we were married. It felt exactly the way we had hoped.

Pamela & Matthew

October 12

Newnan, Georgia

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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?

You know that moment when you are doing a tour of a venue and you could “feel” yourself getting married there? Well, that was how it was for me when I toured Vinewood Plantation for the first time. The venue is so serene and peaceful that it was the perfect backdrop for my rustic themed wedding. I did a lot of my deciding for the wedding based on a “feeling”. From my dress to the venue décor, everything was chosen when an indescribable feeling came over me.

Which three details from your wedding were your favorites?

I loved having the dance floor outside, under the strings of lights and the stars. There is something so beautiful and rustic about that.

My fiance, now husband, and I really aren’t cake lovers. My favorite dessert has always been the pies my Father and Grandmother make. I knew that’s why I wanted to have pies at my wedding instead of cake! Wicked Pies did a fantastic job. I loved the fact that we could pick out a variety of flavors because it gave the guests options that they may not have had with a wedding cake. Wicked Pies even gave my husband and me an extra “mini pie” that we could freeze (if you are into that tradition of eating your wedding cake a year later).

The last thing I loved was all the little details that were incorporated. This included a personal mason jar for everyone to drink out of, having the guests sign rocks instead of a guest book (the rocks were from Lake Ontario which is the lake in my home town, Oswego, NY), the table with all of the wedding pictures of our grandparents and parents, and the strawberry jam and apple butter wedding favors made by my Mother and Mother-in-law.

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

If you constantly remind yourself what the wedding day actually represents, marrying your best friend and soul mate, then all the little things you were stressed about don’t seem so bad anymore. I had to ask myself many times, “Will the guests even care if this isn’t included or if this looks like this?” The other thing I would offer is that there is something very fulfilling about having DIY elements in a wedding. It is a personal touch that guests will appreciate. Lastly, even up until the day of the wedding there may be some things that don’t go exactly how you planned them to.  Just know that in the end it will all work out even better than you planned.

Dorothe & Manny 

August 4

Sonoma, California 

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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?

It was the property where I grew up. I knew that I wanted a rustic, beautiful setting outside that was personal, so our ceremony took place in my mother’s rose garden in the backyard. 

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

1. I loved the colors of my wedding: cobalt blue, turquoise and navy blue

2. The Magnums of Blue Farm Pinot Noir, Carneros

3. My table numbers

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

While walking down the aisle, listening to my stepfather play the song “Blackbird” on his classical guitar,  I can’t forget seeing my husband for the first time that day.