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Rancho Las Lomas has never NOT been amazing and Kristen and Ben’s beautiful day is no exception. The couple’s quick, six-month engagement posed no problem for the expert DIY-ers and their team of talented vendors led by Monge Amore Events. We love the white and french blue palette—a natural choice based on the location’s hand-painted tiling and the florals by Bended Knee are gorgeous at every turn. A floral-dressed three-tiered cake by Flower Eggs and Butter is a true pièce de résistance tying together all the classic details. See in all in the se stunning film images by Mallory Dawn Photography.

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What made the wedding special and unique? 

We got engaged in February and got married in July! I’m a teacher, so it just made sense to have the wedding during the summer…and I wasn’t about to wait until the next summer! We worked together and did a lot of the planning together. The only way we were able to get all of our vendors booked and all the details set in place in time was by tag teaming and working together.

Tell us about the gown and where/how you found it!

My dress is from Jaclyn’s Bridal in Costa Mesa. It was the third shop I visited, so I had a pretty good idea of what type of silhouette I wanted. I had my mom and my best friend with me, and I think they were sure about the dress even before I realized I was sure. I love the sweetheart neckline and the details of the lace. I also really liked the fitted silhouette that flared out to the lace train, even if it did make the first dance a bit of a challenge!

What were some touches added to make the wedding personal? 

We made a ton of the decor ourselves. Both Ben and I are artsy and I’m also very crafty on top of that. I’m a total planner, so I just started pinning ideas and making lists of projects for us to work on and design ourselves. I made a LOT of trips to Hobby Lobby, Michael’s, and Joann – like a LOT. We bought unfinished wood signs, stained them, and used paint pens and India ink to letter them. I watercolored the foods of our menu and then scanned them into Photoshop and arranged them around our menu. I obsessed over finding pretty containers that fit exactly the correct volume of dry ingredients so that we could make our instant brownie mix favors, then designed and ordered custom labels for them. I wrote “bon appetite” in calligraphy with a dip pen and gold ink above stamps of the meal choices on hexagon tiles. When Rancho Las Lomas said they didn’t have a current map of the wildlife, I designed a map so that guests could visit the animals during cocktail hour, and we included it in the program fans that we made for guests. I wrote stories of some of our most memorable dates and we used them in place of the table numbers. I also made the cake because I’m a pastry chef and used to manage a custom cake shop that specialized in ornate wedding cakes. I taught Ben how to make sugar flowers and leaves, and he did a pretty good job – his leaves even made it onto the cake! I wanted a tiny wedding cake that was simple but elegant, so I just added a subtle pattern to the fondant for texture and focused on making lifelike sugar flowers.

What was the most memorable part of the day? 

I think it was a blur for the both of us. Everyone warned us that it would be, so we just tried to enjoy every moment that we could. For me, there was this moment that I was alone in the bridal suite. It was probably the only time I was alone the entire day and I think I remember it because I was alone with my thoughts and time slowed a bit. The wedding party was lined up to walk across the bridge and down the aisle, and I could peek out the window and see one section of the bridge. Before my brother returned from escorting my mom to her seat to walk me down the aisle, I remember seeing Ben cross the bridge and thinking that he looked so confident and dapper. He had been so excited to get married, and I think it really showed – even in that brief moment I could see him from afar.

For Ben, he said it was when he saw me walking down the aisle toward him. He said that as cliche as that answer is, he was thinking how lucky he was that it is him that gets to spend the rest of his life with me.

Tell us how you met and became engaged.

We met online! I reached out to Ben and we starting talking immediately. It’s never been complicated – it just felt easy to spend time with him. Soon enough we were inseparable, and now it feels like we’ve known each other forever!

Ben pulled a surprise engagement at the Huntington Library. It’s one of my favorite places and it had become one of his as well. When I woke up that morning to run the pancake breakfast after the 5K at the high school I teach at, I had no idea where the day was going to take me. So when Ben so nonchalantly suggested we go to the Huntington after the event, little did I know that our usual path through the gardens would be followed and documented by a professional photographer, who was of course there to capture the moment he popped the question.

Photography: Mallory Dawn Photography // Coordinator: Monge Amore Events // Florals: Bended Knee // Venue: Rancho Las Lomas // Gown: Jaclyn’s Bridal // Beauty: Design Visage // Cake: Flower Eggs and Butter // Caterer: 24 Carrots // Rentals: Found Rentals // Table-top: Signature Party Rentals // Grooms Attire: Grooms Grotto // DJ/MC: Diamond DJ’s Entertainment // Film Lab: The Goodman Film Lab

 

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Courtney and Scott’s gorgeous love story and stunning Charleston wedding are filled with serendipitous successes. The couple, who met when Scott sent a “Hail Mary” dating app message, flew out to Charleston the day before their venue hold expired to see their destination city first-hand, for the first time, and fell in love with it. Classic details defined the day, like Courtney’s show-stopping Pnina Tornai which was discovered at a last-minute dress shop appointment made after she was convinced she already knew a different dress was the one. Call it luck, call it destiny, it all came together beautifully with the help of The Petal Report who designed the event at The Gibbes Museum of Art with gorgeous florals by Pretty Petals of Charleston. Our friend  Clay Austin Photography was on hand to capture all the details of the day in these beautiful photos.

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What made the wedding special and unique? 

It took us about 6 months to choose a location.  I wanted a European or tropical destination, and Scott, along with our families, wanted to stay local.  I probably looked at 60+ venues compiling folders of spreadsheets, PowerPoints, etc. One week in June, I finally realized my island dream was not going to work, and that Friday I received a call letting me know that a hold I had placed on a venue in Charleston months prior would be expiring the following Monday.  I called Scott and told him the news.  Having no idea I had even looked at Charleston (he had never been and I had been once when I was 17), you can imagine his confusion.  He called me back a few minutes later telling me “leave your office immediately. We cannot miss this flight!”.  About 3 hours later we were on a flight to Charleston, and after the first night there, we were officially in love with the city.

Tell us about the gown and where/how you found it!

I had gone to multiple dress appointments with crews of family and friends.  My mom was coming into the city to see a dress at a boutique in SoHo which I was ready to purchase.  I felt badly making her trek in to just see one dress, so I made a last-minute appointment to stop at Kleinfelds on the way down, however, I was sure that the other dress was THE ONE.  Our consultant came into our room toting a Pnina Tornai gown with a HUGE bow, and my mom and I instantly gave each other the same look of “you have to be kidding me”.  Overly girly/preppy was never my style, and after being forced to wear my trademark giant bows for the first ~8 years of my life, I avoided them at all costs.  When I put it on, we both were shocked.  It worked! The Suzanne Harward gown at the other store was entirely done in a heavy lace, and was extremely modern, trendy, and a bit risqué. This was the complete opposite – classically elegant.

The sample size was many sizes too big, and after our appointment I found a photo of the gown online showing the intended fit/style which was not at all what I had wanted.  However, after discussing with my consultant, we decided to order the gown a few sizes larger, and completely cut it apart, piecing it back together with the deep-v front and low, open back, ultimately creating a custom gown. I had them attach the bow so that I could remove it after the first dance, but the bow stayed on the entire night (even after it was dipped in chocolate from the mother of the groom’s birthday cake)!

My husband wanted my dress to be a total surprise, refusing to even be in the room when the topic was brought up. One day, after purchasing the Pnina gown, I asked his opinion on a few dresses I had bought for other events. He replied “you like that whole ‘deep-v’ thing don’t you…? I really am NOT a fan of that look”.  During the months following, every time we saw that “deep-v thing” on TV he would point it out with the same disgusted look and express his distaste (as you can imagine, this occurred multiple times a week throughout the season of The Bachelor).  It was an ongoing joke with my friends, family, and coworkers, and each time it came up it took everything in me to not burst out laughing and confess.  I was so grateful that we decided to do a first look so that I would not end up laughing the entire walk down the aisle.  Come the wedding day, he absolutely loved the dress (at least that’s the story he’s sticking to!).

What were some touches added to make the wedding personal? 

My mom’s childhood friends created amazing welcome bags personalized for each guest, and a custom logo which appeared everywhere throughout the weekend; the paper products and signage, water bottles, cocktail napkins, etc., and 5Church even had it done in white chocolate to top the desserts at the Welcome Party.

We had multiple days of events including cocktail parties on the terrace of my parent’s suite at the Bella Grace, a Welcome Dinner party at 5Church for all 180 guests, a post wedding brunch, and a beach day at Sullivan’s Island.  It was like being on a vacation with all of your family and friends – what could be better than that!

The lighting design is something that I came up with myself and was extremely risky given it was something that neither Cayleigh or IES had ever seen or done before.  They executed it perfectly, and it looked amazing during both the day and night! To this day we still get comments on it from guests.

The cocktail ring I wore belonged to my grandmother who is no longer with us.  It was something I had admired so much growing up. She gave it to me years ago, before she passed away, but my parents immediately took it to for safe-keeping, and I never saw it again.  For Christmas, they surprised me by having it resized and fixed up so that I could wear it at the wedding.  Not having seen it since the day she gave it to me, every time I looked down at it, I pictured it on her hand.  It made it feel as though she was there with me that day.

One of our good friends, and Scott’s “work husband”, officiated the ceremony.  He had never officiated before, and took his job very seriously, conducting multiple calls and meetings over drinks.  He did an amazing job!  The entire ceremony script was so personal and made guests both laugh and cry.

Cru Catering surprised the guests on the dance floor with late-night snacks of Chicago Dogs (in honor of a trip to Chicago Scott had surprised me with when we were dating), and Philly Cheesesteaks. Both were big hits!

My four-year-old nephew, Dylan, was our ring bearer, and was the last to walk down before me and my dad. As they were pushing him out the door, he turned back to me and yelled “Wait! Wait! Coco…… I like you!” with tears building in his eyes.  I had managed to hold back tears all day until that moment!

What was the most memorable part of the day? 

The last song played was “Don’t Stop Believing” by Journey.  Both sets of parents, Scott and I all came together on the dancefloor with our arms around each other, and all of the guests formed a circle around us; everyone dancing and singing along at the top of our lungs!  There is a great picture of that – one of our favorites of the night.

In the Trolley on the way to the Gibbes, the driver played all the classic wedding songs, and my bridesmaids, my mom, and I were all singing and dancing the entire ride. Everyone on the streets was staring!

Scott: When Courtney was at the end of the aisle, and everyone stood and turned, and the musicians began playing “Can’t Help Falling In Love” by Elvis.

Tell us how you met and became engaged.

We met on a dating app – a “modern-day romance story”.  Scott had never been on a dating app date, and I never responded to messages – just liked to play the swipe game.  He had messaged me and didn’t get a response.  A couple of weeks later, after a date with someone I had known during college but hadn’t seen in years, I got home I opened the app to see a message from Scott saying that he thought he saw me crossing Park Ave around 5pm (he calls it his Hail Mary message). Realizing that it was likely me (my office is on Park Ave and I had left for my date around that time), the combination of the humor of coincidence and the cocktails from the earlier date brought me to actually reply to a dating app message.  A few days later we had our first date, and we texted the entire cab ride home and for hours into the night.  We actually named one of the signature cocktails at the Welcome Party “The Hinge” as an ode to where it all started!

I’m absolutely obsessed with all things Christmas. We even have two Christmas trees in our apartment – one big, formal tree, and a small tree with all the ornaments we’ve collected from our trips together.  We always celebrate our own “Christmas Day” the weekend before Christmas; just the two of us.  On the year we got engaged I texted Scott two days before our Christmas Day, letting him know that I had decided to take that day off.  Little did I know, that news would put a huge fork in his elaborate plan.  Panicked, he texted my best friend, Beckett, telling her she had to do whatever it would take to keep me out of the apartment that afternoon. The two of them came up with a plan of pretending one of her clients arranged for the Glam Squad to come to her apartment to do hair and nails for her and a coworker before their company Holiday Party that evening, and that her coworker canceled last minute. After getting home, we opened all of our gifts from unde the tree, and Scott told me to go check out the NYC ornament he had picked up for our small tree. I couldn’t believe he had the audacity to pick out an NYC ornament without me.  I saw a shiny silver ornament that read “I’ve been meaning to ask you this…”, slowly turning it around, I read the other side: “Will you marry me?”.  I jolted around in tears to see him on one knee behind me.  After, he told me I only had time to quickly call my mom because of our dinner reservations his boss had made for us, and that we would call everyone else after dinner.  He asked the cab to drop us off a few blocks away from the restaurant, and said that we actually had time for a quick drink, and suggested we stop into the wine bar/restaurant on the corner.  When we walked in, I immediately saw my mom and dad and burst into tears, again. Then I looked around the room and realized the entire place was filled with our families and close friends.  We celebrated until the early morning hours! I couldn’t have drawn up a better proposal and night if I tried.

Coordinator & Designer: The Petal Report // Photographer: Clay Austin Photography // Floral Design: Pretty Petals of Charleston // Wedding Venue: The Gibbes Museum of Art // Bridal Gown Designer: Pnina Tornai // Makeup Artist: Makeup By Dannon // Hair Stylist: Wild Ivory Beauty // Wedding Cake: ABCD // Catering & Bar: Cru Catering // Tent, Dance floor & Stage Rental: Skyline Tent Company // Rentals: Snyder Events // Rentals: Ooh! Events // Entertainment: Emerald Empire Band // Lighting: Innovative Event Services // Guest Transportation: ACW Limo

 

Clizia and Lukas’s Tuscan nuptials are what destination wedding dreams are made of. Gorgeous rolling hills and vineyards set the scene and a classic cathedral ceremony is followed by an all white al fresco reception at Conti di San BonifacioWedding Planners in Tuscany by Luccaorganizza added subtle boho touches to the elegant event design which was accented with romantic floral design by Flowers Living. The always-amazing Stefano Santucci Studio captured all the joy, delight and beauty of the day in these STUNNING film photographs.

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What made the wedding special and unique?

from the planners: Clizia and Lukas were interested in finding a magical place to host all their family and friends and enjoy together the time before the wedding. During the year they work a lot and they wished to stay all together for this important occasion. They were looking for a place that seemed like home, in an idyllic area with a stunning view.

They fell in love with Conti di San Bonifacio, and as soon as they found their ideal venue everything started to take shape. Also the floral arrangements were designed to respect the country chic mood of the place and to celebrate the great Tuscan beauty.

What also made this wedding unique and special this wedding is, above all, the emotion and the feeling of union among guests.

Tell us about the gown and where/how you found it!

Clizia was looking for something not too fancy, but simple, elegant, in a precious fabric with a boho touch. She decided to contact a trusted seamstress from her city who created the wedding dress of her dreams.

What were some touches added to make the wedding personal?

Clizia decided to manage many of the details of the wedding on her own, preparing favors and many little things in the months before the wedding with the help of the groom to be. She prepared customized olive oil bottles, little jars with confetti, and prepared the seating plan using a huge vintage mirror. Together with us, she spent lot of time in deciding the ideal arrangement for tables to create a perfect Tuscan Wedding, also adding fairy lights to create a really nice atmosphere in the dinner area when the sun went down.

What was the most memorable part of the day?

The day was amazing, from the moment of the ceremony in the stunning church in Massa Marittima, to the wedding dinner and party with the magic Fabio Dex Dj at Conti di San Bonifacio. When Clizia and Lukas reached the venue after the ceremony, with their lovely vintage car, all guests were waiting for them and they welcomed the newlyweds with white balloons, and a romantic song as background. Such a sweet moment.

Photographer: Stefano Santucci Studio // Wedding Planner: Wedding Planners in Tuscany by Luccaorganizza // Flower Design: Flowers Living // Venue & Catering: Conti di San Bonifacio // Music Ceremony: Elisa Veschi, Alchimia // Band: Enola Grey Trio// DJ: Fabiodex Wedding Dj

 

One of Carolyn and Kyle’s first serious dates was a trip together to Nashville. Needless to say, that trip went well, because a few years later, they hosted their destination wedding in Nashville to celebrate with all of their very favorite people! They enlisted The Gifford Collective to plan their big day at ONE Cannery Row —a historic venue in the city. Florists Gradient & Hue added romance to the industrial space with greenery dripping from the huge wood chandeliers and white and dusty peach arrangements. Paper goods were by Darby Cards with calligraphy by White Ink Calligraphy and the cake was by Baked in Nashville. Lucky for us, Lindsay Campbell Photography was on hand to capture all the love in ‘Music City’ in these gorgeous images.

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from the photography: Carolyn and Kyle are the type of people who instantly connect with pretty much everyone they meet. They each have the most contagious smiles. The most genuine care for others. The most positive manner of speaking. When you’re with Carolyn and Kyle, they are focused on you. Present, engaged, joyful, thoughtful, and so in love with each other. They never stop grinning, and they didn’t stop grinning at each other their entire wedding day.

ONE is a historic, industrial space on Cannery Row in Nashville, and it was the perfect place for Carolyn and Kyle to celebrate their wedding. After a teary, emotional ceremony surrounded by exposed brick and lush florals, guests enjoyed views of the Nashville skyline during cocktail hour as ONE was transformed into the perfect space to eat, drink, and dance the night away. There were heartfelt speeches and romantic dances, and Carolyn and Kyle laughed and cried and took the time to thoughtfully greet each of their guests. Always grinning, and always hand-in-hand.

But their favorite part of the day was their send-off: “At the end of the night, (the MC) encouraged all the guests to come in for a group hug. Instead of dispersing, though, our guests stayed in the group hug formation and sang along with ‘Somewhere Over The Rainbow’ by Israel Kamakawiwo’Ole (“Izzy”). So there we were, standing in a circle of our dearest friends and loved ones, newly married, feeling so much love and hope and joy radiated toward us as we all sang and swayed. Truly unforgettable!”

Photography: Lindsay Campbell Photography // Planning & Design: The Gifford Collective // Floral Design: Gradient & Hue // Paper Goods: Darby Cards // Venue: ONE Cannery Row  // Calligraphy: White Ink Calligraphy // Bride’s dress: Ines Di Santo // Bridal Boutique: Wedding Salon of Manhasset // Cake: Baked in Nashville // Beauty: Annelise Carey // Hair: Brooke August // Rentals: Music City Tents // Lighting & Draping: Nashville Audio Visual // Ceremony Entertainment: The Corwin Trio // Reception Entertainment: Request Premier // Catering: G Catering

Romantic, simplistic details in a palette of grays and neutrals created a beautiful and authentic style to Rachel and Evan’s Birmingham wedding day. Threefold Events designed the beautiful edited and quietly beautiful day including gathered florals by Mandy Busby Creative and elevated warehouse vibes at the reception at the The Theodore. Faith and joy were the couple’s focus and Meghan Murphy Photography captured both beautifully in these fine art images.

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What made the wedding special and unique? 

We had an absurdly large number of people involved in our wedding. 13 bridesmaids, 17 groomsmen, 6 influential men and women, plus several folks who read scripture and took part in the ceremony in some way. Beyond even these people, we had so many friends who helped us decorate the reception, or bring us food, etc. We also had the privilege of being friends with several of our wedding vendors, so it was more like hanging out than working together. In general; our community just showed up so much for our wedding day, and the unique feeling of looking around and being aware of how many people were tangibly choosing to love us is something we won’t ever forget.

Tell us about the gown and where/how you found it!

My sweet dress was much more of an ordeal than I anticipated. There was something to love about each one I tried on! What’s not to love about beautifully designed floor length white gowns?? After visiting every dress shop in town and trying on hundreds of dresses, enough was enough. My best friend and I sat down one night and decided that by the time our bottle of wine was gone, we would have chosen THE dress. She asked me brilliant questions that (somewhat manipulatively) helped me figure out what I really wanted. I’ve been in love ever sense. My girl was everything I could have wanted and MORE.

What were some touches added to make the wedding personal? 

On our 3rd date, we went to Church Street Coffee and ate “breakup cookies” aka the best chocolate chip cookie you’ve ever had. Evan says he decided to marry me on that date. Now it’s one of our favorite desserts. So at our wedding, it only made sense to have breakup cookies instead of cake.

What was the most memorable part of the day? 

Right after our ceremony, we ran out into a small room just us. The sacredness and the weight of the covenant we had made with God and each other hit us hard. It felt holy in some way. We sat and relished in the fact that we were married. Receiving the gift that our marriage already was and would be.

Tell us how you met and became engaged.

We met at church, and started dating after some significant prompting from our mutual friends. Evan’s proposal was the most thoughtful, intentional, loving, and humbling day.

There was a letter on the door (which I totally passed up at first) and an aisle of Ebenezers waiting for me inside. The concept of Ebenezers is one that Evan and I have talked of often – physical representations of all the ways the Lord has helped us. We don’t ever want to forget who God is and what He’s done in our lives.

Each pew held a photo with a note from Evan describing the milestone or memory it represented. As I reflect on each Ebenezer, there is no denying the Lord’s goodness. Evan then guided us through communion and prayer- ensuring that we remembered the most important thing the Lord has ever done for us, extending salvation through His Son.

It is only because of THAT gift that Evan could then ask me to MARRY him. To which I responded YES emphatically and about 20 times. There was no playing it cool.

I’ve never felt more loved or pursued than I did on this day. The Lord has provided a man that truly reflects His character, gospel, love and pursuit toward me.

Photographer: Meghan Murphy Photography // Month of Wedding Planner: Threefold Events // Florals: Mandy Busby Creative // Venues: Redeemer Community Church // Reception Venue: The Theodore // Hair and Makeup: Emmy Hunt // Wedding Dress Designer: Kelly Faetanini // Wedding Dress: Carriage House // Ring Box: Mrs. Box // Wedding Dessert: Breakup Cookies