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Real Weddings:

Chrissy and Eric’s Wedding at Pursell Farms

featuring Anna Shackleford

Loving the happy blue and pink palette of Chrissy and Eric’s big day at Pursell Farms planned by Invision Events. Pink florals in blue and white chinoiserie vessels by Buffy Hargett Flowers dressed the ceremony and reception with gorgeous paper and stationery by Amberly Shelton Paperie. You can check out all the details in these lovely images captured by Anna Shackleford.

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What made the wedding special and unique?

The entire weekend was wonderful and stress free. Everything went according to plan, and Eric and I didn’t have to worry about anything. Courtney and Julie made my vision of a spring wedding happen and delivered my bright pink flowers and blue and white chinoiserie in the middle of November. It was really nice that almost all of our guests stayed at Pursell Farms. It felt like we were having a giant friends and family reunion to have everyone together!

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

I found my perfect Augusta Jones gown at Carriage House! It was very simple with a sweetheart neckline and full skirt, and I paired it with a pearl beaded lace belt and a long lace veil. My two older sisters also got their dresses from Carriage House, so it was special to return there for my dress.

What were some touches added to make the wedding personal? 

Our minister is one of my best friend’s dad and my family’s hometown preacher, so our ceremony was deeply personal led by him with the addition of writing our own vows. I wore my grandmother’s diamond crescent moon brooch in my hair to have part of her with me during the day. My grandfather gifted us our Waterford cake knife that he and my grandmother had used during their life together. I did all the calligraphy for our wedding. It was a daunting project, but I love the way everything turned out, from the invitations to the welcome sign.

What was the most memorable part of the day? 

We loved our first look, especially considering I was initially against having one. The van taking me up the mountain to meet Eric got stuck in the mud on the way up, but we changed vehicles and finally reached the top. Eric and I exchanged letters and gifts and enjoyed a few quiet moments to ourselves. Our pictures are gorgeous from the mountain top! We also really enjoyed dancing with our friends all night! Our band was so fun, and we had a wonderful time.

Tell us how you met and became engaged.

Eric and I met at Carrigan’s Public House. I was too shy to say hello, so my friend asked him for a drink recommendation. Eric invited us to sit at his table, and we chatted the night away. Usually moving is a terrible chore, but the weekend Eric helped me move into my new apartment was full of smiles and laughter. To celebrate my new place, he brought over flowers and our favorite meal, pizza and a bottle of wine. He asked me to marry him, and we were so giddy we forgot to call our families to share the good news!

Photography: Anna Shackleford // Planning + Design: Invision Events // Florals: Buffy Hargett Flowers // Stationery + Paper Goods: Amberly Shelton Paperie // Venue + Catering: Pursell Farms // Bride’s Dress: Carriage House // Cake: Olexa’s // Calligraphy: Penned By Chrissy // Rentals: Event Rentals Unlimited // Furnishings: Crush Event Rentals // Linens: La Tavola // Entertainment: Emerald Empire Band // Wedding Submission Services: Published + Pretty

 

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Real Weddings:

Emily and Brian’s winter wedding in Phoenix

featuring Marisa Belle Photography

Emily and Brian met in Chemistry class during their freshman year of high school. Emily asked Brian to the movies and ten years later, Brian asked for Emily’s hand in marriage. The adorable couple celebrated their nuptials atThe Wrigley Mansion in Phoenix. Imoni Events and florist The Wildflower AZ  helped establish the gorgeous color palette of wine, blushes, and ivory—perfect for a December wedding!  Stationery is by Celebrations In Paper with a cake by Piece of Cake AZ and it’s all captured in these gorgeous images byMarisa Belle Photography.

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How did you meet?

Brian and I met freshman year of high school in Honors Chemistry and Physics class when we were 14.

Tell us about your first date!

I actually asked him!! Remember, we were only 14 so it is kind of funny how it happened. I asked him to go to the movies with me, and he said okay! We planned to go to the Game Plan with Dwayne THE ROCK Johnson at AMC theaters in Ahwatukee. So that day I got all ready with my friend. I was so excited. I decided to call him before the date to make sure everything was good. He was on his way home from soccer practice. I said, “Are you ready for our date?” He replied, “Oh, I still need to ask my dad first.” At first I got so mad because he wasn’t making our first date a priority!! Well, his dad said yes. We met each other at the movie theaters. Our parents drove each of us separately and dropped us off at the theaters. I think that’s funny. We watched the movie, held hands, and then went home. It was a great first date!

Share with us the moment you both knew you’d found THE ONE!

Every day freshman year Brian would walk me home from high school in the Arizona heat. My house was halfway between his house and school, so he could have easily taken the bus, but he continued to walk me home every single day. I thought that was pretty great. One day (October 25th, 2007 to be exact), Brian was waiting to be picked up from my house after school by his mom. We were sitting there in the front yard on my fake grass, and he said, “Do you want to be my girlfriend?” I replied, “Sure!” It was now official. We would text all the time and we really got to know one another. Brian would always stick up for me, and he was always on my side. I could trust him with anything. His loyalty is what really got me. One day over text I said, “I think I’m falling in love with you.” He replied, “I am feeling the same way.” From then on, our relationship grew stronger and stronger, and we would always talk about the day we would get married. This is when the song “Wouldn’t it be Nice” by The Beach Boys came into play. We wanted to get married so badly and we were only 15! We even talked about getting married right when we turned 18 and graduated high school. We decided to put school first and go to the University of Arizona for college. We made it through the 4 years of college, but still we weren’t engaged. It was the purchase of the ring that was holding us back. He always told me he didn’t want to get me a “temporary ring”, because he wanted the first ring to be THE ring. He wanted it to be special. Well I followed him to Florida so he could pursue his dream of becoming a pharmacist. Our second year living in Florida, he took me to our favorite pumpkin patch, got down on one knee, professed his love for me, I cried, and said YES!

What inspired the design for your wedding?

Brian and I dated for 10 years before he proposed, so you would think I would have what I wanted in mind, but I made myself wait until he proposed to start thinking about what we wanted for our wedding. This made the engagement so much more special, and allowed us to choose things that we were feeling in the moment. I really wanted a moody rustic theme, but still with traditional elements. This led to colors of wine, blushes, and ivory with lots of eucalyptus in the floral arrangements. As for the venue, we were looking for a residential feeling, so we chose the Wrigley Mansion. It is a fun and cozy feeling when you’re all getting ready in the same house. In order to elevate that party atmosphere and marry it with rustic traditional theme, we sprung for a neon sign with our last name and EST. date to hang on a hedge wall behind the head table. To me it just said “Let’s have fun!!” while still being a moment to we can hang in our house for years to come.

What was the most important thing you wanted your guest to feel/enjoy from your wedding?

We wanted them to feel the unconditional love Brian and I have for each other and a rustic romantic feeling. During the reception we wanted them to enjoy a great party with good music and drinks.

Photography: Marisa Belle Photography // Planner: Imoni Events // Florist: The Wildflower AZ // Stationery: Celebrations In Paper // Venue: The Wrigley Mansion // Brides Gown: Maggie Sottero // Hair and Makeup: Makeup Artistry by Natalie // Cake: Piece of Cake AZ // Rentals: The Event Co // Groom’s Tux: Express // Videography: White Locket Films

 

Real Weddings:

Maddie and David’s wedding at Steeple House

featuring Wendy Laurel

Pantone recently announced the color of 2020—Classic Blue. We’re celebrating the news with Maddie and David’s lush—and filled to the brim with blue—nuptials at Steeple House in Maui. Dream team planners Maui’s Angels and photographer Wendy Laurel unite to create and capture the joy of the day. Florals are by Bella Bloom with stationery and signage by Miss B Calligraphy. The couple, who met when they attended high school in Hong Kong, described their vibrant day as more of a big family reunion and you can definitely tell it was a fun one from these gorgeous images.

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What made the wedding special and unique?

The location was exactly what I had dreamed. Ever since I was a young child we would travel to Maui whenever we could. We would stay in Kapalua area and would always pass by the little steeple house. As the years went on and my family purchased a home in Lahaina, driving to Kapalua and parking right in front of steeple house so my parents and I could run along the path became a morning routine. I had always envisioned getting married there but to my knowledge it was never used for wedding ceremonies. I had even taken a picture there years prior sitting on the steps of the little chapel. It was  only a couple months after my husband and I had gotten engaged was Steeple House available for us to spend our special day. Another thing that made this day so special were the people. My husband and I met in Hong Kong in high school. We have been dating a long time allowing us to get to know each other’s families extremely well. We had guests from all over the world show up to celebrate with us because of our upbringing. So instead of our marriage celebration feeling like two groups of families/friends coming together for the first time, it felt like one big family reunion.

What were some touches added to make the wedding personal?

Some of my most favorite personal touches were the specific details and decor of the wedding. In order to successfully plan a wedding from afar we put a lot of trust into our amazing wedding planners for executing our vision. We had beautiful floral arrangements which including king protea flowers. The name cards for each setting were crafted from seashells, and our wedding favors including local Maui coffee, jams, and salts made by our Maui neighbors who owned a farm.

What was the most memorable part of the day?

Immediately after the ceremony I took off my heels and was barefoot for the rest of the night. Having this luxury because of where we were located made it more comfortable than I could ever imagine. One of the most memorable part of the night was how eager everyone of our guests were to get on the dance floor. It was truly a party and my aunt, who is a performer, came walking onto the dance floor on high stilts.

Tell us how you met and became engaged.

My husband and I met in high school in Hong Kong. I personally have grown up overseas my whole life. My parents are international educators. David is originally from Massachusetts and moved to Hong Kong for his father’s job. We dated throughout high school, decided to try long distance in college and eventually I moved to Baltimore where David was finishing school. We got engaged the following year. David planned an intricate scavenger hunt which led me all around. Eventually I ended up in a botanical garden where he was waiting for me by a koi pond (our high-school in Hong Kong had a picnic table by a Koi pond we often sat at to eat lunch together).

Planning: Maui’s Angels // Photo: Wendy Laurel // Flowers: Bella Bloom // Stationery & Signage: Miss B Calligraphy // Venue: Steeple House // Dress: Willow by Watters // Hair & Makeup: I am U’I // Cake: Maui Ohana // Catering: Maui Ohana // Video: Hi Light // Cocktails & Bar Setup: Maui Ohana // Live Music: Marvin Tevaga // Linens: La Tavola // Rentals: Rio Event Design / Inspiration Event Hawaii  / Accel Event Rentals Maui // DJ: Maui DJ Services // Officiant: Friend of the family Greg // Place Settings: Set Collections

 

Real Weddings:

Jessica and Luke’s Wedding in Santa Fe

San Fransisco couple, Jessica and Luke, celebrated their destination in Santa Fe at La Mesita Ranch Estate. While the venue has the traditional adobe style structures and southwest decor, the couple—with the help of planners Banks and Leaf  brought their own style to the property. Black and white elegance with pops of bright coral and raspberry gave a unique twist to the vibe at the ranch. Florals were by Renegade Floral with paper design by Funky Olive Design and gorgeous images captured byTara Bielecki Photography .

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What were some touches added to make the wedding personal?

We loved watching that surprise moment when she told her parents as she walked up. The bride works for a premiere wine and spirits distributor so the wedding from start to finish was stocked with some of the best wine selections and cocktails we’ve ever seen. Guests were also treated to a premium whisky and tequila tasting later in the evening and Frito pie, a popular dish served in Santa Fe. Each guest table was named after something significant to the bride and groom with a story for guests to read at each table explaining the significance.

What was the most memorable part of the day?

The wedding had some nods to Santa Fe with a surprise Mariachi band that started playing at the ceremony when the bride and groom kissed. They then proceeded to parade the guests, shaking maracas, to cocktail hour straight to the tequila donkey, Rosita, waiting for them. That and their choreographed first dance that was full of fun moments and flair – perfect mix of sophistication and humor.

 

Planning & Design: Banks and Leaf // Photography: Tara Bielecki Photography // Florist: Renegade Floral // Paper: Funky Olive Design // Venue: La Mesita Ranch Estate // Tent: Sperry Tents Colorado // Lighting & Drape: Little Made Events // Catering: Walter Burke Catering // Band: Mannequin The Band // Rentals: C Party Rentals & A Beautiful Theme

 

Real Weddings:

Derek and Meredith’s wedding at Middleton Plantation

photography by Stephen Atohi

Meredith always dreamt of a small intimate wedding—one close to the water with homemade flowers and food. However, coming from a very large family, the couple quickly realized that would be impossible. With the help of Ooh! Events, they were able to create an intimate feel, but included all the important people they love. The celebration in dusty burgundy with abundant greenery took place at Middleton Plantation with florals by Ooh! Events and Out of the Garden and Stephen Atohi was on hand to capture it all.

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What did you envision your wedding being prior to planning?

I always wanted a small intimate wedding. A wedding close to the water with homemade flowers and food. However, coming from a very large family, I quickly realized that would be impossible. With the help of Erin Altman we were able to create an intimate feel, but included all the people that were important Derek and me.

What was your color palette and your style vision?

Our color palette consisted burgundy and navy with hints of mauve and light gray.

Derek and I wanted to get married at Middleton Plantation because that is where he proposed. We envisioned utilizing the farmhouse/industrial look of Middleton Plantation while incorporating elegant details.

What was your favorite moment? Favorite crafted detail?

Meredith: My favorite moment of the night was dancing! Our first dance, the father daughter dance, dancing with my grandparents, and dancing with my new in-laws was so incredibly special to me. I will never forget those moments. I had so many favorite details it is hard to choose. My top three were my mothers DIY lanterns that adorned the entrance to the pavilion. My mother- in- law’s beautifully decorated cake for the bride and groom. And Holly Stiles’ simple but elegant industrial chandelier and string lights.

Derek: My favorite moment was when I took a step back during the reception and saw how much fun all of our guests were having. It was such an enjoyable moment for my bride and I, but made even better to see the joy being shared with those closest to us!

Tell us about your flowers, your gown, your favors, your cake, etc.

Flowers: The three things I wanted in my bouquet were burgundy Calla Lillies, mauve Roses, and Succulents. Hints of greenery included Bay Laurel and Eucalyptus. Holly did a great job of composing cohesive flower arrangements throughout the venue.

The bird bath was special because it was a memorial for passed loved ones who we wished were able to be present with us. It consisted of Italian Rustus, mauve and ivory garden Roses, Dahlias, and Vermeer Calla Lillies, Bay Laurel and Eucalyptus.

My gown: My gown ended up being completely opposite of what I had originally envisioned. I strongly encourage brides to go try on a variety of stiles and fabrics, you may be pleasantly surprised with what you like! When trying on dresses, I had a hard time choosing between modern/edgy and classic styles. At Southern Protocol, I found the perfect mixture of the two. A classic style and fabric with modern neckline and waistline detailing.

Favors: Alison Bland of Boldfish Cookie Company made the cutest (and delicious!) bulldog cookies that resembled our two Bulldogs (Poe and Tater).

Cake: The cake was made by Carmella’s. Our cake was decorated, in part, by Derek’s mother Judi Morningstar (she is an amazing baker and cake decorator in Pennsylvania, but was unable to bake our cake due to traveling logistics).

What is one piece of advice that you could give brides-to-be?

My first piece of advice would be to remember why you are there. Do not worry about small details that are not going as planned; no one is going to notice that a table is in the wrong place, or that flowers are missing on a table. It is a rare moment to have all of your loved ones (especially parents and grandparents) in one place, and it may be the last time. Cherish this special opportunity, enjoy your day with your new husband, and make memories that will last you a lifetime.

Secondly, do not let fear preclude your dream wedding. I originally wanted a small wedding because I am intimidated by being in front of crowds and being the center of attention. However, it is a truly special moment when you get to commit yourself to the person you love, and have the support and attention of everyone who is important to you.

A little about the couple:

Derek and I met at Sullivans Island beach playing volleyball. Luckily we were both on the same team, because we are both fierce competitors and may not have gotten along if playing against each other. Ever since, our love has grown. I now love him more than Uber Eats and Ice cream, and he loves me more than Fantasy Football. I’d say we are doing pretty well!

Photography: Stephen Atohi // Planner: Ooh! Events // Flowers: Ooh! Events / Out of the Garden // Venue: Middleton Plantation // Dress & Bracelet: Southern Protocol/Maddison Row South
// Makeup: WeddinghairbyCharlotte // Bride’s Makeup and Hair: Stefanie Simpson // Entertainment: Other Brothers Entertainment // Ceremony Strings: Carolina Trio // Officiant: Pastor Mike Gaskins// Transportation: Uber // Rentals: Ooh! Events // Rings: Diamond Direct (wedding rings) / Blue Nile (engagement ring) // Bride’s Earrings: Etsy // Bride’s Necklace: Modern Bride // Shoes: Brides: Badgley Mischka // Groom: Johnston and Murphy // Suits: Joseph A Banks // Tent: Skyline Tents // Bar Service & Catering: Middleton Place // Ring Box: The Mrs. Box