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Real Weddings:

Megan and Lewis’s North Carolina Wedding

photography by Kasey Smith Creative

Megan and Lewis’s North Carolina nuptials were a customized celebration of love, family and fun at the beautiful the Barn of Chapel Hill. The day, planned by Kast Events, fell on the Kentucky Derby with a timeline that hinged on the race happening half way through the cocktail hour. Mint juleps were served, festive attire encouraged and Wild Flora Farm graced every turn with stunning pink florals. Photographer Kasey Smith Creative was on hand to capture all the joy and details of the day in these lovely images.

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What made the wedding special and unique?

From the groom: The goal is was to make the wedding special/memorable for us and our guests. From the ceremony to the cocktail hour to the reception. We thought “How do we make each part special?”

Ceremony – We both bring kids to this marriage and had them be part of the wedding. I came down the aisle first with the thought of as everyone else came down the aisle I would greet them at the front with a hug. Everyone had their own music to walk into. From the mom’s walking into Dancing Queen….Best Man and Matron of Honor coming into Lean on Me….the kids coming into ABC by the Jackson 5. We chose our own vows and had a pastor and good friend that brought a lot of energy to the ceremony.

Cocktail hour – We got married on May 4th. It was Kentucky Derby day and the whole timeline hinged on the race happening halfway through the Cocktail Hour. We had TVs brought in for everyone to watch. We encouraged people to wear hats and derbylike attire. I pre-made mint juleps for the bartenders to serve during the cocktail hour. A friend of mine grows mint in his back yard, so I used that for the juleps. The bride and groom were the first to arrive at the cocktail hour. Pictures happened before so we could enjoy the party.

Reception – instead of the traditional father/daughter and mother/son, we did a family dance with all the grandparents/parents/kids on the dance floor dancing to “We are Family” by Sister Sledge. My best man was a friend I served in Iraq with. When we got back from Iraq we got together and he brought a bottle of Hennessy Paradis that sells for $1,000. It had only been opened for his college graduation, and birth of his two kids. We toasted upon our return. I told Megan this story and she surprised me with my own bottle of Paradis. So, for the best man speech we opened my bottle and toasted.

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

Simply Blush was the boutique store where the dress was found. Megan’s friend recommended it. Megan asked me what I wanted the gown to look like. I told she needed to love it first. Megan is fit and I told her to make sure and show it off, but not be risque. Ha!

What were some touches added to make the wedding personal?

The mint, the Hennessy, the walk up songs for the people in the wedding, the vows we chose. Megan and I kicked off the reception with a dual speech. We gave a two minute speech that touched on all the people in the room and how much they meant to us.

What was the most memorable part of the day?

The whole day was great but it might have been the 10 seconds after we walked back down the aisle to the cocktail hour where we were alone and then seeing all our friends and family join us.

Tell us how you met and became engaged.

We met at the Crossfit gym we go to. She was new to the gym and we were in the same class for a couple weeks. Chatted a little after a class which turned into a “coffee date” that ended up being 4 hours long. The engagement happened at Forest Theatre on the campus of the University of North Carolina. The Forest Theatre is an outdoor theater surrounded by trees. After dark I had luminaries line the steps down to the stage with a circle in the middle of the stage. She walked down the steps to find me waiting with a ring.

Photography: Kasey Smith Creative // Event Planning: Kast Events // Floral Design: Wild Flora Farm // Invitations: Minted // Wedding Venue: the Barn of Chapel Hill // Wedding Gown: Simply Blush // Hair Stylist: Lillian Self // Makeup Artist: Ashley Bromirski // Film Processing: Indie Film Lab // Tent Rental: Capital Events // Catering: Old Sadie Smoke Shack

 

 

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Real Weddings:

Jordan and David’s Georgia Wedding

photography by Dana Cubbage Weddings

Jordan and David chose to celebrate their nuptials with a destination event in their college town where the couple first met- Athens, Georgia. The bride explains “it was really special being back where it all started and surrounded by the people who have been part of our relationship since the beginning.” It also made for fun planning trips with planner Keely Thorne Events who helped to create the part-preppy-part-romantic southern wedding in a palette of greens at The Foundry. Florals design was by Amy Osaba Design , custom stationery by Papellerie of Houston and cake by Classic City Confections. Check out all the delightful details in these images by Dana Cubbage Weddings.

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What made the wedding special and unique?

We decided to do a “destination wedding” and chose to get married in our college town where we first met – Athens, Georgia. It was really special being back where it all started and surrounded by the people who have been part of our relationship since the beginning. It also made for the best planning trips!

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

Finding the gown was almost too easy. I saw a picture of the dress on Joan Pillow’s store Instagram and after looking into it, saw there was going to be a trunk show with designer appearance at the Houston store the following day. I called the morning of and was able to get an appointment within the hour. My mom and I met at the dress shop, and as I was headed into the dressing room, the wonderful designer, Sareh Nouri, walked up and introduced herself. She then graciously offered to help us customize the design on the back of the dress and a custom train length. It was the best experience.

What were some touches added to make the wedding personal?

We worked with a local Houston printing company –  Papellerie – who did the most impressive job of making our invitations and signage really personal and unique to our whole wedding. It was a ton of fun being part of the process and getting to design the aspect that ultimately shaped the look and feel of our big day.

What was the most memorable part of the day?

Surprisingly something we both feared the most – our first dance. We had no practice or lessons and were both certain we’d be all nerves, but when the time came, we sang and dance and enjoyed every minute of that moment listening to the song we chose together. It was really, really special.

Tell us how you met and became engaged.

We met my early into my freshman year/his sophomore year while out one night. He was with a friend who wanted to talk to a girl I was with. We ended up all taking a picture together that later some mutual friends tagged us in. Those same mutual friends ended up being the reason we connected around 3 years later in his hometown of LaGrange, Georgia. We moved to my hometown of Houston together in 2012, after graduation, and started our new jobs on the same day. On a random Wednesday night in October 2017, heading to what I thought was his work happy hour/dinner at Hotel ZaZa, David surprised me with a suite overlooking the first place we went on a date in Houston – Hermann Park. The room was full of pictures of all of our years together and the night was full of champagne and Facetimes with our loved ones.

Jordan + David | The Holle Teaser Film from Glacier Point Weddings on Vimeo.

Wedding Photography: Dana Cubbage Weddings // Planning + Coordination: Keely Thorne Events // Floral Design: Amy Osaba Design // Stationery: Papellerie of Houston // Venue: The Foundry // Cake: Classic City Confections // Wedding Dress: Sareh Nouri From Joan Pillow Bridal Salon // Hair + Makeup: The Moore Agency // Bride’s Shoes: Jimmy Choo // Bride’s Jewelry: Personal // Bridesmaids Dresses: Various Designers // Band: Big Swing And The Ballroom Blasters // Men’s Attire: Generation Tux // Catering: The Foundry // Rentals: Barron’s Rental // Videography: Glacier Point Weddings // Ring Box: The Mrs. Box

 

Real Weddings:

Jen and Kyle’s Fall Charleston Wedding

featuring Sophie Brendle

Jen and Kyle were both born and raised in Southern California, but having recently relocated to Charleston, South Carolina, the couple wanted to combine the romance and charm of the South with the laid back fun of their West Coast roots. With the help of Grey Collective member Ooh! Events, the couple personalized their autumnal celebration at Boone Hall with a pizza truck, corn hole, giant jenga, late-night biscuit bar and southern spread and jams. Beautiful, sentimental details honoring the bride’s parents who’ve passed away included a photo locket tie to her bouquet and a gorgeous floral wall of roses by florist Out of the Garden. You can see all the lovely, moody fall moments from this intimate wedding in these lovely images by Sophie Brendle.

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What were some touches added to make the wedding personal, special and unique?

When planning our day we wanted it to be as true to both of us as a couple as possible! We tried to let go of the idea of what you “have” to have at a wedding. Kyle and I are both born and raised in Southern California but relocated to Charleston, SC a year ago for him to attend Law School. We wanted to combine the romance and charm of the South with the laid back fun of our West Coast roots. We had First Name Basis Catering Pizza truck, corn hole, and giant jenga. We also had “late night bites” of Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit bar with spreads and jams to give our west coast friends and family a taste of the South as their guest favors. Instead of a traditional guest book we had friends and family “sign a piece of our love story” that were framed maps of important places in our relationship. There was Irvine, California for where we met, South Africa for where we were engaged, and Charleston for where we were married.

We knew we had to have our two pugs, Leroy and Winston, be a part of our big day since they are family. We had our groomsmen and maid of honor walk them down the aisle so they could stand next to us while we were pronounced husband and wife. We even had our signature drinks named after them! The Leroy was a champagne grapefruit cocktail with fresh rosemary. The Winston was an Old Fashioned.

My parents both passed away when I was younger which made planning our big day bittersweet. I wanted to incorporate them whenever I could throughout our day. My little sister, Jess, who is 10 years younger than me walked me down the aisle which was one of my favorite parts of the day. We had a table with photos of my parents from their wedding day right next to our guestbook. My mom’s best friend, Chris, who has become a second mother to me surprised me with the most incredible wedding day gift. She had a locket made with pictures of my parents and me in them. I ended up tying the locket around my bridal bouquet. My mom and sister’s middle name is “Rose” and roses were always the flowers my dad would buy my mom. For that reason our florist was able to do an entire wall of a beautiful rose garden as a backdrop to our sweetheart table.

Another random fun moment from the day was at the moment we were pronounced husband and wife and shared our first kiss, a bald eagle flew across the water on the Cotton Dock directly behind us. We didn’t believe it when guests told us but the videographer was able to capture it in our wedding video!

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

I knew I wanted a more “boho” flowy gown and immediately fell in love with the designer Rue De Seine. While my childhood best friend and Maid of Honor, Corinne, was in town visiting me in Charleston, we made an appointment at Lovely Bride downtown. The Fox Gown by Rue De Seine was the second dress I tried on and I just knew it was the one. I immediately said “this is so me!” The dress had the most beautiful lace detailing which included roses– another sign from my parents that this was the dress I was meant to wear. I had the off-the-shoulder lace sleeves made detachable so I could wear them for the ceremony but then easily take them off so I could dance during the reception!

What was the most memorable part of the day?

Hands down the most memorable part of the day for us both was walking into the ceremony and seeing our friends and family who had traveled all the way from California to be with us. We were nervous when we decided to get married in our new home of Charleston that we would miss out on having all of our loved ones with us on our day. We were so overwhelmed with the love we felt surrounded with throughout the night and are so grateful that they made the sacrifice to come out to Charleston.

Tell us how you met and became engaged.

Kyle and I met in January 2015 during a volunteer training program in Orange County, California called the “Trauma Intervention Program.” Kyle had gone to sign up for a volunteer firefighter meeting earlier that day but the program had already been filled. While he was there, they let him know about the Trauma Intervention Program that was happening that night that still needed volunteers. I am forever grateful the program he wanted to be in was full! We grew close throughout the training month and at the end of training, he asked me out on a date for grilled cheese and wine and immediately won me over. Kyle and I fell in love over our shared passion for volunteer work and travel. While on Safari in Kruger National Park South Africa, Kyle surprised me with asking to be his best friend and travel partner forever! Two pugs and three cities later, we have bought a home in

Charleston.

Jen and Kyle from Fig Jam Studio on Vimeo.

Design & Coordination: Ooh! Events // Photography: Sophie Brendle // Florist: Out of the Garden // Venue: Boone Hall // Videographer: Fig Jam Studio // Hair & makeup: Canary Rock Salon // Rentals: Ooh! Events // Catering: First Name Basis // Bar: Mix // Desserts: Sweet Lulu’s Bakery // Late Night: Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit // Entertainment: Darby Events

 

Real Weddings:

Emily and Ben’s Newport wedding

featuring Erin McGinn

We love stand-out details and the vibrant florals at Emily and Ben’s Newport, Rhode Island nuptials are unforgettable! The couple requested that florists Greenlion Design, create blooms that reflected their joy and laughter with each other and the bright displays of corals and pinks at Belle Mer: A Longwood Venue do just that. Invitations are by Minted, cake by I Dream of Jeanne Cakes and fabulous-as-always photography by  Erin McGinn.

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What made the wedding special and unique?

We originally wanted to go away and have a small destination wedding but decided to have our wedding on the water in Newport so it would be a destination for others and then to go to have a tropical getaway in a hut on the water in the Maldives for our honeymoon. The island house seems like the perfect mix of casual, beachy chic that fits our relationship – we like to have fun together and laugh. I wanted the flowers to represent us as well, so we’re having Greenlion have a bright display of pinks and corals to make the space pop and as Kim said – make it look like a celebration!

Ben wooed me with Champagne when we first started dating, so we had a bubbles bar to celebrate the next journey of our bubbly love as a married couple! Ben’s parents are big fans of the arts, so they commissioned a local German artist to create a “story of our love” painting, which shows the start as two houses (mine is a calculator since I work in finance ha!!) and Ben’s is a depiction of his childhood home that he grew up in (and his parents still live in) in Recklinghausen, Germany. The top of the painting shows the merging of our love in a hot air balloon with German/American flags. There are many small personal details throughout the painting, including the Newport Pell Bridge, which was visible from our wedding venue. We had small versions of the painting made to include with our thank you notes so that each guest had their own signed copy to commemorate our special day.

We incorporated some of Emily’s Irish heritage in the wedding by having a traditional Celtic handfasting ceremony. It was a special moment where we symbolically bound together our lives, hopes and dreams in front of our closest family and friends.

 

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

After trying on many gowns, my wedding dress stylist at Madeline’s Daughter Bridal in Portsmouth, NH pulled out a “wild card.”  Looking at it on the hanger, it was everything that I said that I didn’t want – strapless and fitted, but I figured it can’t hurt to just try it on. Once, I put on the Watters Taylor dress, I knew it was the one – soft and romantic, with unique Coquille lace and a fit-and-flare shape that fit my personality to a T! The best part is that it was very comfortable and easy to dance in!

 

 

What were some touches added to make the wedding personal?

Ben’s cuff links were handmade by his grandfather and Emily’s bouquet had her grandmother’s handkerchief wrapped around the base of the flowers to remember our loved ones that couldn’t be with us that day. Emily’s father made personalized cornhole boards for the outdoor cocktail hour. We also had a bubbles bar and a bourbon bar, which are our favorite drinks!

 

 

What was the most memorable part of the day?

It was a beautiful, special day and we wanted the wedding to be a big, fun party full of laughs and dancing. Our band, Men in Black, made sure the dance floor was full the entire night!

Tell us how you met and became engaged.

Ben is a dentist and Emily’s childhood friend who worked for him as a dental hygienist introduced them. He wrote Emily the cutest email entitled, “Two Gingers” and it was smooth sailing from that first day. We got engaged on a weekend getaway in Boston 15 months later.

Photography: Erin McGinn // Floral Design: Greenlion Design // Invitations: Minted // Wedding Venue: Belle Mer: A Longwood Venue // Wedding Dress: Madeline’s Daughter // Wedding Dress: Watters // Hair and Makeup: Jennie Kay beauty // Cake: I Dream of Jeanne Cakes // Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Jenny Yoo // Ring Box: The Mrs. Box // Shoes: Jimmy Choo // Band: Men In Black // Rentals: Peak Event Services

 

Real Weddings:

Alice and Duncan’s Wedding at The Orchard at Sunshine Hill

featuring Mist of Morning Photography

Alice and Duncan met in Seattle, just months after Alice moved to the U.S. from her native Ireland. The couple set out to create a wedding day that celebrated both the Pacific Northwest, as well as Irish wedding traditions. The Orchard at Sunshine Hill set the scene—”open, elegant and the ceremony site had a full view of Mt. Rainier – a Washington State staple, in the background.” And—get this—the groom’s mother planted ALL the florals the fall prior to the wedding, so when the big day arrived the following June they had an abundance of local blooms for Doghouse Flowers Heidal to create the stunning arrangements. We’re loving the bright orchard vibes for fall and lucky for us Mist of Morning Photography was on hand to capture it all in these sunny photographs.

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What made your wedding special & unique? Were there any touches that you added to make the day personal?

A: Duncan and I definitely had a vision for our day. We knew that we would have a lot of out of town guests there, and so we really wanted to give it a strong PNW feel. We wanted a barn wedding, but when we stumbled across ‘The Orchard at Sunshine Hill’ whilst looking at another venue in the area, we fell in love. It was open, elegant and the ceremony site had a full view of Mt. Rainier – a Washington State staple, in the background. Duncan’s Mom Stacy and her best friend Margaret (Doghouse Flowers Heidal) planted up all of the flowers the summer the year before, so that they were ready for us to use in June. And so all the flowers (and there were a lot of them!) were hand grown, just for us. I also made the mistake of thinking that sign making looked fun… I spent approximately 30 seconds on YouTube finding out how to stencil our own signs, and off I went! Duncan’s sister Lilli helped out, but in all we both must have spent about 50 hours making signs for anything that could possibly need instruction. The table signs, the seating chart, the bar menu, the unplugged ceremony. The list goes on and on!

D: Alice is from Ireland, and I am from Seattle, so it was very important that we included elements from both in our wedding: having an outdoor, American style “barn wedding”; choosing an Irish inspired tweed three-piece suit for the men; and including lots of beautiful PNW greenery in floral arrangements. We even transported everyone to the venue in a yellow school bus and had s’mores at the end of the night (which all of the Irish LOVED).

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

A: I am a huge thrift-store shopper. I love a bargain. I also didn’t have a clue what sort of a dress I wanted, so when I went in to a bridal gown shop with my parents to try them on, I was almost disappointed. We had an hour appointment, I tried on about 8 gowns, most of which I immediately knew were wrong, and they all cost a small fortune. Over a rosé-soaked lunch, I mentioned a store that I had heard of called ‘Brides for a Cause’. It was a store where all the proceeds went to charity, and people/stores donated their used/sample/excess dresses. My mother was hooked. We sent my father off sightseeing and we jumped in an Uber. It was a Thursday afternoon so we had the store basically to ourselves. Which was fantastic, because I stood half naked in the changing room whilst my Mother pulled dresses on and off of me. I must have tried on at least 40 dresses that day, but I loved it, because I was able to give every style a try, knowing that cost wouldn’t be a barrier – nothing that I tried on was more than about $800.

We put a few dresses on hold and came back the following morning to do it all again. When I put on my ceremony gown, we just knew. The chest area didn’t fit, but everything else hugged me perfectly. I wanted something that wouldn’t crumple when I walked – so the lace overlay was perfect. And I was surprised that I actually loved the flared skirt. It was my wedding day, and I wanted to feel like a princess. And at $2500 down to $450 for and unworn sample dress, we were SOLD. Funnily, the night before I had also tried on an incredible ‘party gown’, a backless number that Mum said wasn’t ‘suitable for a serious ceremony’. But once we found my dress, she said of course I had to have that one too – so that I could change in to it for the party! ($750 down to $150, again, a sample).

The alterations were interesting – unfortunately my ‘party gown’ took 11 fittings to get to fall correctly! But I wouldn’t change any of the decisions I made. I was so glad to be able to slip into something more breathable for the reception. Trish Jens from PA Jens Custom Sewing was my seamstress and I would recommend her in a heartbeat.

What was the most memorable part of the day? 

A: The entire day was just magical and so I have a hard time picking out a memorable part. I tried hard to stand back and appreciate every part as it happened. From a prosecco-fueled morning getting ready with my girls, to the car down with my MOH Ruth and my parents, to the INCREDIBLY nerve wracking first look and excitedly greeting the bridal party as they arrived… I could go on and on. If I HAVE to choose though, one memory that feels as real today as it was then, was standing in the bridal cabin with the bridal party as the guests arrived and were seated. We had Sigur Ros playing as we walked down the aisle, and I got to watch as our bridal party headed out one at a time to the ceremony, leaving just my Mum and me alone. I couldn’t stop crying! But as my music started to play, Mum turned to me and said, ‘he’s the right man Alice, and I’m so, so happy for you both’. She was right – and that memory of walking down the aisle to my future husband, surrounded by all of my favorite people in the world will stay with me forever.

D: Right after the ceremony the entire wedding procession ended in the bridal suite. Everyone cleared out and Alice and I were alone. We were both a little too overwhelmed to do anything yet, so we spent a couple of minutes just holding each other. It was a beautiful way to start off our marriage; just her and me focusing on us first before getting distracted by anything else.

Tell us how you met & became engaged.

A: Duncan and I are both pretty active gym-goers, and so it figures as much that that is where we met. I had moved to Seattle from Ireland in September 2016 and wanted to find a social gym that would allow me to make friends in a city where I knew no one. I met Duncan within a few weeks (he was hard to miss – he was the beautiful, strong, shirtless man making lots of noise and throwing weights around) but since he worked out in the morning and I went in the afternoons, we rarely crossed paths. We got talking one day after I had been around for a few months and I found out that he was a. single and b. so much cooler than I thought… I started going to the gym in the morning and the rest is history!

We got engaged by the Ballard locks in Seattle. We’d discussed marriage a lot and so I knew that it was on the cards, but the actual proposal was a complete surprise. A passerby obviously realized what was happening before I did and stopped to take a picture of Duncan down on one knee. They came up to us afterwards and passed on the picture. It’s incredible to have a memento of it.

D: Our “Sunday Strolls” are probably my favorite part about the weekend. Most Sundays, after we have taken care of errands or social obligations on Saturday, Alice and I like to walk around different parts of Seattle, exploring neighborhoods, browsing shops, or discovering cool little cafes. So when it came time to propose, a Sunday Stroll was the obvious choice. That sunny, Spring afternoon watching the boats pass through the locks was the absolute perfect day – even though my heart was beating 200 bmp for about 90 minutes leading up to the proposal.

Photography: Mist of Morning Photography // Florist: Doghouse Flowers Heidal // Venue: The Orchard at Sunshine Hill // Ceremony Dress: Adriana Alier from Brides for a Cause // Hair & makeup: Bridal Beauty Agency // Reception dress: Brides for a Cause // Heels: ASOS // Jewelry: Anne Klein // Suit: Jennis & Warmann // Shoes: Cole Haan // Rings: Brilliant Earth // Catering: EZ Foods Olympia // Cupcakes: Truffles Cakery // DJ: Chris Blackburn