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Real Weddings:

Haley and Jerry’s Door County wedding

photography by Sean Money + Elizabeth Fay

Haley and Jerry both hold Wisconsin dear to their hearts, so when it came time to choose a venue, Door County’s The American Club proved to be a natural one. Haley’s stunning Naeem Khan gown provided inspiration for the design of the day in its intricate floral applique and glam vibes. The celebration included a garden ceremony and candlelit ballroom reception filled to the brim with white florals in all shapes and sizes. Classic details shine throughout the day and Sean Money + Elizabeth Fay capture it all in their signature photography style.

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What made the wedding special and unique? 

Jerry and I are both from Kansas City and have lived there most of our lives, so one would think it would make sense to get married in our hometown. However, from the very beginning of our wedding planning we knew we wanted to do something different. We had tossed around many different ideas– Southern California, somewhere in the Caribbean, and Napa to name a few, and were pretty undecided about it until my dad actually suggested The American Club in Kohler, Wisconsin. Once he suggested it we knew it would be the perfect place for our big day. Wisconsin holds a special place in both of our hearts— my family has had a second home in Door County, Wisconsin on the shores of Lake Michigan for over 20 years, where my parents currently reside half the year. Having spent every summer of my life up there, Wisconsin is truly my second home. Born and raised a Green Bay Packers fan, it was pure fate that Jerry and his family were also diehard Packer’s fans. A match made in “cheesehead” heaven! We spent many weekends of our courtship up in Green Bay and Door County, making Wisconsin a special place for us, and a perfect wedding destination.

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

Having gotten engaged on Christmas Eve surrounded by family and friends, my mom and I knew we had to begin the dress search quickly so that everything would be ready in 8 months time. Little did we know how incredibly easy my dress search would be! She and I went to Nolte’s Bridal in Leawood, Kansas just a few weeks after Jerry and I got engaged. At our appointment the owner, Michael Nolte, had pulled out several dresses from various designers. Not having any idea what kind of dress I wanted, I let him surprise me with some selections, and surprise me he did! When he brought out the stunning long-sleeved Naeem Khan “Palma” ball gown dress that was nothing short of a masterpiece, I was instantly intrigued. I was excited to try it on, but was unsure of the sleeves and all of the intricate florals sewn throughout, not knowing if it was what I had envisioned for my wedding day. Once I had it on, my mom and I were both speechless. We had never seen anything more beautiful or unique. Nolte said that one of the signs he notices when a bride has found her dress is that she won’t stop touching it and moving in it, and I could not keep my hands off it! After twirling around and looking at every possible angle in this dress, I went ahead and tried on four more gorgeous gowns, each very different from the other but each having elements that I loved. After going over some pros and cons of each dress, I tried on the Palma gown once more, and we knew— this was THE dress. By the time I had the veil on I think all three of us were in tears. I could not have been more happy with my decision, and I still think about my wedding dress all the time. Who knew I would choose the very first dress I ever tried on!

What were some touches added to make the wedding personal? 

The most personal “touch” of the wedding was the fact that it took place in Wisconsin, a special place to both Jerry and me. From the rehearsal dinner and welcome party at the Irish Barn at Whistling Straights Golf Course overlooking fairway and dunes atop cliffs over Lake Michigan, we knew our guests would be in a location like many of them had never seen before. Immediate family and wedding party spent the weekend in the historic and pristine Riverbend club, right down the road from all of our guests at The American Club, where from check-in to check-out guests are treated with first-class service by a staff who goes above and beyond. Having been a guest at The American Club several times previously, I wanted our friends and family to be able to experience the old fashioned charm that you feel from the moment you pull up the large circle driveway. My favorite part of being at The American Club is that it makes you feel as if you’ve stepped back in time, and we hoped that would create a unique and different experience for our guests.

When guests arrived we had gift bags waiting in their rooms containing some mementos from the weekend, all with Wisconsin-themed touches. For the rooms, we created our own version of “Do Not Disturb” signs for guests to hang on their doors that we designed in Kansas City at stationery store RSVP in Prairie Village, where we had all of our printed materials for the wedding made. Throughout the weekend we encouraged our guests to “Drink Wisconsinably”!

What was the most memorable part of the day? 

There was hardly a part of the day that was not memorable. We had the most beautiful weather all day long, making for amazing pictures and the perfect temperature for the outdoor ceremony and cocktail hour. From start to finish the day went on without a hitch, and there was such a great calm, excited, happy energy the entire time. One of my favorite parts of the day, aside from saying our vows at the altar, was finally revealing my wedding dress to my sisters, brother, and my dad. My mom and I had been the only ones to see it, a tradition that my younger sister is now carrying on for her upcoming wedding, and we had been waiting anxiously to finally show them all the dress of my dreams. When I walked down the stairs and had a private “first look” with my immediate family, before seeing my bridesmaids, friends, and even my groom, we were all in tears. I will never forget the looks on all of their faces, especially my dad’s. It was such a sweet, special, and private moment before the whirlwind of the wedding day festivities began. Another moment we enjoyed so much was the ‘first look’ between Jerry and I, and taking all of our pictures on the grounds of Riverbend. You can see in the photos how beautiful the scenery was, how happy we were, and how comfortable our amazing photographers made us feel.

Tell us how you met and became engaged.

Jerry and I have known each other for over ten years now, having met in Kansas City during high school, however we never spent much time together during those years. After graduating, I went to Miami of Ohio for college, while Jerry went to St. Louis University to play baseball. Following college, I moved to Chicago with many of my friends, and Jerry moved back to Kansas City. At the time, we had many mutual friends living in Chicago, most being from Kansas City, and Jerry would occasionally come in town to visit those friends. We crossed paths a couple of times and were able to reconnect as friends before we decided to start dating long distance in the fall of 2014. While I was finishing grad school at Northwestern, and Jerry was working in Kansas City, we dated almost one year, racking up many airline miles and road trips to see each other. Many of our weekends were spent driving from Chicago to Green Bay to catch Packer games, one of our favorite activities in the fall. When grad school finally ended, I decided it was time to move back home to KC. It was the best decision I ever made, and five months later we were engaged!

HALEY + JERRY: KOHLER, WI from CAPTIVATE // ONE FINE DAY on Vimeo.

Photography: Sean Money + Elizabeth Fay // Floral/Catering/Rentals: Provided by Venue The American Club // Printed materials: RSVP (store in Prairie Village, KS) // Venue: The American Club // Dress: Designer: Naeem Khan // Store: Nolte’s Bridal in Leawood, Kansas // Hair & MUA: Ashley Renee Tribble // Band: Michael Walters Orchestra // Videographer: One Fine Day Productions

 

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Real Weddings:

Kelly and Matthew’s wedding at Legare Warring House

photography by Caroline Ro

Bride Kelly drew inspiration from favorite movies and television shows—like Little Women and Downton Abbey—for the styling of her wedding her wedding to groom Matthew. So, the couple enlisted Cibi Events to turn Legare Warring House into an English garden and with the help of floral genius The Purple Magnolia, the result was spectacular. Every last detail is filled to the brim with roses and we’re loving it. Kelly’s minimalist gown is by Theia, letterpress invitations are by Aerialist Press and beautiful photographs are by Caroline Ro.

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What made the wedding special and unique?

It was important to Matthew and me that our wedding reflect our individual personalities and our interests as a couple. I drew a lot of inspiration from my childhood and favorite movies and television shows (including Little Women and Downton Abbey.) I wanted the wedding to feel as if our guests were strolling through an English garden, and I felt as if our ceremony and reception space perfectly reflected that! (All thanks to the fabulous CiBi Events and Purple Magnolia)

Another aspect of the wedding that was important to us was our dinner. Both Matthew and I enjoy sharing meals with our families and friends. Our family style dinner allowed us to recreate the feeling of a huge family dinner made even more special among candlelight, flowers, and drapery. It was so special to look out from the head table and watch our families laugh, chat, and mingle.

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

I was so excited to go shopping for my dress, and I had in mind a bohemian/loose fitting style dress. Everyone tells you that your wedding dress will never be what you initially have in mind, and it’s very true! I shopped at two stores in Charleston, SC, and I found my dress at the second store we visited.

After trying on multiple dresses, my sister picked a classic style dress with a sweetheart neckline. I was shocked at how much I liked the clean silhouette. The bridal consultant then pulled the unassuming Theia gown I chose. As soon as I slipped on the dress, I loved how elegant and sophisticated I felt. I felt like myself but older and more mature – in a good way. The very next day, I returned to the shop to ensure my first reaction held true, and it did! I would suggest to other brides that they have an open mind when trying on dresses. Also – don’t forget the ability to customize! I love that I wore a lace topper for the ceremony which made the dress feel even more bridal to me.

What were some touches added to make the wedding personal?

Matthew and I are lucky that so many women in our families are creative and artistically talented! My mom embroidered pillows with forget-me-nots to recognize my grandmother who battled Alzheimer’s disease. Matthew’s sister custom made two signs that were both showcase pieces for our ceremony and reception. Matthew’s mother painted and hand-drew many smaller signs for our wedding and rehearsal dinner. We also included family photos inside Legare Waring House which allowed us to remember our entire families. Now we are able to showcase these signs and photos in our home, and they will always remind us of our wedding day.

Additionally, Matthew and I love music, and it was important that our music choices reflected our personal interests. The song I walked down the aisle to (“For the Beauty of the Earth”) was one of my favorite church hymns and was also featured in Little Women. We also used the same DJ that our friends had used in their weddings, so it was great to relive those memories!

Another feature that became personal was the first layer of our wedding cake! Matthew’s parents also had Italian Creme Cake as their wedding cake.

What was the most memorable part of the day?

There were so many memorable parts! However, one sticks out in my mind. As soon as we finished family photos, Matthew and I sneaked back inside the house and went into the library which overlooked the courtyard. It was very special to peek out through the window and watch as our family and friends visited with each other and enjoyed cocktail hour. We loved having a quiet moment to ourselves prior to joining everyone. Our caterer spoiled us with some of our passed hors d’oeuvres which made the moment even better.

Tell us how you met and became engaged.

Matthew and I met through Matthew’s sister SaraBeth. Matthew attended Clemson University, but he had an internship in Columbia, South Carolina my freshman year at the University of South Carolina. One night a few of my friends headed over to Matthew’s apartment to celebrate the end of the year, and the rest is history! We dated for seven years (many of those long distance) prior to becoming engaged.

Our engagement seemed like a dream to me! Matthew planned a date night in August during the middle of the week. He suggested we walk along Sullivan’s Island, SC (a place we frequented while we dated), and then afterwards we would get a drink at one of our favorite restaurants. The day he planned to ask me, my cat became seriously ill (he’s now recovered), and Matthew almost backed off his plan, but I’m glad he didn’t!

As we walked down the beach, I noticed a photographer taking photos of three young girls dancing. I mentioned to Matthew that my sister and I had our photographs taken on the beach as a Father’s Day gift when we were young. As we walked closer to the girls, I noticed a huge heart drawn in the sand with white flowers and three signs that said “Kelly, will you?” Just moments before Matthew proposed, his mom and dad set up everything for the surprise.

Everything around me disappeared, and I had a hard time paying attention to what he was saying! The photographer was actually for us, and the young girls dancing were visiting from France. I’ll never forget that moment.

kelly and matty from Gabrielle Powell on Vimeo.

Planning & Design: Cibi Events // Photographer: Caroline Ro // Flowers: The Purple Magnolia // Invitations: Aerialist Press // Venue: Legare Warring House // Dress Designer: Theia // Dress: Gown Collective (Formerly Fabulous Frocks) // Hair & Makeup: Ash & Co // Escort Cards: Candlefish // Cake: Cakes by Kasarda // Catering & Bar: Cru Catering // DJ: Dragon Entertainment // Rentals: Snyder Event Rentals // Rentals: Ooh Events // Ceremony Musicians: Charleston Virtuosi

 

Real Weddings:

Katie and Mike’s Kiawah Island Wedding

photography by Perry Vaile

Katie’s wedding vision was gathering all the people she and Mike love in one spot with the beach in the background. She achieved just that (and a whole lot of white roses!) at The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island. With the help of planner Ooh! Events, the couple enhanced the scenic backdrop of their celebration with striking floral structures and greenery by Out of the Garden and elegant details at the white tent reception. Photographer Perry Vaile was on hand to capture all the retrained beauty of the day in these lovely images.

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What made the wedding special and unique?

From the bride: I had always wanted a beach wedding. I love the ocean. My vision was to have all of the people we love in one spot, with the beach/ocean in the background and have it feel like a special getaway weekend where we celebrated not only our love for each other, but all of our friends and family who had helped us get to that point in our lives. I also wanted it to feel simple yet elegant while not being too stuffy. I wanted mostly greens/creams with some blush.

What were some touches added to make the wedding personal?

Our light and airy color palette was very “us” and fit the venue and time of year beautifully. Because Charleston is so hot in the summer, we knew we could still go with a light palette even though it was technically fall. As I mentioned above, I always wanted a beach wedding. In searching for a venue I was shocked by how many hotels up and down the east coast didn’t have great venue space that incorporated the beach/ocean but weren’t actually “on” the beach. After visiting what felt like dozens of venues one of my very best friends (the gentleman that ended up walking me down the aisle) recommended I visit the Sanctuary. His cousin had been married there the year before. He sent me the link to the article/post done on her wedding and I immediately fell in love. It was exactly what I had envisioned in my mind for a venue. My mom and I traveled to The Sanctuary the following week for a day trip and decided on the spot it’s where we wanted to get married! The fact that The Sanctuary is outside Charleston was a huge bonus. Most of our guests would be coming from DC and there are tons of direct flights from CHS-DCA every day. Plus Mike and I LOVE low country food so the restaurant/food scene was perfect! The icing on the cake was The Sanctuary introducing us to Jerri at Ooh Events. I wouldn’t have wanted to plan my wedding with anyone else!

What was the most memorable part of the day?

Being surrounded by some of our favorite people in the world and having our first dance as husband and wife. Also, seeing Mike’s face as he saw me for the first time. It was a moment I will never forget!

Tell us how you met and became engaged.

We were friends and colleagues for about a year and realized we kept working on things together and were almost always aligned on how we’d want to approach something and/or what outcome we thought was best for the organization. I think working together before we started dating was really nice because we already knew so much about each other.

Katie & Mike from byDesign Films on Vimeo.

Planning, Design, Coordination and Rentals: Jerri Heater of Ooh! Events // Photographer: Perry Vaile // Florist: Out of the Garden // Venue + Catering: The Sanctuary Hotel // Hair + Makeup: Paper Dolls // Tabletop Rentals: Polished Tabletop // Band: ATL Groove Factory // Ceremony + Cocktail Entertainment: Charleston Virtuosi // After party entertainment: DJ Illumination // Videographer: ByDesign Films // Tent: Snyder Event Rentals // Officiant: Doug Farmer

 

 

Real Weddings:

Katherine and Howard’s Birmingham Wedding

featuring Davy Whitener Photography

Bride Katherine—who works in landscape architecture and formerly at flower magazine—knew florals would play a major role in her hometown Birmingham wedding to Howard. The couple enlisted Holly Carlisle of ROSEGOLDEN whose artistic work “glorifies the wild beauty and unpredictability of plants and never tries to fight it.” They also brought on Mariee Ami to help plan the rest of the cool-weather celebration in rich blues and greens, with golden accents and velvet ribbons setting that back drop for arching branches, shades of white blooms, lots of greenery, and pine cones from Katherine’s dad’s farm.  Davy Whitener Photography was on hand working his magic and capturing all the lovely details in his signature fine art style.

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From the bride: When Howard and I started planning our wedding, we really didn’t have a vision for what the day would look like. We just knew that we wanted to be surrounded by family and friends, and we wanted everyone to have a great time. We feel so lucky to have found each other and were excited to celebrate in a big way!

So with no real direction, the first thing we did was bring on Mariee Ami to plan the event – Neillie Butler, owner of Mariee Ami, is a longtime family friend and was actually my boss one summer in college. It was extra special to have Neillie and her team work their magic for us.

Our next move was to line up a florist. I work for a landscape architecture firm and formerly worked for flower magazine. The one thing I did know going into the planning process, is that I wanted the flowers to be special. I’ve been Instagram stalking Holly Carlisle of Rosegolden’s work for some time and was thrilled when we were able to bring her on board. Her work glorifies the wild beauty and unpredictability of plants and never tries to fight it—she’s an artist.

We decided to get married in my hometown, Birmingham, Alabama, and settled on a date in January. We both love being outdoors and would have enjoyed having at least part of the festivities outside—but we didn’t want to wait for spring, and January in Alabama can be balmy one day and frigid the next. We huddled with the team and ultimately decided to bring the outdoors in with a kind of enchanted forest aesthetic. Rich blues and greens, with golden accents and velvet ribbons set that back drop for arching branches, shades of white blooms, lots of greenery, and pine cones from my dad’s farm. It was magical.

Overall, the weekend was just perfect. We felt surrounded by love and we had so much fun. It is a testament to the team we worked with, that we truly got to enjoy each other and our friends and family, and didn’t have a care in the world on wedding day. So many thoughtful and special details were expertly woven into this event; it was more wonderful than we could have hoped for. And thank goodness for these gorgeous photos by Davy Whitener, lest we ever forget what a blessed day (and epic party) we had.

Photography: Davy Whitener Photography // Planner & Paper Goods: Mariee Ami // Floral Design: ROSEGOLDEN by Holly Carlisle // Ceremony: Canterbury United Methodist Church // Reception: Mountain Brook Club (Birmingham, AL) // Wedding Dress: Lian Carlo // Wedding Dress Shop: Carriage House Weddings // Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Jenny Yoo // Cake: Barb’s Cakes // Ribbon: Frou Frou Chic // Band: Atlanta Showstoppers // Linen: La Tavola Fine Linen Rental // Catering: Mountain Brook Club

 

Real Weddings:

Molly and Bryan’s wedding at Millwick

photography by Jenny Smith & Co.

Molly and Bryan’s wedding at Millwick in downtown Los Angeles was super-personalized celebration with industrial-tropical flair. The venue provided and cool, relaxed visual foundation and the couple enlisted Tealight Weddings & Events to help them add in the rest of their details. Punchy red, white and green florals were by Wild Vase while special details like the chuppah made by the bride’s mother and the custom movie dance scene reel playing on the big screen behind the dance floor add Molly and Bryan’s own touch. Behind the lens, Jenny Smith & Co. was working he magic and we love how her images truly capture all the joy and rad details.

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What made the wedding special and unique?

It was my mother’s wish to create a chuppah that all 4 of her daughters would be married under and with each subsequent wedding she has embroidered the names and the date onto the cloth. My oldest sister married us, under the same chuppah she was married under. A nice bonus was that our wedding day was actually my parent’s 37th wedding anniversary, which made it even more special.

What were some of the touches added to make the wedding personal?

We have so many talented friends and family members that we turned to them to help us personalize our day. My oldest sister wrote and officiated the ceremony. One friend designed our invitation suite. Another did our flowers. Another drew little vignettes for our program, as well as the backdrop that we projected onto the screen during dinner. Traditionally, Jewish weddings have seven blessings – and instead of reciting them in Hebrew, we asked seven of our closest friends to offer a short blessing. It had the potential to be all over the place, but it was the perfect mix of humor, sincerity, and so much love. And to add the final personal touch, led by my mother, many of our family and friends baked a batch of their favorite cookies to make an incredible cookie table spread for dessert.

What was the most memorable part of the day?

The dance party! Leading up to the wedding we spent hours combing through of all of our favorite dance scenes from movies and music videos, and we patched them together into a video that played up on the huge screen while everyone danced throughout the night.

Tell us how you met and became engaged

We met a restaurant where we both worked – I was the manager, Bryan was the bread baker. He continued to ask me out for months, and I continued to politely decline. Finally his charm won me over, and we went on our first date. I realized pretty quickly that I should had said yes a long time ago. He proposed while we were doing laundry, at home, in pajamas, on a Saturday night.

Photography: Jenny Smith & Co. // Planning: Tealight Weddings & Events // Florals: Wild Vase // Invitations: Francesca Greggs // Venue: Millwick // Dress: Jenny Yoo Collection // Programs/Menus: Lexie Smith // Hair: Spoke & Weal – Jennifer Potter // Makeup: Joelle Pitts // DJ: Dart DJ // Photo Booth: Jenny Smith & Co. // Rentals: A Rental Connection // Catering: Olive Wood Pizza // Bar: Mama’s Medicine