I want to become a society lady Rockin' a new rock?!

Real Weddings:

Alison and Jonathan’s wedding at Ebell Long Beach

photography by Maritha Mae

Alison and Jonathan not only wanted to display their love for one another, but also wanted their wedding day to “be a time to honor our friends and family who have supported us through our entire journey.” The couple enlisted Ah Love Events to help them create a day filled with personalized touches and STUNNING details including florals by Emblem Flowers and calligraphy by Taingled Lettering while Maritha Mae was on hand to capture all the gorgeous moments in these images.

Click to expand for more

What made the wedding special and unique?

For our wedding, Jonathan and I didn’t want to only display our love towards one another, but also wanted it to be a time to honor our friends and family who have supported us through our entire journey. One part that was really important for us was to appreciate our parents during the ceremony. We knew that no gift would be great enough to show how we truly feel, so we wanted to verbally thank them for their great love and influence on our lives. The entire room was in tears when Jonathan started off his appreciation by calling his mom, “Mommy…”. It was such a tender and real moment that showed the closeness of their relationship. Because my mom’s native tongue is Mandarin, I decided to muster up the courage to publicly speak to her in her native tongue, and as I looked into her eyes in that moment, I was just overwhelmed by the love and sacrifices she has shown me.

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

Growing up, I knew my bridal style wasn’t the “strapless, sweetheart, tulle” type. I saw beauty in sleek lines and modern details, and that is why I completely fell in love with BHLDN’s “Estelle” gown by Jenny Yoo. I wanted to feel as completely myself as I could, well, besides the eyelash extensions, and wearing the Estelle gown made me feel bright and effortless. I loved how elegantly the thin straps crossed in the back, the bell shaped skirt that allowed my body to move, and how gracefully my cape/veil draped as I walked down the aisle. The most special part of this dress is that my sister gifted this to me on my birthday! Reading her birthday card for me brought tears to my eyes, knowing that she wanted to dress me on such a special moment!

What were some touches added to make the wedding personal?

I love how weddings blend two people’s universes together. It was important for Jonathan and I to both feel that we were attending our own weddings, not one side more present than the other. I loved how during the planning process, Jonathan knew exactly which song he wanted to walk down the aisle to, and that was the theme song to one of his favorite video games, Legend of Zelda. The instrumental version was actually quite beautiful, and as Jonathan walked down with the biggest smile of his face, many of our guests smiled and rooted along because they knew exactly what was going on. Along with our music selection, I had the best time creating DIY elements to make our day feel more personal. One thing that I will forever treasure is my cape/veil that I made with tulle and some crystals. I love how it’s a unique take on the traditional veil and it totally made me feel like a goddess walking down the aisle.

What was the most memorable part of the day?

The ceremony was such a sweet moment for us. It was a time for us to express our love towards one another, our families, and to God. While planning, it felt like each part of the ceremony was just a check off list, but on the day of, the entire atmosphere was filled with so much joy and love, and that was so magical to experience. For our unity symbol, we decided to have communion together to start off our marriage with a clean beginning. It was such a powerful moment because as we stepped away from the guests and through the beautiful arch, we finally had a moment to ourselves to pray and hold each other. That was so special to experience because that marked the beginning to our new lives together!

Tell us how you met and became engaged.

Jonathan and I are blessed to have many mutual friends who helped form the start of our relationship. Most of our early times together were around our different church communities coming together to play sports or hangout at a friend’s house. After many laughs and some snapchat exchanges later, we decided to take the next steps to build a relationship together! During those times together, we would either find ourselves having picnics at parks, or Jonathan re-watching all the Marvel movies with me just because I didn’t grow up watching them. It was only natural that Jonathan chose a park that we would often visit after a trip to the theaters to propose at. Jonathan sang and played “You’ve Got a Friend In Me” on his ukulele, (which is something he does during every anniversary), got down on one knee, and made history for the both of us! We were able to celebrate with friends and family afterwards, and we are so thankful for that!

Jon + Alison from Memo Collective on Vimeo.

Photographer: Maritha Mae // Wedding Coordinator: Ah Love Events // Floral Design: Emblem Flowers // Videography: Memo Collective Films // Calligraphy: Taingled Lettering // Venue: Ebell Long Beach // Dress Designer: BHLDN // HMUA: Sharon Y. Park // Catering: Tres LA // Rentals: Stephanies Linens // Photobooth: Pixarity // DJ: Will Tseng

We like
our sponsors

We think you will too.

Real Weddings:

Ashley and Ian’s wedding at The Chicago Botanic Garden

featuring Kristin LaVoie Photography

Ashley’s dream was always to have a romantic garden wedding and the Chicago Botanic Garden provided her and Ian the perfect backdrop for their fairytale wedding come to life. The day was planned by Clementine Custom Events with florals by A Stem Above, stationery and paper goods by Magnificent Milestones and cake: Three Tarts Bakery while Kristin LaVoie Photography was on hand to capture all the magic in these dreamy photographs.

Click to expand for more

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

I found my wedding gown at Bella Bianca in Oak Brook, Illinois. Once I put the dress on, I knew it was different than the others. Once I walked out in the dress to show my family, my mom, my grandma and my sister (MOH) all started crying. In that moment, I knew it was special. But when I saw it had pockets, I knew it was the one! As silly as that sounds, I knew it matched my personality perfectly and how I wanted to feel on my wedding day. It was elegant yet fun. Not to mention practical as I knew I would tuck my personal vows to Ian in the pocket for the ceremony. It was an A line dress, a perfect combination for me of lace bodice, sparkle, and satin with a low, open back.

What were some touches added to make the wedding personal? 

Our goal was to make the whole wedding feel very personal. It started with Ian and I not wanting to see each other until I walked down the aisle. We knew it would be a feeling we would never forget. We were thrilled to have my grandmas be the flower girls and for them to be a part of our special day. We wrote our own heartfelt vows and planned several surprises for each other throughout the day. Ian surprised me with a personal letter and red roses that were delivered while my bridesmaids and I got ready.  I surprised Ian with a large framed quote which read -” If I had a flower for every time I thought of you, I could walk  through my garden forever”. I also surprised Ian with a coaster placed at his place setting that read “You are my happily ever after”. When it came time to cut the cake I looked down and realized Ian had arranged for the cake cutting knife set to be personalized and then placed at the cake table for me to find when it was time to cut the cake.

What made the wedding special and unique?

My dream was always to have a romantic and elegant garden wedding. The Chicago Botanic Garden provided the perfect backdrop for our fairytale wedding come to life. The whole day felt magical. It was everything I ever dreamed of and more.

The wedding ceremony in the Rose Garden followed by cocktail hour with the string quartet in the English Walled Garden. The reception was in the McGinley Pavilion. The weather was also glorious that day.

We wrote our own personal vows and kept them a secret. We were both so excited yet calm the whole day, knowing we couldn’t wait to marry each other.

Ian and I also did not want to see each other before the ceremony.

Both my grandmothers were my flower girls.

What was the most memorable part of the day? 

The most memorable part of the day was walking down the aisle with my dad and feeling his joy and pride – and then seeing Ian, my soon to be husband tearing up as I walked towards him. It was everything I ever pictured it to be and more!

Tell us how you met and became engaged. 

Ian and I met in Milwaukee, Wisconsin at Marquette University in 2013. We happened to walk past each other on Wisconsin Avenue, the main street on Marquette’s campus where we were both attending school. Neither of us said anything, but we shared a look and a moment that neither of us will forget. Weeks later, I look up and see the same man I saw on the street looking at me from across a cafe where I was studying. He came over and asked if he could sit down at my table, I said yes. We talked and got to know all about each other and how we grew up. For the next six months, we would meet in the same cafe at the same time without ever exchanging numbers. Once I agreed to give him my number, we arranged our first official first date, and have been together ever since.

Proposal story – After we graduated, Ian and I had a trip planned to go back up to Milwaukee and Chicago to visit my family in February 2018. We spent the first half of the trip in Milwaukee reminiscing about where we met and our old stomping grounds. The next day, we drove to Chicago to see my family. Once we arrived, Ian asked if I wanted to go take a walk. It was freezing out with snow on the ground, but I agreed! We walked to the park in the neighborhood I grew up in, and he took me to the spot where he first told me he loved me years ago. He got down on one knee in that exact spot and asked me to spend the rest of my life with him. Little did I know, also he hired a professional photographer to capture the moment, as well as including my parents who were hiding behind the bushes watching it all go down! I was beyond surprised and so thrilled to be able to share the moment with my parents as well, knowing how much it meant to them to feel included. The rest of the weekend, we celebrated our engagement and had the best time ever!

Photography: Kristin LaVoie Photography // Planner/Coordinator: Clementine Custom Events // Florals: A Stem Above // Stationery/Paper Goods: Magnificent Milestones // Venue: Chicago Botanic Garden // Dress Designer: Martina Liana // Boutique: Bella Bianca // Hair/Makeup: Kate Johnson Artistry // Cake: Three Tarts Bakery // Men’s Wear: Eleganza // Catering: Culinary Landscape // Linens: BBJ Linen // Rentals: Halls Rentals // String Quartet: Artistrings // DJ: Okyne Media Lab

 

Real Weddings:

Meghan and Dan’s Santa Barbara Wedding

featuring Rebecca Theresa Photography

Meghan and Dan chose to get married in Santa Barbara because it was the location of the first vacation they took as a couple. Santa Barbara Historical Museum provided the perfect backdrop for the floral-filled event designed and planned by Jane Alexandra Events. Velvet Blooms created colorful, floral bliss at—literally—every turn and the result is a cheerful, sunny celebration and it’s all captured on film in these stunning images by Rebecca Theresa Photography.

Click to expand for more

What made the wedding day special and unique?

We chose to get married in Santa Barbara because it was the first vacation we took as a couple, for 4th of July in 2013, and we had spent many wonderful weekends there since that first trip. Meghan also grew up going to Santa Barbara for vacations with family. Meghan and Dan put a lot of thought into their guests’ experience and ultimately chose Santa Barbara Historical Museum as their venue because of its location in downtown Santa Barbara and the option to have the ceremony and reception at the same site. They wanted the venue to have a classic Santa Barbara feel because nearly all of their guests were from out of town and they wanted to share the beauty of the city with them. Meghan and Dan also had their very talented friend Krista Doersch design all of the invitations and paper goods, so they were completely custom and turned out better than the couple could have ever imagined. Krista even learned how to water color just for Meghan and Dan!

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

Meghan’s gown was Wtoo by Watters from Lili Bridals in Tarzana. Meghan tried on dozens of gowns over several occasions — she knew what she wanted, she just couldn’t find it. Luckily Lili Bridals hosted a Watters trunk show and Meghan was able to see a wide variety of gowns from the brand. She knew she had found “the” gown because she couldn’t stop thinking about it when she tried on a few more gowns afterward, and because she kept thinking about it as “my dress” when she went home that night. The gown was beautifully altered by Sonya of Lili Bridals. Meghan is glad that she didn’t give up on finding her perfect wedding gown!

What were some touches added to make the wedding personal?

The couple wanted to honor Meghan’s mom and Dan’s dad, both of whom passed away. Meghan’s mom Mickey was an avid gardener and Meghan knew she wanted to honor her through the wedding flowers. Rachel Burch of Velvet Blooms created two planter boxes for the end of the aisle filled with flowers from Mickey’s garden and put a single iris, Mickey’s favorite flower, into the bridal bouquet. The couple chose to honor Dan’s dad Joe by having a Budweiser toast at the reception, Joe’s drink of choice. It was important to the couple that Mickey and Joe’s presence be felt on their wedding day and they were able to accomplish that with the help of their vendors.

What was the most memorable part of the day?

A bee got stuck in the bride’s gown right before the first dance. Luckily, Meghan had the world’s best bridesmaids, who along with their dates, helped get the bee out moments before the DJ cued the music. Meghan and Dan took dance lessons and practiced the dance over and over, but they just couldn’t have anticipated that happening!

Tell us how you met and became engaged.

Meghan was accepted into a summer program in Leuven, Belgium and the couple decided to travel in Europe together beforehand. They started their trip in London and spent their second afternoon in St. James Park. After a few hours, Meghan was ready to get going on the next activity, in part because she was so tired she fell asleep on a park bench! Meghan became grumpy when Dan insisted they spend just a little more time in the park and was especially cranky when Dan kept fiddling on his phone. She went to wait it out under a tree and a few minutes later, heard the sounds of a camera shutter as Dan walked over to join her. It turns out, Dan had been texting the professional photographer he had hired their exact location in order to capture the moment. Dan’s proposal was one of the happiest moments of Meghan’s life and encapsulates much of what makes Dan a great partner — his thoughtfulness, his generosity and of course, his patience!

Photography: Rebecca Theresa Photography // Planning and Design: Jane Alexandra Events // Florals: Velvet Blooms // Stationery & Signage: Krista Doersch (friend of the couple!) // Venue: Santa Barbara Historical Museum // Dress Designer: Wtoo by Watters // Dress Boutique: Lili Bridals // Beauty: Cheek to Cheek // Bridesmaid Dresses: Jenny Yoo // Catering: Pure Joy Catering // DJ: VOX DJs // Live Music Jazz Trio: Jake Sucher Music // Tux: Mens Wearhouse // Ice Cream Bar: McConnell’s Fine Ice Creams // Rentals: Ventura Rental Party & Events and Bella Vista Designs Inc.

 

Real Weddings:

Cara and James’s wedding at The Powel Crosley Estate

featuring Everence Photography

Glam undertones, pops of dusty blush and gorgeous light on the grounds of The Powel Crosley Estate are just a few details that make up Cara and James’s gorgeous Florida wedding day. Coordination was by Laura Snow with florals by Oneco and it’s all captured here by  Everence Photography.

Click to expand for more

What made the wedding special and unique?

What makes our wedding unique is that we focused less on some of the traditions and instead focused on everyone having a great time. We left out the bouquet and garter toss, didn’t stop the music to have everyone stop and watch the cake cutting (just family and a few of the wedding party were present), and kept the music upbeat and entertaining. Food and music were important to us so we chose that very carefully. We had been to so many weddings where the food was mediocre and the music was always the same so we wanted ours to be different. We also wanted it to be very romantic, elegant, and dreamy and I think we accomplished that!

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

I purchased my Lazaro gown at the White Magnolia (style 3814). I wanted something different and I had my eyes on this gown for a while! I tried on several dresses that I liked, but nothing that was giving me that spark. After trying on a few, I decided to just cut to the chase and try on the one I had been eyeing (even thought I was saving it for last!). From the moment I tried it on I just knew. The sparkle it gave and the way it flowed felt so magical. It was everything I wanted in a dress. It was perfect!

What were some touches added to make the wedding personal?

James and I wrote notes to each other and exchanged gifts the morning of. We then had our first look which I highly recommend! It made the day less stressful and allowed us to enjoy the day even more. It allowed us a few moments to enjoy by ourselves. Our dogs were also included which made our day even more memorable. We wrote each other our own vows in personalized vow books for our ceremony. It meant a lot to me that we did that for each other. It just made it that much more meaningful and special.

What was the most memorable part of the day?

Sharing our vows with each other during our ceremony and feeling the love that we share for one another. I think I sped walked down the aisle because I had dreamed of that moment for so long and was so excited. Hearing the speeches during dinner was entertaining and meant a lot to us as well. Having everyone celebrating our love was so appreciated. Our DJ was also amazing. I don’t think we stopped dancing! The weather was also perfect! I remember because the week before the forecast was rain and EVERYTHING was outdoors. I was stressed about it until a few days before the chance of rain went down to 0! It was warm, but not too warm, sunny and breezy. It was a dream come true.

Tell us how you met and became engaged.

James and I originally met working together in high school at Hollister. We were just friends back then. One year while I was in pharmacy school I came home for the summer. Mutual friends of ours threw a beach party for cinco de Mayo. We ran into each other and chatted for a bit. A couple weeks after I reached out to him and we started messaging back and forth. It took about 6 months to actually plan a date! But once we had that first date the rest was history. We dated for over 7 years before he proposed to me on New Year’s Eve during a picnic on the water at the University of Tampa. He told me earlier that day that he had a surprise for me later. When we got there he took out a new blanket and said look what I got! I asked if that was his surprise. He laughed and said yes. He then stood me up and proposed right there. That was the real surprise!

Photography: Everence Photography // Coordinator: Laura Snow // Florist: Oneco // Stationery: Minted // Venue: The Powel Crosley Estate // Videographer: Bonnie Newman // Hair & Makeup: Destiny and Light // Dress: Lazaro style 3814 // Bridal Boutique: The White Magnolia // Veil: Haute Bride (purchased from Malindy Elene) // Cake: Sugarpaste by Stephanie // Shoes: Badgley Mischka // Earrings: Sara Gabriel // Robes (for getting ready): LeRose // Bridesmaid dresses: Jasmine B2 (purchased at CC’s bridal boutique) // Tuxes: The Black Tux // Ties: The Tie Bar // James’ Shoes: Aldo // Bride’s rings: Mavilo // Catering: Milan Catering // DJ: Cory Barron // Lighting: Affairs in the Air // Ring Box: The Mrs. Box

 

Real Weddings:

Katie and Chris’s Positano Elopement

photography by Lace & Luce

Katie and Chris celebrated their nuptials with the most romantic, gorgeous, floral-filled elopement Positano and ever seen. Seriously, you guys- it’s SO gorgeous. Planned by The Wedding Boutique Italy, the day centered around the brides vision of “a beautifully intimate wedding, floral and pretty with delicate pastel shades.” Vendors implemented the vision (and more) with florals by The Wedding Boutique Bloom and stunning film images by Lace & Luce. We couldn’t help ourselves—here’s tons of stunning shots from the breathtaking day!

Click to expand for more

Photography: Lace & Luce // Planning: The Wedding Boutique Italy // Florals: The Wedding Boutique Bloom // Hair/Make-up: Alessandro Mancino // Wedding Dress: Monique Llhullier // Bride’s Shoes: Alexandre Birman // Videography:  Luigi De Gregorio // Ring Boxes: The Mrs. Box