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Real Weddings:

Maggie and Lars’ wedding at Sunset Cove Bed & Breakfast

featuring Jenna Nicole Photo

Maggie and Lars went against the grain and spent the morning of their wedding together at their bed and breakfast venue Sunset Cove, enjoying the lakefront views, enjoying pancakes and bacon and sharing letters penned for one another. It helped ease the nerves and kick off the lovely celebration filled with gorgeous bridal florals by Parsonage Events, elegant stationery by Carleigh Courey Design, and a beautiful white tent reception decked out in greenery-covered cafe lights. Jenna Nicole Photo was on hand to capture all the details and we know you’ll be totally inspired by her fine art photographs of Maggie and Lars’ big day.

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What made the wedding special and unique?

Part of what made our wedding day special and unique to us was spending the morning of our wedding together. Our wedding was held at a bed and breakfast, and as breakfast is one of our favorite meals to eat together we decided to spend the night there after our rehearsal dinner so we could enjoy that meal together on our wedding day. This made for a super relaxed morning filled with lots of pancakes, coffee, fresh fruit and bacon! We were able to spend those morning hours together sharing letters we wrote for each other, looking out at the lake, and enjoying mugs of coffee out on the porch. It definitely calmed our nerves to be able to spend that morning together and I wouldn’t have done it any other way!

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

I found my gown at Atlas Bridal in Toledo, Ohio. At the time, my mother-in-law was living in Shanghai (China) and it was really important to me to include her in finding my wedding dress. Since I knew we only had one day to really go dress shopping we headed to a bridal shop that was recommended to me by a friend who had recently gotten married. I had my mom, younger sister and mother-in-law with me and we all agreed that this dress looked like the perfect one for an outdoor August wedding.

What were some touches added to make the wedding personal?

We had so many personal touches on our wedding day thanks to our wonderful family members! One unique touch was that Lars wore mismatched cufflinks with his suit – one was my great grandfather’s and the other was his great grandfather’s. It was really special to have both family lines represented. We decided to skip spending money on a DJ and had my brother (a sound engineering student at University of Michigan) run our Spotify playlists for us with the help of a couple of friends when he had to walk down the aisle. My dad choreographed a fun dance for him and I to Bill Wither’s ‘Lovely Day’, and practicing dancing with him in our garage and at the hospital he works in are some of my favorite wedding-prep memories. In addition, both of our moms were total rock stars. My mother-in-law previously worked as a pastry chef downtown Ann Arbor and made all of our wonderful desserts for us. She’s so talented and did an entire dessert table for us (along with homemade marshmallows and graham crackers to have at the bonfire down by the lake!). I was floored with how everything turned out and everyone raved about the cake – seeing the dessert table for the first time when we went to go cut our cake was so special knowing how much time and love she put into it. My mom also put her heart into making our wedding day a dream come true. She is such a great organizer and helped plan our wedding while I spent our engagement year in Nashville for my grad school program. She was so great about emailing vendors and keeping track of all the details – she did such a wonderful job and really made our wedding day turn out perfect.

What was the most memorable part of the day?

The most memorable part of the day was reading our vows to each other. We decided to write our own and I’m so glad that we did. We hadn’t shared them before the ceremony and tears were shed in the ceremony! We also helped write our ceremony and our officiant did a great job of keeping the ceremony focused on the themes that are most meaningful to us and our relationship – having a base of true friendship, growing together, and always putting love and time into the marriage.

Tell us how you met and became engaged.

Lars and I took a trip to Europe together after graduating from undergrad. We were staying in Germany (Lars was born in Germany) and visiting his aunt and cousins. One of the days we decided to take a day trip to Luxembourg. We were walking around the gardens together and when I turned around he was on one knee! We had been dating for 7 years and had talked about marriage, so the proposal wasn’t a total surprise, but I still cried on the spot. One of the best parts was being able to spend those first 6 or so hours engaged as just the two of us, as we were waiting until it was a reasonable time in both the US and China to call each of our families with the news.

Photography: Jenna Nicole Photo // Flowers: Parsonage Events // Stationery: Carleigh Courey Design // Venue: Sunset Cove Bed & Breakfast // Dress: Atlas Bridal // Suit: Suit Supply // Engagement Ring: Brilliant Earth // Wedding Bands: Consider the Wldflwrs // Tent set up/lighting/wooden tables: Parsonage Events // Catering: Katherine’s Catering // Suit: Suit Supply

 

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Real Weddings:

Mia and Mike’s wedding at Beatnik Studios

featuring LUMI Photography

Mia and Mike’s wedding day at Beatnik Studios was a memorable one for planner Events by Rebecca. Especially the first dance of which they had this to say: “… It was unapologetically Mia + Mike: full of raw love, friendship, and belly laughs.” That joy was apparent in all the beautiful details of the day including florals by Bloomers Floral Design, a donut bar by Baker’s Donuts and a coordinating (and spectacular) donut-inspired cake. It’s all here, with the additional of some humongous and adorable grins, in these lovely images by  LUMI Photography.

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What made the wedding special and unique?

From the planner: Talk about genuinely being in the presence of true friendship on top of love. We used this for the inspiration behind all the details used to create the wedding of their dreams. Every decision made, every vendor hired, every color selected was one to reflect the design of their relationship into their wedding.

What were some touches added to make the wedding personal?

Our favorite element was that if you knew the couple, you’d know was added to make their day feel like it really was THEIR day. We added the mantle to the ceremony arch decor as a nod to Mia + Mike’s love for making the day feel  like “home” and feel real. It instantly made the vibe of the space elegant yes, but cozy. Which was the goal!

What was the most memorable part of the day?

Their first dance, I know I know, this sounds so cheesy and the typical answer. But as a wedding planner, we see these all the time. It’s rare that one truly stands out and theirs? Well. It was unapologetically Mia + Mike: full of raw love, friendship, and belly laughs. Not to mention it was complete with what we now call the “infamous butt grab”, Mike couldn’t help himself and the reaction from the crowd (including the Father of the Bride) was priceless. Such a real moment and forever one that makes its way to the front of our minds when thinking about their wedding day!

Tell us how you met and became engaged.

From the bride, Mia: When I first met Mike he somehow got me riding on the back of his motorcycle. Once I became a little less terrified I ask him if I could get a motorcycle jacket (I could at least look cool while I feared for my life). He said nope, you only get a jacket when things are serious. Fast forward 5 years later, he asked me if I wanted to go on a ride with a bunch of big time riders, I said yes, but I was going to look so stupid because I didn’t have a jacket. He told me to meet him out in the garage and he had a jacket waiting there for me. When I tried it on he told me to check the pockets, and he had the ring waiting. I then walked away crying before he could even finish asking the question – utterly speechless and 100% us.

 

 

Styling + Coordination: Events by Rebecca // Photography: LUMI Photography // Florals: Bloomers Floral Design // Ceremony + Reception Venue: Beatnik Studios // Getting Ready And Pre-Ceremony Photos: The Citizen Hotel // Wedding Gown: Pronovias // Hair and Makeup: Tina Truong // Cake: Marylou’s Sweets // Mr. and Mrs. Balloons: Kate Spade // Catering: Ludy’s Catering // DJ: Entourage Events SF // Donut Bar: Baker’s Donuts // Wedding Ring: Zales // Groom’s Attire: Benson & Co. // Rentals: Celebrations Party Rentals

 

Real Weddings:

Jessica and Justin’s Washington DC wedding

photography by Audra Wrisley

Jessica and Justin’s elegant DC wedding is filled with classic detail, historic architecture and a muted palette that works beautifully against the views of our capital city. The event took place at DAR Constitution Hall with an outdoor ceremony and a ballroom reception filled with florals by Wild Green Yonder. The couple decided to go against the grain with a pre-ceremony cocktail hour and jazz band to get the vibes going and it was so well received, they even extended it an extra half-hour! We love all the elegant details and it’s all captured beautifully on film by Audra Wrisley.

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

While visiting New York City for my birthday, I decided to book a few appointments to try on dresses with my mom, my future mother-in-law, and a few friends. I found the gown at the second place we went to, called Wedding Atelier. The gown was designed by Christos Yiannakou, who actually happened to be there! It was an off the shoulder long sleeve corded lace bridal gown.

What were some touches added to make the wedding personal? 

Calligraphy is one of my mom’s hobbies, so she was able to design the invitation, the menu, and the placecards. She also addressed all of the envelopes! My husband’s cousin makes artisanal lip balm, so we also included two varieties of her lip balm, with custom labels, as wedding favors for all of our guests.

What was the most memorable part of the day?

Well, I think the most memorable part for both of us was the first dance. We had worked with a choreographer and had been practicing the dance for months, but it was still pretty intense to have everyone watching. While I don’t think anyone would mistake us for professionals, we ended up hitting every step. The whole process of learning the choreography, practicing and then finally doing the dance together in front of all of our family and friends was really special. It was also a huge relief when it was over!

What made the wedding special and unique? 

One thing that was unique is that we had the cocktail hour before the ceremony. We wanted people to relax and not feel rushed. People were skeptical and it took a little extra coordination, but it ended up working out really well. We had a great jazz band led by local musician Mark Meadows and everyone really seemed to have a great time, so much so that we ended up extending it for another half-hour!

Tell us how you met and became engaged.

We met in college during our senior year at Syracuse University. The house we lived in had two apartments; my friends and I lived upstairs and Justin and his friends lived downstairs. We started hanging out and found out that we had a lot in common and had a lot of fun together, and our relationship evolved from there. We dated for seven years before getting engaged! We had talked about the engagement and picked out the ring together so the engagement wasn’t a big surprise, but we had a nice evening in and celebrated with a special bottle of champagne.

Photographer: Audra Wrisley // Coordination: Meg Pearson Events // Florals: Wild Green Yonder (Lori Tran) // Stationery Designer: Bride’s Mother // Getting Ready Venue: The Willard Intercontinental DC // Ceremony & Reception Venue: DAR Constitution Hall // Dress: Christos // Shoes: Lanvin // Hair & Make Up: Lori Nansi // Catering & Rentals: Occasions Caterers

 // DJ: DJ DMAC & Assoc // Film Lab: Richard Photo Lab

 

Real Weddings:

Alysa and Tyler’s wedding at Lowndes Grove Plantation

featuring Catherine Ann Photography

Alysa and Tyler celebrated their nuptials on a sunny day at Lowndes Grove Plantation. Planned by Pure Luxe Bride, the couple wed under a floral and wood arch designed by Petaloso with the gorgeous marsh as their backdrop, then dined under cafe lights and candles with their guests. Personal touches like the bride’s antique bracelet belonging to her great-grandmother and  the restored WWII getaway Jeep from the groom’s father make the event extra special and you can check out all the lovely details in these images by Catherine Ann Photography.
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What were some touches to make the wedding unique and personal?
From Catherine Ann: Alysa always wears a bracelet that belonged to her great-great-grandmother. It’s engraved with her great-great-grandmother’s name and the year 1870! I was so excited to photograph this bracelet that is such a huge part of her family history.

Their getaway car, a WWII era army Jeep, was also a very special piece of family history. Tyler grew up in Papua New Guinea which is where Tyler’s dad salvaged the jeep from the jungle. He restored it when Tyler was a kid so we got to recreate a photo with Tyler, his brother, and his dad based on a photo they took when Tyler was younger!

Tell us how you met and became engaged!
Alysa & Tyler met when they both worked at a corporate real estate office in downtown Charlotte NC. On Alysa’s first day on the job, they hadn’t set up a desk or space for her yet so they had her sit at Tyler’s as he was in California on vacation. She sat there for a whole week, wondering who this guy was with his mini Master’s putter and Ghandi quote. After the week, the finally met in person and she thought he was really cute!
They were in Charleston for Alysa’s birthday weekend. They’d gone out on her actual birthday so she figured the night after would be laid back. Midday Tyler told her they had dinner reservations downtown. When she was starting to get ready, he asked her to go on a golf cart ride to some of their favorite spots in Mt. Pleasant. When Tyler took Alysa to the last stop, he got down on one knee. He had a photographer hiding who captured it and the moments after. Afterwards, he had a car pick them up and take them downtown where both of their families were waiting as an added surprise.
 

Photographer:  Catherine Ann Photography // Event Planner: Pure Luxe Bride // Floral Designer: Petaloso // Reception Venue: Lowndes Grove Plantation // Dress Designer: Watters & Watters // Bridal Boutique J Majors in Charlotte NC // Makeup Artist: Canary Rock Salon // DJ: Darby Events // Musicians: Palmetto Strings // Caterer: Patrick Properties Hospitality Group // Cinema and Video: Siegel Films // Equipment Rentals: Snyder Events

 

Real Weddings:

Katie and Alex’s Minneapolis Wedding

featuring Kokal Photography

Katie and Alex were married on a crisp, sunny November day in Minneapolis. The traditional ceremony was followed by a warehouse reception at Solar Arts designed by Blush & Whim and filled with the couple’s vision of “endless greens, rustic wood, vintage charm, the glow of Edison bulbs; oh and donuts for days.” We love the moodiness of the palette—sage green, dusty teal, mauve and burgundy—in the florals by the always-amazing Munster Rose and stationery by Paper Rock Scissors. Check out all the details in these STUNNING images from Kokal Photography.

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What made the wedding special and unique?

Our wedding came together like a dream come true!  With one of the last nice sunny, warm days in November, it was perfect. November is a special month for us, with both our birthdays, my grandmother’s birthday on our wedding day as well as Veteran’s Day, and with so many amazing vets in our lives. But ultimately our vision of endless greens, rustic wood and vintage charm as well as the glow of Edison bulbs; oh and donuts for days, it was truly classic and magical.

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

I absolutely loved my gown (as I’m sure most brides would say about their dress) designed by Enzoani. It was mermaid style, made of soft tulle, was so incredibly comfortable, and absolutely not what I thought I was looking for but ended up being perfect for me in every way. I added a crystal sash to it for some glitz.

What were some touches added to make the wedding personal?

We had a custom welcome sign made from Paper and Pine Co. Shasta Bell created our custom guest wood board for our guests to sign; her calligraphy is perfection. Also, my parents made the birch wood table number holders that sat on all the tables. All details coming together, organized by my wedding planning Jennae and venue coordinator Jenna, made the day perfect!

What was the most memorable part of the day?

Our ceremony! It was a traditional Catholic ceremony at St. Charles Borromeo and seeing my groom at the end of the isle waiting for me, melted my heart. We are truly a perfect match and we were both so happy to finally call each other husband and wife. Also, having all our friends and family their to share in our ceremony and reception, we couldn’t have asked for a better day.

Tell us how you met and became engaged.

We rode the same school bus when we were little, but didn’t know it. My grandparents and Alex’s parents played cards often when we were young, and we attended the same elementary, middle, and high schools. We also have very close mutual friends, who now say it was meant to be at some point. But it wasn’t until a chance encounter many years later, well after our college years, that our paths finally crossed for keeps! We met, dated briefly and knew it was for life. We got engaged at Insight Brewery; Alex surprised Katie on a Monday evening in December, surrounded by family and friends.

Photography: Kokal Photography // Wedding Planner: Blush & Whim // Florals: Munster Rose // Invitations: Paper Rock Scissors // Ceremony: Church of St. Charles Borromeo, St. Anthony MN // Reception: Solar Arts // Calligrapher: Shasta Bell // Bride’s Dress: Enzoani (the Ivan dress) from Posh Bridal Couture // Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Jenny Yoo from Bella Bridesmaids // Hair/Makeup Hair by Theresa // Grooms/Groomsmen’s Attire: Michael Kors from The Foursome // Ring Display: The Mrs. Box // Rings: R.F. Moeller // Linens: Linen Effects // 700+ Donuts: Sarah Jane’s Bakery // Birch Table Number Holders: Bride’s Parents // Welcome Sign: Paper and Pine Co. // Catering: Chow Girls Catering // Edison Bulbs: Phos Events // Vintage Rentals:  On Solid Ground // Band: The Sevilles // Photo Booth: Selfie and Co.