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Real Weddings:

Margo and Jonathan’s Wedding at Brodie Homestead

by ​Sarah Doliver Weddings

Margo and Jonathan were incredibly fortunate to be able to hold their wedding at their family-owned property in Austin, TX. Brodie Homestead, an elegant and rustic estate, allowed the couple to welcome people into an intimate setting that truly was, and felt like, home. Some of the personal touches included favors of gold dusted chocolate truffles shaped like a cameo pin that was inspired by an antique cameo pin belonging to the bride’s grandmother. They also included family members into the ceremony; from Margo: “I’ll never forget hearing my cousin Laura sing during our ceremony. Also my dad’s father of the bride toast at the beginning of the reception, which lasted 20 minutes and ended in a standing ovation from all the guests!” Sarah Doliver Weddings‘ stunning photos of the ceremony, venue, and gorgeous florals by Gypsy Floral + Events will surely be a treasured reminder for the bride and groom of this beautiful wedding. And let’s not forget to mention the gold accents throughout; simple gold and white elegance of the stationery by Paper Place, and the decadently adorned cake by Word of Mouth Bakery. We’re so grateful Margo and Jonathan shared their day with us.

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From the bride and bride’s sister:

What made the wedding special and unique?

Margo and Jonathan’s wedding was a labor of love. Being able to host their ceremony and reception at our family-owned property was certainly a highlight, and inspired the underlying theme of the day, which was to make all of the guests feel like they were being welcomed into our home to take part in something very special. We tried to include as many meaningful touches as possible throughout the day, and I really think guests left the party feeling like they had attended something special.

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

My mother and I flew to New York from Austin for a weekend of wedding dress shopping with the bride. After our first 3 bridal shop appointments, we hadn’t found a thing we liked! The moment we walked into Wedding Salon of Manhasset for our fourth (and final) appointment, I think we all knew we would find Margo’s dress there! She tried on several stunners, but none compared to the Carolina Herrera she ended up choosing. She was looking for a mermaid silhouette and absolutely loved the idea of exposed boning on the bodice, so this dress hit all her marks! Not to mention, it looked amazing on her. Luckily, they were having a Carolina Herrera trunk show that weekend, so we were able to see this dress, and others, from their Spring 2016 collection!

What were some touches added to make the wedding personal?

We tried to bring in as many personal touches as possible throughout the day. Since we had a pretty solid vision for the design elements and overall flow of the day from the start of planning, we used a good portion of our planning and brainstorming time to come up with unique and thoughtful ideas for the day. Guests staying at hotels received welcome boxes in their rooms with some unique items. They each had a few bottles of Topo Chico (an Austin staple) with gold bottle openers, cookies shaped like Texas and New York, the bride and groom’s home states, and a few other items. My favorite was a gold dusted chocolate truffle shaped like an antique cameo pin. This probably went over the heads of most guests, but the cameo was inspired by an antique cameo pin belonging to the bride’s grandmother. Margo had the pin affixed to her bouquet for the wedding. Guests were greeted at the entrance with a sign in table covered in a dense candlescape and flowing greenery covering a large iron scales of justice statue, a nod at the couples professions – they are both attorneys – as well as the balancing act of marriage. My favorite DIY element was the table numbers, which were custom made for the wedding using slices of white marble and stands made out of wood from the original barn structure. We also used wooden planks from the original barn structure to suspend greenery and candles over the aisle and the head table during the reception.

What was the most memorable part of the day?

There were so many memorable moments! The dance party was pretty epic. I’ll never forget hearing my cousin Laura sing during our ceremony, though. She arranged a version of the Bee Gees’ “To Love Somebody” that was absolutely stunning. Also my dad’s father of the bride toast at the beginning of the reception, which lasted 20 minutes and ended in a standing ovation from all the guests!

Tell us how you met and became engaged.

Margo and Jonathan were introduced by a mutual friend when they were in law school. Four years later, Jon proposed to Margo in their apartment in New York, surrounded by a sea of candles, and then took her to dinner at her favorite restaurant in Manhattan, where they had their first date!

Margo & Jonathan from The Bird & The Bear on Vimeo.

Photographer: Sarah Doliver Weddings  // Coordination: Pearl Events Austin  // Floral: Gypsy Floral + Events  // Paper Goods: Paper Place // Venue: Brodie Homestead // Vintage Lounge Rentals: Loot Vintage Rentals // Catering: Word of Mouth Catering // Videographer: The Bird and The Bear Videography // Cake + Desserts: Word of Mouth Bakery // Linen Rentals: La Tavola  // Lighting: Intelligent Lighting Design // DJ: Greenbelt DJ // Ceremony Quartet: Terra Vista Strings // China/Glassware Rentals: Marquee Rents // Shuttle Service: Uptown Valet & Transportation // Ring Box: The Mrs. Box

 

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Real Weddings:

Alex and Sarkis’ Casually Elegant Brunch Wedding

featuring Two Roads Events & Bright Bird Photography

Alex and Sarkis wanted a relaxed, casual, but elegant backyard feel to their wedding. What better way to accomplish that than with a brunch, complete with all the comfort food? Coordinator and Stylist Hailey Yeager with Two Roads Event Co.  orchestrated a perfect brunch setting in the beautifully rustic Millwick – Marvimon. Megan Gray with Honey and Poppies carried the rustic feel of the venue with the gorgeous and deeply colorful florals. And how genius to have a bar for the guests to create something at the end of the day so the flowers wouldn’t go to waste? We think you’re going to love all the images captured by Alexa Miller of Bright Bird Photography.

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What made the wedding special and unique?

We wanted our wedding to be really fun, comfortable, casually elegant and relaxed – as if you were opening up the doors to your backyard, if your backyard was a lush secret oasis, and feasting on the most delicious food and drink, while bumping the perfect playlist. With that in mind we ended up having a Sunday brunch wedding, because who doesn’t love brunch?! We had chicken and waffles, mini egg mc-muffin-style sliders, and avocado toast to name a few that was all washed down with champagne cocktails and a build your own Bloody Mary bar. Keeping with the brunch theme we had donut holes and mini pop-tarts along with cake for dessert. I also didn’t want our flowers to go to waste at the end of the day, so our venue coordinator, month of coordinator, and I came up with the idea of having a flower bar. At the end of the wedding our guests could make their own bouquets out of the arrangements and take them home to enjoy. It ended up being a big hit!

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

My gown was the Rue de Seine Florence gown that I found at Lovely Bride in TriBeCa. I had gone around to a few different dress shops with my mom, aunt, Matron of Honor and a friend and ended up with a handful of dresses that I liked but wasn’t quite sure was the one. I decided to go back and retry on the favorites by myself. When I was back at Lovely, I did a quick look through the racks and spotted Florence which wasn’t in the shop on my first visit. They had just had a Rue de Seine trunk show and had some new dresses in stock. Florence ended up being a top contender and it came down to her and one other dress which had a very different vibe. I knew it was important to my mom to be there for this moment so I made a follow up appointment, which also gave me some time to debate my two options. What a problem to have two gorgeous but totally different dresses to chose from! Ultimately Florence was the dress I kept coming back to in my mind when I envisioned myself on my wedding day. I just felt very much like myself in the dress. I also studied abroad in Florence, Italy (which is where I met my Matron of Honor) and I took the dress being named Florence as a bit of a sign that she was the one for me.

What were some touches added to make the wedding personal?

It was important to us that our wedding was a reflection of us and therefore we wanted to include some personal touches throughout the day. Our dear friend Rachel officiated our wedding which felt extremely fitting as we met through her. Sarkis’ dad built our chuppah and his late grandmother had made the beautiful table cloth which we used as the covering. The chuppah symbolizes a home and it was so meaningful that Sarkis’ dad built our new home for us. I used my grandmother’s ring to be married in which was also used by my great aunt and my cousin, all women who had/have long loving marriages. As my something old and blue I wore my mom’s engagement ring which is a Tiffany’s band of diamonds and sapphires. It felt very special to have all these touches of family with us on our wedding day as we came together to create a new family.

What was the most memorable part of the day?

My goodness it’s so hard to choose just one. It was such a beautiful and magical blur, truly the best day. One moment that stands out is actually after the wedding ended. We were back at The Line Hotel hanging out when some friends had Dominos pizza delivered. We all feasted in a little corner of the hotel patio wrapped in Mexican blankets, as it had gotten chilly. It felt like the perfect way to close out the best day; eating generic/let’s be honest tasty pizza, with people from all aspects of our lives that we love, because no one was ready for the day to end.

Tell us how you met and became engaged.

As I had mentioned earlier Sarkis and I met through our mutual friend Rachel. We had seen each other through the years at various gatherings Rachel had hosted (although Sarkis claims he doesn’t remember me) but we finally had a conversation at Rachel’s birthday in December of 2010. After that night we became Facebook friends and exchanged phone numbers, but what really got us to hang out was a friendly nudge from OkCupid. We were “quick matched” with each other and I texted Sarkis, because I thought it was funny since we already knew each other. It was the only OKCupid date either of us had ever been on and needless to say our last.

We got engaged on March 21, 2015 in Paris. I had no clue that it was going to happen, although in retrospect there were some clues that I was totally oblivious to. We had just finished a delicious meal of steak frites when Sarkis suggested we walk back to our Airbnb. I kept asking Sarkis if he was sure he knew where we were going because I felt like we were going in circles; he said he did. As we continued our stroll being silly and making up songs we entered the Marais, our favorite neighborhood in Paris and the one where we were staying, when Sarkis pulled me into a little courtyard. I was about to exit when he told me to take a seat. I said ok, but that I really had to use the bathroom, all that wine at dinner (clearly I still had no clue), and then he got down on one knee. We then went back to our Airbnb and drank champagne and called our families. Sarkis chose March 21 to propose because the numbers break down to, 3-2-1 here we go!

Alex + Sarkis from Daniella Hovsepian on Vimeo.

Wedding Coordinator + Stylist: Two Roads Event Co., Hailey Yeager // Bride + Planner: Alex Leitner // Photographer: Alexa Miller of Bright Bird Photography // Videographer: Daniella Hovsepian Wedding Videography // Venue: Millwick – Marvimon // Florist: Honey and Poppies, Megan Gray // Catering: Schaffer’s Genuine Foods // Alcohol: Liquid Catering // DJ: Dart DJ // Dessert: Portos / Semi Sweet Bakery

 // Hairstylist + Makeup Artist: Nicole Chew // Rentals / Decor: La Pinata // Rentals: Classic Party Rentals // Transportation: Jeffrey Valet

 

Real Weddings:

Lisa and Shane’s wedding at The Magnolia

Photography by Anna Lee Media

Lisa and Shane celebrated their nuptials at Oklahoma City’s The Magnolia turning the industrial warehouse venue into a beautiful wedding terrarium of greenery, jewel tones, metallics and twinkling lights. We’re loving the couples rich palette for fall, especially the stunning florals by Emerson Events. All the stunning details by planner Aisle Be With You definitely showcase why the bride Lisa strongly recommends opting for a wedding planner. Everything is so beautiful and it’s all captured in these gorgeous photographs by Anna Lee Media.

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What did you envision your wedding being prior to planning?

Prior to planning my day was to have delicious food, good beats, and be surrounded by friends and family.  I would say it was success! We had our favorite food vendors cater, the best band, and all of closest loved ones there.

What was your color palette and your style vision?

My vison of the flowers and décor at my wedding were Jewel tones with gold and grey accents. The style I envisioned for my wedding was elegant, modern, and romantic.

What unique elements or DIY details did you include?

Our altar was outlined with large gold medal lanterns atop of clear acrylic boxes adorned with air plants and florals.  The backdrop was greenery hung from the ceiling and we purchased a jewel tones rug to tie it all together.  The rug is now in our home and has a special memory for us tied to our wedding day. My flowers were jewel-toned, big blooms with hints of greenery and air plants.

Another DIY detail that is one of my favorites was our hand cut menu cards.  Each guest had one placed on their napkin.  I hand cut the shape myself from my design I had printed from a local printer.

What was your favorite crafted detail?

My favorite crafted detail was our welcome sign.  I had a friend hand letter our welcome onto a gold mirror.

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

Hire a wedding planner.  I’m very detail oriented and she helped bring my vision to life.  My wedding planner was worth her weight in gold.  She also made it so that I could truly enjoy every minute of my wedding day spent with my family and friends.

Describe the Day!

The day began with me getting ready at a hotel suite located in downtown Oklahoma City just blocks away from my wedding venue.  I opted for no bridal party but instead had girlfriends come and get ready with me in the morning.  We listened to tunes, sipped on mimosas, and had got ready together.   I hired a brilliant makeup artist who is also a friend of mine to come make my look complete for the day.  I felt the most beautiful I have ever felt when I saw myself and in the mirror with my dress on.

My groom and I then shared a first look together. I’m so happy I decided to do this.  It was a moment just for us that I will cherish always.    We then made our way to our wedding venue.  We got to have the whole place to ourselves to take in all the details before our family started to arrive for pictures.

Shortly before our guests arrived my groom and our families gathered in a back room.  One of my favorite moments was getting to sit and watch the guests arrive through a window that overlooked the entry to the building. Guests were greeted by a welcome sign that I designed and had printed at a local printer.  Along with an “unplugged” wedding sign.  We wanted our guests to be fully in the moment and enjoy this time with us minus the cellphones and cameras.

Then the ceremony started.  Two of our nieces carried hand lettered signs down the aisle.  Then I proceeded and greeted my groom at the altar.  We were married by a family friend, honorable Philippa James.  After exchanging our vows, we said I do and danced down to the aisle to our favorite Neil Diamond song “Cherry Cherry.”

The ceremony was followed by a cocktail hour with specialty champagne cocktails and hors d’oeuvres.  We hired our favorite live band to play music while guest sipped cocktails and found their seats.   The bar was decorated with air plants and a DIY sign that said “Eat Drink & May The Force Be with you.” We are both big Star Wars fans and wanted subtle hint at our favorite movies.

Shortly after the cocktail hour My husband and I had our first dance and got the party started! We danced to “Song for Zula” by Phosphorescent (Which our videographer included in our wedding video)!

As the band continued to play cover songs and hits us along with our guests enjoyed dinner catered by one of our favorite restaurants in town.  Shane’s favorite was one of the main courses – the meatloaf.  The recipe was the chef’s grandmothers handed down to her.

After enjoying our first meal as husband and wife we cut our petite Italian Cream cake and toasted each other.  I’m a cookie lover so naturally there were a lot of cookies on our dessert table! My favorite is the coconut corn flake cookies.

Then the real party started! The band played while friends and family got their groove on the dance floor.  We topped the night off with a last song “Coming Home” by Leon Bridges.  Once the event ended my husband looked at me and said “That is the most fun I have ever had.” To me that meant the night was a success. I could not have asked for a more perfect day!

Shane + Lisa from Dewberry Cinema on Vimeo.

Photo: Anna Lee Media // Planner: Aisle Be With You // Florals: Emerson Events // Getting Ready Venue: The Colcord // Venue: The Magnolia // Video: Dewberry Cinema // Cake: Stacie’s Cake // MUA: Hayley DeVilbiss // Hair: Blo. // Gown Retailer: RL Bridal // Lighting + Rentals: Marianne’s Rentals // Catering + Bar + Deserts: Cafe 501

 

Real Weddings:

Susan and Sunny’s wedding at Foxhall Resort

featuring Eliza Morrill Photography

Susan and Sunny’s wedding at Foxhall Resort was a day filled with Autumn scenery and a true celebration of love and family. Grey Collective photographer Eliza Morrill had this to say about the down-to-earth couple’s vows: “…exchanged overlooking the fields as the sun set, surrounded by friends and family, Sunny said to Susan the two words he most often hears her say: “thank you”—thank you for agreeing to be his wife and making him a better man. Susan spoke of how Sunny is the true reflection of his name—“Sunny like the weather,” and I don’t believe that there was a dry eye on that mountain.” Perfection, right? Lovely planning and coordination by Samantha Warren, colorful florals by Estorie Floral and a rustic cake display by Cecilia’s Cakes make this fall affair truly inspiring.

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What made the wedding special and unique? 

The ceremony was our biggest focus of the whole day. My dream for our wedding was that our friends and family would feel seen, and known, and loved. We know this is God’s intent for every person, and that’s why marriage is the perfect picture of how He feels about us. My sincere hope is that people left the wedding feeling celebrated and so loved – because we sure love them.

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

My mom, Matron of Honor, and I went to The Sentimentalist in Atlanta, and I could not be happier that we did! It was actually the only store we went to. Their team is incredibly helpful and made the whole process so enjoyable and personal. They really figured out my style and what I was looking for, even before I did. I loved the very first dress that I tried on, and I kept comparing every other dress to that one. At the end of our session, I just knew the first one (by Rebecca Schoneveld) was “the one”, and we placed the order then and there.

What were some touches added to make the wedding personal? 

In addition to photography (shout out to the amazing Eliza!), there were two elements to the day that were most important to me: food and music. I wanted the food to be delicious and personal – like you’re sharing a table and great meal at someone’s home. Shauna Niequist, anyone? We wanted options that were healthy and delicious, and lots of them! Sun in My Belly did a phenomenal job executing this vision. We also ordered about 9 differently flavored satellite cakes from Cecilia’s so that people had tons of options. And s’mores. No one was going home hungry!

As for music, this started with the ceremony. My dear friend coordinated musicians, sound, etc., and it was the best and most personal wedding gift that anyone could ever give to us.

What was the most memorable part of the day? 

From the bride: Sunny and I wrote our own vows, and I’ve never felt so honored or loved. I’ll never forget the commitment we made to one another in those sweet moments. Not long after our vows, we had the opportunity to take communion and pray together, overlooking the beautiful landscape at Foxhall. The beauty of God’s creation is one of those gifts in life that always hits me hard – really hard. I was overwhelmed as we stood together, and it’s like I was experiencing love in a brand new way. Just like the fields we were overlooking – it was so expansive.

I can’t believe I get to walk alongside Sunny for the rest of our lives. When it comes to a life-long partner-in-crime, I hit the jackpot.

Tell us how you met and became engaged.

We’ve actually worked together for the past four years – in the same department, but different teams! About three and a half years ago I actually set Sunny up on a blind date with a friend of a friend, because I thought very highly of him. Fast forward, and Sunny and I grabbed dinner with a mutual friend that he knew in college, and I’d known in elementary school. We had a great time! Sunny and I had ridden together from our office, and ended up chatting for a long time in the parking deck when we returned. We agreed to hang out a couple of days later, but just didn’t invite our mutual friend. It didn’t take long to realize how much we both enjoyed being together. Selfishly, I’m so thankful that blind date years before didn’t go too far!

We love to hike together, so it was only fitting that Sunny proposed on a hike. The moments leading up to the proposal were hilarious, which is fitting for us, and made the thing a huge surprise. I asked him if he wanted to sit down, and he told me he’d rather kneel. I thought he was kidding, but then he did. Cue my water works!

Photography: Eliza Morrill Photography www.elizamorrill.com // Planning + Coordination: Samantha Warren | Forever and Then Some // Floral Design: Estorie Floral // Venue: Foxhall Resort, Legacy Lookout // Bride’s Dress: The Sentimentalist // Bridesmaid Dresses: J. Crew // Groomsmen Attire: Men’s Wearhouse //  Caterer: Sun in My Belly  // Cakes: Cecilia’s Cakes
// Hair + Makeup: Hope Ferguson // Band: Love, Peace & Happiness Band // Second Shooter: Maggie Armstrong

 

Real Weddings:

Hannah and Sam’s wedding at Sea Cider

photos by Kelly Brown

Hannah and Sam’s vision for their wedding day was clear—”dinner in a vineyard with all of their friends and family in the summer.” And, that’s exactly what they had but with the gorg-factor amped up quite a bit. Sea Cider orchard added a beautiful backdrop to a day filled with stunning late-summer florals by Verbena Floral Design. Dusty lavender-hued roses , blush dinner plate dahlias and deep eggplant foliage fill the bouquets, ceremony arrangements and vintage-inspired low-centerpieces that take centerstage in the family-style reception in the orchard. Photographer Kelly Brown, was on had to capture the lovely Canadian couple and all the moments of their sun-streaked big day.

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What made the wedding special and unique?

We had a pretty clear vision of what we wanted for our wedding – dinner in a vineyard with all of our friends and family in the summer. We found the perfect venue not too far out from the city and so many people that meant a lot to us were able to make it out. Our favorite moment was sitting in the vineyard listening to Van Morrison with a cocktail laughing with our friends and family.

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

I was really lucky with my dress! I planned a shopping day in Victoria with my girlfriends, my mom, my birth mom who visited from out of town and my mother in law. At the second store, White Peony, on our day I found the dress of my dreams – it was pretty memorable because I tried it on once and decided I’d try it on again without telling anyone. Everyone (including myself!) was surprised that the “one with the feathers” was the one! I loved it though and hope to turn it into a cocktail dress one day!

What were some touches added to make the wedding personal?

We had pictures from our childhood and our families in frames all around the cider house that meant a lot to us. As well, we had every guest at the wedding sign a big parchment that had a commitment to our marriage and our community. My husband wore his late grandfather’s watch and our rings were in my late grandparents’ silver wedding box from their wedding.

What was the most memorable part of the day?

Probably dancing – my husband and I love to dance and we had so much fun with our friends and family. I am adopted and one of our favorite moments was watching birth family, adoptive family and my husband’s family all out on the dance floor together!

Tell us how you met and became engaged.

We had been dating for two years or so, and on our anniversary we always go down to Willows Beach in Victoria for a picnic. Sam had a box with a rock in it and a little poem he had typed on our typewriter. It spoke about how penguins place a rock on their partners feet to promise their commitment. I definitely looked confused at the rock in the box! Then Sam pulled out a ring box and we both cried/laughed and celebrated on the beach. The beach is really close to our house now and we love to go back to walk our dog and remember that special moment.

// Photographer: Kelly Brown // Florals + Design: Verbena Floral Design // Stationery: Beebeebisous // Venue: Sea Cider // Dress: The White Peony // Food: The London Chef // Rentals: White Event Studio // Furniture Rentals: Bash Specialty // Hair + Makeup: Heartwood and Co. // Suit: J Crew // Officiant: Amanda Tarling