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Real Weddings:

Iris and Michael’s wedding at Gamble Gardens

featuring Lynette Boyle Photography

Iris and Michael’s stunning spring soiree at Gamble Gardens was designed by none-other than Kaella Lynn Events. A perfectly romantic garden party, the event was filled with (even more) elegant, gathered florals by Lauras Floras in a rainbow of dusty pastels.Brown Fox Calligraphy introduced the event with a timeless stationery suite and Studio Cake punctuated the day with a silk-ribbon wrapped cake accented with twigs of lavender. We love the sunlight-streaked joy of the day and it’s all captured beautifully by Lynette Boyle Photography.

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What made the wedding special and unique? 

First of all, the setting at Gable Garden was amazing. It was May and the garden was in full bloom. There was serenity and peace to the whole place and the extra flowers for the wedding made the scene luscious. The most unique feature though, was that the ceremony itself was arranged in a circle. When we stood there in the center, and said ‘I do’ we could feel the love and energy from everyone around us in every direction.

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

I found the dress at the first place I went. I went alone, and was just starting to look; they brought out 5 dresses and one of them was perfect.  I left the store without buying it and called Michael and sent him a picture. The dress showed my full back, and I was worried it might be too revealing for him. But he said okay, and I made a u-turn and went back and bought that dress right then and there.

What were some touches added to make the wedding personal?

Michael’s father was the Officiant, and his mother read a beautiful poem. Also – we created (with Kaella’s guidance) lots of little outdoor lounging areas, where people sat and talked. Every time we looked around, people were smiling and having a great time. And one more also – we had this wonderful family-style long table for dinner, with the perfect place settings, under a tree on the garden patio. It felt magical.

What was the most memorable part of the day? 

After we said our vows, we walked out of the center of the circle, with our kids behind us. We all gathered as a new family and spontaneously hugged as a group, and one of the kids said ‘We did it!’ and we all cried.

Tell us how you met and became engaged.

We met online. We lived 2 miles apart and it took the computer months to match us. Our first date was at Pete’s and it was okay but neither of us really felt much. Then we went to dinner for our second date, and sparks flew right away. Iris made Michael laugh a lot, which was a requirement and Michael saw Iris cry which was his requirement.

We got engaged after talking about it at length, and making sure our kids could get along. We went ring shopping together but Michael handled the details of getting it made.  We went away for a weekend in Napa and Michael surprised Iris (a little) with flowers in the room, and ring in hand.

Photography: Lynette Boyle Photography // Planning + Design: Kaella Lynn Events // Floral Design: Lauras Floras // Paper: Brown Fox Calligraphy // Venue: Gamble Gardens // Bridal Gown Designer: Michaela Bridal // HMU: Skyla Arts Beauty // Cake: Studio Cake // Table top rentals: Frances Lane // Lounge furniture: Found Vintage Rentals // Catering: Parsley Sage Rosemary & Thyme // Linens: La Tavola Fine Linen // Lighting: Impact Lighting // Music Trio: Rob Reich // Film Processing: Richard Photo Lab

 

 

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Real Weddings:

Jessica and Lucas’s wedding at Trentadue Winery

featuring Catie Coyle Photography

Jessica and Lucas celebrated their nuptials with a destination wedding in Sonoma. The day at Trentadue Winery was planned by Milestone Events Group and featured a scenic outdoor ceremony, cocktail hour and garden receptions all on different sections of the property. Vanda Floral Design created airy white florals with hints of light peach and dusty pink. Relaxed wine country vibes set the tone and sunshine was abundant and you can see it all in these images by Catie Coyle Photography.

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What made the wedding special and unique? 

I always knew I wanted to get married in wine country. I love the idea of a destination wedding. All of your closest family and friends spending a weekend together in a beautiful part of the country always excited me. It only took one trip out to California for Lucas to be fully on board. Several of our friends had been to destination beach weddings but very few had ever been to one out in Sonoma. When looking for venues we wanted to make sure we could find a place where we could have the ceremony and reception outside. Trentadue offered that. We were able to have the ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception on different parts of the property. Our guests got to enjoy different views throughout the night.

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

BHLDN was my first choice for a wedding dress! As soon as I got engaged, I started looking online. I knew right away when I saw my dress that I loved it. I just needed to try it on to make sure! I went to BHLDN with my mom and bridesmaids. As soon as I tried it on, I knew! It was simple and elegant. Exactly what I wanted.

What were some touches added to make the wedding personal? 

We wanted the wedding to be intimate so we only had about 85 people attend. One of our best friends officiated the wedding so he was able to add so many personal touches.

We also realized how much effort it took for people to join us on our day. We wanted to be sure to thank them so we had thank you notes on everyone’s place setting that we personally signed. We got to pick which wines we wanted from the winery so my mom, sister, and I got to fly out for some wine tasting prior to the wedding.

What was the most memorable part of the day? 

The ceremony! I thought I was going to be so nervous standing in front of so many people expressing my emotions but I was so calm and comfortable. Writing our own vows and having our best friend officiate it made it so incredibly special. It was so picturesque and personal. The vines and mountains in the background made it feel magical. When I look back at the pictures from the ceremony I feel like I am looking at something out of a magazine!

Tell us how you met and became engaged.

Lucas met my brother-in-law through work. After spending time with my sister and brother-in-law in Mexico on a work trip, my sister and Lucas got to talking about her “single sister.” After a work move brought Lucas from St. Louis to Champaign, IL he decided to make a trip up to Chicago to meet me. The four of us went out to dinner and the rest is history! After dating long distance for almost a year, Lucas quit his job and moved up to Chicago! He proposed a few months later in Central Park in New York. I thought we were just going on a fun weekend trip to visit one of Lucas’s friends who had recently moved there but Lucas had other plans. After proposing, he had a professional photographer capture the moment. My sister and brother-in-law were in town to celebrate and two of my best friends from Chicago surprised me at dinner! They flew all the way out there just to celebrate with us. It was perfect!

Photography: Catie Coyle Photography // Wedding Planner: Milestone Events Group // Florist: Vanda Floral Design // Venue: Trentadue Winery // Gown: BHLDN // Caterer: Park Avenue // HMUA: Wash & Brushup Co.

 

Real Weddings:

Sylvia and Rufus’s British Columbia Wedding

photography by Beige Weddings

Sylvia and Rufus’s scenic British Columbia wedding took place at Sea to Sky Gondola on a platform in the mountains with epic scenic views of the ocean below. Planning a decor was by WeDo Weddings Etc. with pastel florals by Balconi Floral Design Studio. The look was a mixture of graphic and rustic with bits of romance and we love the way Beige Weddings  captured it all in these dreamy photographs.

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What made the wedding special and unique?

Definitely the magical location! The mountain + ocean view is just simply breathtaking, not to mention having the opportunity to say our wedding vows with that backdrop behind us! We also got super lucky with the weather, our province of British Columbia was suffering from forest fire but we got lucky with a heavy rainfall right before our wedding day; it’s like the universe got us the best wedding gift ever!

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

You know how sometimes there are things in life that you encounter over and over again, but you never pay attention to it at all, until that day you finally notice it and it gives you the best surprise? That’s basically how I found my wedding gown! It’s a bridal store that I’ve driven by SO many times, and finally, I decided to go in one day, and that’s how I found my dream dress.

What were some touches added to make the wedding personal?

My husband is in love with snowboarding, and we have both been so in love with nature. So being able to host our wedding on top of the mountain here on the west coast is absolutely a dream come true!

What was the most memorable part of the day?

Instead of walking “down the aisle”, I walked across the suspension bridge for my entrance, the bridge offers a backdrop that falls away thousands of feet below and it was absolutely spectacular. Also, my husband cried FIVE TIMES on our wedding day, his surprise speech was the most heart-felt speech ever that surprised everyone!

Tell us how you met and became engaged.

We met when we were doing our undergrads at the University of British Columbia. We got engaged on the peak of Cypress Mountain.

Sea to Sky Gondola Wedding | Sylvia and Rufus from Beige Weddings on Vimeo.

Photo + Video: Beige Weddings // Planning + Decor: WeDo Weddings Etc. // Floral Design: Balconi Floral Design Studio // Stationery: Rintzy Lee Designs // Venue: Sea to Sky Gondola // Bride’s Gown: Pronovias // Makeup & Hair: Silvia Pro Makeup and Hair // Charter Plate: BOLD Creative // Wedding Shoes: Jimmy Choo

 

Real Weddings:

Alice and Tom’s Tuscan Villa Wedding

photography by Nastja Kovacec

Alice and Tom discovered La Selva Giardino del Belvedere through Instagram and booked it sight-unseen. When the couple travelled to Italy the year prior to the wedding and saw the villa venue, it was even more beautiful than they imagined. The day incorporated an elegant farmhouse vibe that perfectly compliments the Tuscan landscape including florals and a spectacular ceremony arch by Statti Fiori. We love the authentic, relaxed style of the day and beautiful images of a stunning couple celebrating their love through the lens of photographer Nastja Kovacec.

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From the bride and groom:

As Alice’s father’s family is Italian, once we were engaged in December 2016 we started the hunt for wedding venues. We knew we wanted a venue which could accommodate the bridal party and with a boho/farmhouse vibe. Tom happened to find La Selva Giardino del Belvedere on Instagram and we loved it straight away. Living in Hong Kong, we could not go to see the venue before we booked it! We went to Italy a year before our wedding and saw the venue which was even more beautiful than we thought.

From following La Selva on Instagram we also found our photographer Nastja Kovacec who had taken photos at previous weddings held at La Selva. This was the same for the florist, Statti Fiori. Francesco, whose family own La Selva, doubled up as our wedding planner. He helped us to organize a wedding website for our family and friends to book accommodations nearby and also provided us with a list of his usual suppliers. We ended up using all of Francesco’s usual suppliers (aside from hair and makeup) and he coordinated everything on the lead up to the wedding and the wedding day itself. He arranged welcome drinks at a nearby bar the evening before our wedding, and a pizza/pool party the day after. We were nervous initially planning a wedding in Italy from Hong Kong but everything went as smoothly as it could. The most stressful part of the wedding planning was getting the guests to RSVP and book their accommodation!

 

Photography: Nastja Kovacec // Florist: Statti Fiori // Invitations: Annie Clark through Minted // Venue: La Selva Giardino del Belvedere // Wedding dress: Pronovias // Hair and makeup: Tahlia Jayde // Wedding shoes: Aldo // Bridesmaids: Jumpsuits from Two Birds // Groom’s attire: Kilt from Janet Eagleton and Son, Perth Scotland. Kilt jacket and waistcoat: Yuen’s Tailor Hong Kong. Shirt and tartan trousers: Il Sarto, Hong Kong // Groom’s shoes: Marks & Spencer // Engagement and Wedding Rings: Hilary Schwartz Collection // Diamond eternity bracelet: Hilary Schwartz Collection // Sapphire and diamond earrings borrowed from bride’s mother (something borrowed and blue!), Ruby ring: family heirloom gifted by bride’s grandmother (something old!) // Catering: Organized by Wedding Venue // Music: String Quartet And DJ

 

Real Weddings:

Megan and Nick’s Wedding at Toledo Zoo

featuring Jenna Nicole Photography

Megan and Nick, both financial advisors, met her first day on the job and Megan knew instantly that she’d marry Nick someday. “It only took eight months of sitting next to each other and some begging for Nick to agree to date me,” for destiny to take it’s course! The couple celebrated their nuptials int he Malawi Event Center at Toledo Zoo with especially memorable appearances by safari animals including the giraffe that snacked on 70 pounds of lettuce fed to him by the guests. Classic details complimented the avante garde reception location including stunning white florals  by Bartz Viviano Bartz, stationery by Fiddle Stix and a gorgeous Yolan Cris gown. Jenna Nicole Photography  was on hand to capture all the details (and giraffes!) in these lovely photographs.

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What made the wedding special and unique?

There were a few things that made the wedding special, and ironically, most of them happened by no planning of our own. When we got engaged in April, Nick and I agreed we wanted a fall wedding and did not want to wait until the following year to get married. With this quick timeline, our options were very limited. Luckily, as we searched for reception venues, the Toledo Zoo was building a brand new reception hall in the middle of their African Safari exhibit. Because it did not exist yet, very few people knew about it or looked to reserve it so we easily booked it! The Zoo really made the night memorable with the true stars making their debut during the cocktail hour. Every guest was able to feed the giraffes (70 lbs of lettuce total!) which was a huge hit with everyone. There are more pictures of them than there are of us!

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

The process of finding the dress did not go how I was hoping. I really wanted an A line dress, long sleeves and no beading but when I tried those on, I looked more like a flower girl than a bride. I also had a lot of people with me who all had a different vision of what they imagined I would look like on my wedding day. I was very overwhelmed and no closer to finding “the one”. A few weeks later, I was going to Columbus for a work conference. I knew I was behind on finding a dress, so I called B Loved Bridal (found on my friend’s blog, Bray’s Way) and the owner, Lesley, immediately made an appointment for me. I felt horrible not having my mom or sisters with me but even with the last minute decision, one of my best friends, Mady, joined me. Lesley was AMAZING and locked the doors of the boutique so we could go to town trying on a bunch of gowns. I tried on the Yolan Cris Olivia dress but made customized adjustments so that it could have long sleeves and be in the color I loved. I was nervous because it felt like I was reinventing the wheel, but Lesley was confident that it would work out perfectly and it did! Oh, and I never made it to the work conference…oops.

What were some touches added to make the wedding personal?

Our presider, Father Allen Zobler, made everyone of all faiths feel comfortable. The joy he brought to our ceremony made me never want it to end. The music at the ceremony, done by friends of my family, Nick and Elena De La Torre from the band, Of the Tower, were outstanding. Their talent brings me to tears! Other personal touches were two surprises that Nick and I had for each other at the reception. Nick surprised me with a wine fountain full of Riesling…. I love Riesling! And I surprised him with a smore’s bar.

What was the most memorable part of the day?

The ceremony was by far the most memorable part of the day. I put much more time and attention on the ceremony than the reception. I didn’t even attend the cake tastings — thanks Nick and my mom! My dad’s welcome speech was also something I will never forget. Let’s just say he crushed it. Ultimately, having our family and friends gathered in one place celebrating our marriage was our biggest takeaway.

Tell us how you met and became engaged.

Nick and I met at work. We are both financial advisors and run our practices at the same firm, Savage & Associates. The day I started at Savage, June 1, 2015, I knew we would get married. It only took eight months of sitting next to each other and some begging for Nick to agree to date me. But hey, it all worked out!

Photography: Jenna Nicole Photography // Florist: Bartz Viviano Bartz // Stationery: Fiddle Stix // Reception Venue & Caterer: Toledo Zoo, Malawi Event Center // Ceremony Venue: St. Joan of Arc Church // Wedding Gown Boutique: B.Loved Bridal Boutique // Wedding Gown Designer: Yolan Cris // Makeup: Makeup by Amy Lewis & Co. // Hair: Emily Myers // Wedding Cake: Jane’s Cakes and Confections // Ring Boxes: The Mrs. Box // Ceremony Musicians: Nick and Elena De La Torre // Shoes: Badgley Mischka // Rental Company: Meredith Party Rental // Band: Bluewater Kings Band