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

Alice and Duncan met in Seattle, just months after Alice moved to the U.S. from her native Ireland. The couple set out to create a wedding day that celebrated both the Pacific Northwest, as well as Irish wedding traditions. The Orchard at Sunshine Hill set the scene—”open, elegant and the ceremony site had a full view of Mt. Rainier – a Washington State staple, in the background.” And—get this—the groom’s mother planted ALL the florals the fall prior to the wedding, so when the big day arrived the following June they had an abundance of local blooms for Doghouse Flowers Heidal to create the stunning arrangements. We’re loving the bright orchard vibes for fall and lucky for us Mist of Morning Photography was on hand to capture it all in these sunny photographs.

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What made your wedding special & unique? Were there any touches that you added to make the day personal?

A: Duncan and I definitely had a vision for our day. We knew that we would have a lot of out of town guests there, and so we really wanted to give it a strong PNW feel. We wanted a barn wedding, but when we stumbled across ‘The Orchard at Sunshine Hill’ whilst looking at another venue in the area, we fell in love. It was open, elegant and the ceremony site had a full view of Mt. Rainier – a Washington State staple, in the background. Duncan’s Mom Stacy and her best friend Margaret (Doghouse Flowers Heidal) planted up all of the flowers the summer the year before, so that they were ready for us to use in June. And so all the flowers (and there were a lot of them!) were hand grown, just for us. I also made the mistake of thinking that sign making looked fun… I spent approximately 30 seconds on YouTube finding out how to stencil our own signs, and off I went! Duncan’s sister Lilli helped out, but in all we both must have spent about 50 hours making signs for anything that could possibly need instruction. The table signs, the seating chart, the bar menu, the unplugged ceremony. The list goes on and on!

D: Alice is from Ireland, and I am from Seattle, so it was very important that we included elements from both in our wedding: having an outdoor, American style “barn wedding”; choosing an Irish inspired tweed three-piece suit for the men; and including lots of beautiful PNW greenery in floral arrangements. We even transported everyone to the venue in a yellow school bus and had s’mores at the end of the night (which all of the Irish LOVED).

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

A: I am a huge thrift-store shopper. I love a bargain. I also didn’t have a clue what sort of a dress I wanted, so when I went in to a bridal gown shop with my parents to try them on, I was almost disappointed. We had an hour appointment, I tried on about 8 gowns, most of which I immediately knew were wrong, and they all cost a small fortune. Over a rosé-soaked lunch, I mentioned a store that I had heard of called ‘Brides for a Cause’. It was a store where all the proceeds went to charity, and people/stores donated their used/sample/excess dresses. My mother was hooked. We sent my father off sightseeing and we jumped in an Uber. It was a Thursday afternoon so we had the store basically to ourselves. Which was fantastic, because I stood half naked in the changing room whilst my Mother pulled dresses on and off of me. I must have tried on at least 40 dresses that day, but I loved it, because I was able to give every style a try, knowing that cost wouldn’t be a barrier – nothing that I tried on was more than about $800.

We put a few dresses on hold and came back the following morning to do it all again. When I put on my ceremony gown, we just knew. The chest area didn’t fit, but everything else hugged me perfectly. I wanted something that wouldn’t crumple when I walked – so the lace overlay was perfect. And I was surprised that I actually loved the flared skirt. It was my wedding day, and I wanted to feel like a princess. And at $2500 down to $450 for and unworn sample dress, we were SOLD. Funnily, the night before I had also tried on an incredible ‘party gown’, a backless number that Mum said wasn’t ‘suitable for a serious ceremony’. But once we found my dress, she said of course I had to have that one too – so that I could change in to it for the party! ($750 down to $150, again, a sample).

The alterations were interesting – unfortunately my ‘party gown’ took 11 fittings to get to fall correctly! But I wouldn’t change any of the decisions I made. I was so glad to be able to slip into something more breathable for the reception. Trish Jens from PA Jens Custom Sewing was my seamstress and I would recommend her in a heartbeat.

What was the most memorable part of the day? 

A: The entire day was just magical and so I have a hard time picking out a memorable part. I tried hard to stand back and appreciate every part as it happened. From a prosecco-fueled morning getting ready with my girls, to the car down with my MOH Ruth and my parents, to the INCREDIBLY nerve wracking first look and excitedly greeting the bridal party as they arrived… I could go on and on. If I HAVE to choose though, one memory that feels as real today as it was then, was standing in the bridal cabin with the bridal party as the guests arrived and were seated. We had Sigur Ros playing as we walked down the aisle, and I got to watch as our bridal party headed out one at a time to the ceremony, leaving just my Mum and me alone. I couldn’t stop crying! But as my music started to play, Mum turned to me and said, ‘he’s the right man Alice, and I’m so, so happy for you both’. She was right – and that memory of walking down the aisle to my future husband, surrounded by all of my favorite people in the world will stay with me forever.

D: Right after the ceremony the entire wedding procession ended in the bridal suite. Everyone cleared out and Alice and I were alone. We were both a little too overwhelmed to do anything yet, so we spent a couple of minutes just holding each other. It was a beautiful way to start off our marriage; just her and me focusing on us first before getting distracted by anything else.

Tell us how you met & became engaged.

A: Duncan and I are both pretty active gym-goers, and so it figures as much that that is where we met. I had moved to Seattle from Ireland in September 2016 and wanted to find a social gym that would allow me to make friends in a city where I knew no one. I met Duncan within a few weeks (he was hard to miss – he was the beautiful, strong, shirtless man making lots of noise and throwing weights around) but since he worked out in the morning and I went in the afternoons, we rarely crossed paths. We got talking one day after I had been around for a few months and I found out that he was a. single and b. so much cooler than I thought… I started going to the gym in the morning and the rest is history!

We got engaged by the Ballard locks in Seattle. We’d discussed marriage a lot and so I knew that it was on the cards, but the actual proposal was a complete surprise. A passerby obviously realized what was happening before I did and stopped to take a picture of Duncan down on one knee. They came up to us afterwards and passed on the picture. It’s incredible to have a memento of it.

D: Our “Sunday Strolls” are probably my favorite part about the weekend. Most Sundays, after we have taken care of errands or social obligations on Saturday, Alice and I like to walk around different parts of Seattle, exploring neighborhoods, browsing shops, or discovering cool little cafes. So when it came time to propose, a Sunday Stroll was the obvious choice. That sunny, Spring afternoon watching the boats pass through the locks was the absolute perfect day – even though my heart was beating 200 bmp for about 90 minutes leading up to the proposal.

Photography: Mist of Morning Photography // Florist: Doghouse Flowers Heidal // Venue: The Orchard at Sunshine Hill // Ceremony Dress: Adriana Alier from Brides for a Cause // Hair & makeup: Bridal Beauty Agency // Reception dress: Brides for a Cause // Heels: ASOS // Jewelry: Anne Klein // Suit: Jennis & Warmann // Shoes: Cole Haan // Rings: Brilliant Earth // Catering: EZ Foods Olympia // Cupcakes: Truffles Cakery // DJ: Chris Blackburn

 

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Hurricane Willa was the surprise character in this gorgeous fall wedding planned by Glass Planning, but not even extreme weather could spoil this stunning soiree. The bride and groom knew there were weather-related risks to planning a New-England wedding in the fall, but a tropical storm raged trough the day moving the entire event inside.  Luckily, the historic Glen Manor House, is a vision of beauty inside-and-out, and the couple celebrated with their closest friends and family in the cozy, intimate candle-lit setting while thunder and lightning lit up the sky outdoors. Floral, tabletop design and chuppah by Greenlion Design with invitations by Underwood Letterpress and it’s all captured beautifully in these photographs by the amazing Emily Delamater.

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What made the wedding special and unique?

I should probably say Hurricane Willa! Planning an outdoor wedding in late October in New England necessarily involves certain weather-related risks, but we didn’t expect the weather to be quite so bad. A tropical storm-turned hurricane hurtled up the coast in the days before our wedding, which left us with a 100% chance of rain on our wedding day. And rain it did — in addition to having to move our outdoor ceremony inside, we also had to rearrange where at least 50 guests sat for dinner due to an unexpected leak in a roof at the venue. Despite the chaos, all of our guests told us that the hurricane made the wedding incredibly intimate and unique. And I have to agree — exchanging vows and dancing the night away while a hurricane raged on outside was super fun. It was amazing to hear the thunder and see the lightning while we were cozy inside our own candlelit wonderland.

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

My gown was designed by an emerging Israeli designer, Lihi Hod, and I found it at a boutique in San Francisco during the designer’s trunk show. Although I had originally gone to try on another one of her dresses, I knew the minute I tried this one on that it would be special. I also had the incredible fortune of trying the dress on in front of Lihi herself, who was there for the trunk show. She loved the dress on me almost more than I loved it on myself! Watching her reaction to the dress on me was so fun, and gave me the conviction I needed to choose it.

What were some touches added to make the wedding personal?

Since we are both very much into music, we had a lot of fun deciding what music we would walk down the aisle to, and what music we would leave the ceremony to. Rather than choosing a traditional wedding march, we walked down the aisle to songs by Odesza and Rhye, and we left the ceremony to a song by Duke Dumont. I had several guests tell me that they loved how the non-traditional music added a unique and personal touch to the ceremony.

What was the most memorable part of the day?

Since we got married on my birthday, we decided to host an entirely separate birthday-themed afterparty at the hotel we had rented out for the weekend in downtown Newport. The staff of the hotel was wonderful, and so accommodating. They didn’t even blink when I told them I wanted to hire a DJ to play 90s hiphop music from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m., and have a vendor bring in 1200 balloons to create a balloon ceiling. The DJ and the balloons turned out even better than I imagined, and the afterparty was easily my favorite part of the day. After a day of weather-related chaos, it was the first moment we were finally able to relax and celebrate being married.

Tell us how you met and became engaged.

We had actually known one another for close to 10 years before we started dating. M went to high school with a friend of mine, so we had gotten to know each other casually over the years. About three years ago, we reconnected at our mutual friend’s wedding and began dating immediately. Although we had known each other for close to a decade, we were surprised to learn that we lived just a few blocks away from one another in San Francisco, and that we shared many of the same hobbies (music; backcountry skiing). We were pretty much inseparable from the start, and got engaged after about two years of dating.

Photographer: Emily Delamater // Planner: Elizabeth Lutz, Glass Planning // Floral / Tabletop Design / Chuppah: Greenlion Design // Invitations: Underwood Letterpress // Venue: Glen Manor House // Video: Stop Go Love // Bride’s Dress: Lihi Hod // Bride’s Shoes: Alexandre Birman // Makeup: Jennie Kay // Decor (outdoor porch draping): Ormonde Productions // Bridesmaids’ dresses: BHLDN // Groom’s tuxedo: Ralph Lauren // Groom’s shoes: Brooks Brothers // Catering: Blackstone Catering // Band and Uplighting: Wilson Stevens Eye 2 Eye // Dress / Tuxedo steaming: Bridal Finery

 

Romantic, simplistic details in a palette of grays and neutrals created a beautiful and authentic style to Rachel and Evan’s Birmingham wedding day. Threefold Events designed the beautiful edited and quietly beautiful day including gathered florals by Mandy Busby Creative and elevated warehouse vibes at the reception at the The Theodore. Faith and joy were the couple’s focus and Meghan Murphy Photography captured both beautifully in these fine art images.

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What made the wedding special and unique? 

We had an absurdly large number of people involved in our wedding. 13 bridesmaids, 17 groomsmen, 6 influential men and women, plus several folks who read scripture and took part in the ceremony in some way. Beyond even these people, we had so many friends who helped us decorate the reception, or bring us food, etc. We also had the privilege of being friends with several of our wedding vendors, so it was more like hanging out than working together. In general; our community just showed up so much for our wedding day, and the unique feeling of looking around and being aware of how many people were tangibly choosing to love us is something we won’t ever forget.

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

My sweet dress was much more of an ordeal than I anticipated. There was something to love about each one I tried on! What’s not to love about beautifully designed floor length white gowns?? After visiting every dress shop in town and trying on hundreds of dresses, enough was enough. My best friend and I sat down one night and decided that by the time our bottle of wine was gone, we would have chosen THE dress. She asked me brilliant questions that (somewhat manipulatively) helped me figure out what I really wanted. I’ve been in love ever sense. My girl was everything I could have wanted and MORE.

What were some touches added to make the wedding personal? 

On our 3rd date, we went to Church Street Coffee and ate “breakup cookies” aka the best chocolate chip cookie you’ve ever had. Evan says he decided to marry me on that date. Now it’s one of our favorite desserts. So at our wedding, it only made sense to have breakup cookies instead of cake.

What was the most memorable part of the day? 

Right after our ceremony, we ran out into a small room just us. The sacredness and the weight of the covenant we had made with God and each other hit us hard. It felt holy in some way. We sat and relished in the fact that we were married. Receiving the gift that our marriage already was and would be.

Tell us how you met and became engaged.

We met at church, and started dating after some significant prompting from our mutual friends. Evan’s proposal was the most thoughtful, intentional, loving, and humbling day.

There was a letter on the door (which I totally passed up at first) and an aisle of Ebenezers waiting for me inside. The concept of Ebenezers is one that Evan and I have talked of often – physical representations of all the ways the Lord has helped us. We don’t ever want to forget who God is and what He’s done in our lives.

Each pew held a photo with a note from Evan describing the milestone or memory it represented. As I reflect on each Ebenezer, there is no denying the Lord’s goodness. Evan then guided us through communion and prayer- ensuring that we remembered the most important thing the Lord has ever done for us, extending salvation through His Son.

It is only because of THAT gift that Evan could then ask me to MARRY him. To which I responded YES emphatically and about 20 times. There was no playing it cool.

I’ve never felt more loved or pursued than I did on this day. The Lord has provided a man that truly reflects His character, gospel, love and pursuit toward me.

Photographer: Meghan Murphy Photography // Month of Wedding Planner: Threefold Events // Florals: Mandy Busby Creative // Venues: Redeemer Community Church // Reception Venue: The Theodore // Hair and Makeup: Emmy Hunt // Wedding Dress Designer: Kelly Faetanini // Wedding Dress: Carriage House // Ring Box: Mrs. Box // Wedding Dessert: Breakup Cookies

 

Stress levers were a little high on the morning-of for winemaker bride Niki who was throwing her wedding at her childhood home, and the family’s stunning property on their Wente Vineyards estate. “There is nothing quite like throwing a wedding in your own home,” says the bride, but during the first look when she saw her “husband’s face and all the stress melted away.”  The relaxed elegance of the details and florals can be credited to the mastermind, planner Blue Daphne Events and the day was introduced by lovely invitations by Blanche Paperie. The stunning property played a major role in the day and photographer Blue Note Weddings captured Niki and Nick in super special locations like  the olive lane that was there before Niki’s family bought the land in the late 1800’s. The day was breathtaking and the images are stunning and you can check it all out below!

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What made the wedding special and unique?

I am a huge fan of dessert, specifically cake! One of the most unique things to our wedding was that we had cake as the first and last course during the reception! A strawberry and champagne petite four paired with the Wente Vineyards Sparkling Brut was the first course and our wedding cake was the final course. Four layers and every one of them was delicious! Cookie crumble cake on the base and top, port and figs cake in the 3rd layer and devils food with raspberry on the 2nd layer. YUM! We also did the cake cutting at the very beginning of the reception, right after we were introduced.

Our wedding was incredibly special to me because it took place at my childhood home. My great grandfather built the house in 1928 and my father moved into the house in the 1980’s per his grandfather’s wishes. I was born and raised in this house and it has been a huge part of my family for many years which makes this a very special location for me!

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

I found my gown at Kinsley James Bridal Boutique in Walnut Creek, CA. I actually had thought that I already found my dream dress in San Francisco at a different bridal shop and just wanted to check out a couple other stores because you only get to do the whole bridal fitting thing once in your life! I went in to the day totally thinking I was just doing this for fun with my sister, my mom and a friend. It was a trunk show for Rita Vinieris that day which ended up really working in my favor! As soon as we got to Kinsley James my mom spotted my dress and suggested I try it on. It was definitely the style I was going for, I loved the lace detailing so I agreed with her it was a good choice! We chose a few others and I began my fitting. As soon as I put this dress on and walked out of the fitting room my sister started to tear up and was just saying “that’s the one! that’s the one!” It helped that the dress fit me perfectly without having any clipping so we could actually get the feel for how it would look on the big day. It was a little out of our budget, but thanks to the trunk show if we bought that day we would get a discount so that pretty much sealed the deal!

What were some touches added to make the wedding personal?

I am a vineyard manger and wine maker by trade, so we included a couple of the wines I have made throughout the day. We offered a welcome wine called “Niki’s Pinot Noir Rose” for our quests upon arrival to the ceremony, and during cocktail hour and dinner we have the 4 + 5 Sauvignon Blanc that my father and I made together. As part of my job I also grow and maintain olives as well. We send the olives off yearly to be milled and processed into olive oil. Our attendee gift was a small bottle of this handcrafted estate olive oil, set at every attendee’s seat. Nick and I both chose a signature cocktail that you can find us drinking whenever we are not drinking wine, old fashioned for him and tequila highball for me. And did I mention all the cake?!

We also were able to get a lot of photos around super special areas; Nick and the guys at my cousin’s house, me and the gals at my aunt and uncle’s house, our first look at an olive lane that was there before my family bought the land in the late 1800’s, and finally sunset photos in the hills above my father’s house. It sounds like this is a lot of personal touches that are special to me – but this is where Nick and I really got to know one another, where he got to know my family, and where he became a part of my family and I became a part of his. He loves this land as much as I do, which makes it all the more special to me.

What was the most memorable part of the day?

The most memorable part of my day was the first look hands down! I am not going to lie, I was a little stressed in the morning. There is nothing quite like throwing a wedding in your own home and I was projecting my mom and dad’s stress right up until I saw my husband’s face and all the stress melted away. Seeing him was the breath of fresh air I needed to remember why we were doing this, what makes it such a big deal and why we wanted all our friends and family there to witness us promising forever. After I saw him I was so calm, happy and excited for the rest of the day and frankly for the rest of my life! The entire wedding was a dream, from the spectacular speeches, to the incredible band and dance party and even our sunset picture escape with the most amazing photo and video duo – every part was so special and such a good time. But I always just go back to the feeling I felt when I saw Nick, and nothing will ever compare to that!

Emily and Emerson’s Charleston nuptials at Lowndes Grove incorporated many of the typical southern wedding design details including a plantation courtyard ceremony, florals by and topiaries by Out of the Garden, letterpress and (rainbow) wax seal  invitations by Alaina Polander and romantic white gowns and veils. However, the LGBT couple felt confident in their freedom to “throw tradition to the wind” in much of their personalized details. The “curated vibe—to relax and celebrate” of the day planned by our friends Ooh! Events included the couple getting ready together with all of their bridesmen and bridesmaids, a rendition of the Pulse Orlando Lin Manuel Miranda speech during the ceremony (not a dry eye in the house) and ditching all typical reception activities and instead dancing from start-to-finish. Emily and Emerson had a joint goal of staying “calm and present” during the day and they did it with joy, style and huge smiles as seen in these images captured by Brooke Boyd Photo + Film.

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What made the wedding special and unique?

From Emily: Being an LGBT couple we felt like we had a lot of freedom to throw tradition to the wind. While most of our wedding was as much of a cliché southern wedding as you can get, there were a lot of really personal details. We started  the day by doing yoga together and meditating guided by a friend. After yoga and meditating, we were able to spend the morning getting ready together with our closest friends. Getting ready together relieved all pressure; so many people love the suspense of seeing your wife walk down the aisle, but we wanted everything to be as calm and fun as possible. I think that made our wedding so unique. The entire day had a curated vibe – which was to relax and celebrate. We didn’t want anything to feel stuffy or posed and tried really hard to stay calm and be present. I would also argue the most unique part about our wedding was the amount of dancing – we skipped the activities once the reception started and instead never left the dance floor. We had two people do the worm, one person break dance, my sister did a split, and someone slid through another’s legs. WILD.

Tell us about the gowns and where/how you found them!

Emerson and I started off by going to New York with our best friends. We looked separately all day and neither of us found the dress, but we both agreed it was too hard not to share with the other. A month later, I went to Wedding Belles in New Orleans with my mom and sister and tried on the Jenny Yoo Riley I had seen in New York. Just like that, I was done! I loved so many dresses, but this one just fit the day best. Emerson on the other hand tried on dresses about four more times, when she finally tried on a Sarah Seven dress at Lovely Bride in DC and knew it was the one. It was perfectly simple with just enough modern edge to feel like her.

What were some touches added to make the wedding personal?

  1. Emerson picked out every single song that was played that day. To her, music creates the atmosphere, so she went through and chose from the prelude to the exit (and yes the afterparty). My favorite pick from her was the DJ set kicking off with “I Kissed a Girl and I Liked it” by Katy Perry.
  2. We also picked every word spoken in the ceremony with our priest. Without question the best part of the wedding (and I highly recommend everyone use this in the future) was when my friend read Lin Manuel Miranda’s speech following the Pulse Orlando shooting. It’s safe to say there wasn’t a dry eye when she got to the “and love, is love, is love, is love, is love” part.
  3. We didn’t do a traditional wedding party; Emerson has two brothers and I have two sisters so they are the only people who stood. We did ask our best girls/guys to dress within the color palette and get ready with us. We were worried it was going to be cold, so each girl laid a fur stole at their chair and exited in it.
  4. Emerson’s brother and “Man of Honor” gave the best speech I ever heard. It began with “I’ve been knowing Emerson since the early 90s” and the highlight was “I never dreamed I’d be a bridesman one day, but I can’t tell you how happy I am to be one today.”

 

What was the most memorable part of the day?

There was one moment before the ceremony started when my veil kept pulling my hair and I started getting really nervous. Emerson could sense I was nervous and pulled me into a room and said “forget it, don’t wear the veil” and gave me a big kiss. At that moment, all fears were pushed away because I knew I had picked the perfect person to spend the rest of my life with.

Tell us how you met and became engaged.

Emerson and I met the summer of 2014, when I had just graduated college and was about to move to DC. After our first date, we didn’t spend a single day apart that summer. So much so that Emerson volunteered to make the 17 hour drive with me to DC. Even though we had no intention of being in a long distance relationship, we were inseparable. Mine and Emerson’s lives fit perfectly together. We had the same values, same drive, and liked to leave parties at the same time. She is the perfect complement to all of my weaknesses and makes me a better person on a daily basis. Through the last five years together, we’ve moved seven times, had two college graduations, and embarked on brand new jobs in brand new cities. We’ve been through ups and downs, weddings, funerals, a home renovation and so much more, but through it all, Emerson made me grateful for every day. Knowing this I finally decided it was time to seal the deal so I snuck around with Susie Satzman and designed her dream ring. Over her birthday, we spent a week at home in New Orleans at my parents’ camp. One morning while we were watching the sunrise over coffee and blueberry cake donuts, I decided that was the moment. I began acting super weird and insisted she put on cute pajamas (because I wanted a good picture) and she replied “What? No. Weirdo” it was 5:30 am. Our dog had hurt his paw and she kept trying to pay attention to him and I was trying to get her to pay attention to me! Finally I started my speech and she asks “are you proposing?” and I was like “oh my gosh no” as I pulled out the ring! At this point, Emerson is thoroughly confused, laughing, and crying. Regardless, SHE SAID YES and we celebrated that night at the place her parents got engaged.

Coordination/Rentals: Ooh! Events // Photographer + Videographer: Brooke Boyd Photo + Film // Floral: Out of the Garden // Invite Suite: Alaina Polander // Venue/Catering/Bar/Cake: Lowndes Grove // Emily’s dress: Jenny Yoo, from Wedding Belles Nola // Emerson’s dress: Sarah Seven Belmont dress, from Lovely Bride // Hair: Slate Bridal Hair + Make Up // Make Up: Marisa Warren, Sarah Early, Slate Bridal Hair + Make Up // Yoga Instructor: Isabel Groedel // Ceremony Music: Bespoke Strings // Band: Tyler Kitchen + The Right Pieces // Guests Transportation: ACW Limo // Getaway Transportation: Lowcountry Valet