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Real Weddings:

Jessie and Adam’s wedding at The Harper

Jessie and Adam let The Harper—a BRAND new venue—steer the design direction of their lovely Costa Mesa wedding. The couple wanted to emulate their laid-back style but maintain a modern and sophisticated feel and The Harper‘s design elevated the look perfectly. The sunny, courtyard ceremony framed by olive trees was followed by a lovely reception where guests sat family style under large retro brass chandeliers. Understated, modern elegance was at every turn including soft, white florals by French Buckets, Jessie’s streamlined gown by Made With Love from Love & Lace, and type-driven paper design by Kayla Adams. The couple enlisted the eye of Hannah Beth Photography to capture all the details in her signature journalistic style and we’re totally loving every bit of it!

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What made the wedding special and unique? 

We were so honored to be the FIRST wedding at the new venue in Costa Mesa, The Harper. It was exactly what we wanted – something modern and sophisticated but not overly fancy. Our style is laid-back, but we really wanted our guests to feel like they were coming to something special. The ceremony was outdoors, where the altar was framed by two big olive trees. The reception was literally in this completely renovated room with brass chandeliers, refurbished antique wood bars, and modern decor. It came with long wood farm tables so our guests could sit family style. The chairs were metal and wood and felt so much more sophisticated then a typical folding chair. There is a huge sky light over the dance floor that created a really nice focal point in the reception. I loved that everything at the venue was close together, but there were plenty of little spaces for guests to hang out; modern lounge furniture, outdoor space, and a garden. I wanted to keep the color palette really neutral and timeless, but since it was an October wedding, we decided to incorporate some dried florals with the live florals. It was a perfect way to create a Fall look without using orange and red.

The venue uses a caterer called roomforty. Honestly, I don’t think I’ve ever loved wedding food like I loved ours. They did a modern tostada bar with a gorgeous presentation. And the appetizer highlight was the “Nachos in a Gutter”, where delicious nachos were served straight from an 8 ft rain gutter!

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

I knew I wanted something minimalist, but it was surprisingly hard to find! So many people told me not too stress about the dress since you “only wear it for one day.” As I thought more about it, your photos are the only thing from the day that last, so if I didn’t like my dress, I probably wouldn’t like the photos either! So I did a TON of research and found a brand called Made With Love Bridal. It’s an Australian brand with an amazing mix of modern and timeless dresses that are so flattering! And they all have cute names – mine is called Georgie. Oh, and I bought it at an amazing little shop in Irvine, CA called Love & Lace Bridal. The whole team was lovely.

What were some touches added to make the wedding personal? 

– A friend of ours is a musician and played live music (that he wrote for us!!) as the bridal party walked down the aisle. It was perfect.

– During the ceremony, my brother came up and told the story of how we met in a sweet but funny way. It had the whole audience cracking up, and instantly made the environment feel light-hearted and relaxed. It helped slow everything down and we really got to take it all in. We had time to actually look around, laugh, and remember our journey.

– For the guestbook, we pre-attached photo corners to note cards so guests could take a Polaroid photo, attach it to the card, and write a note. Then we had them put the cards in a customized wood box from Artifact Uprising with our names and wedding date printed on the lid.

– We had signage at the Bars & Dessert Bar highlighting each of our favorite desserts and drinks.

– We had pouches of flower petals on the aisle seats to be tossed as we came back up the aisle.

– Our biggest highlight – we had an epic balloon drop during Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance With Somebody”.

What was the most memorable part of the day? 

Adam and I wrote each other letters that our bridal party exchanged for us in the morning. Before all the photos and festivities started, I read his letter and it set the tone for the whole day. The week of your wedding is busy and hectic, but pausing for a moment to read a letter about how he felt about me made me forget the crazy past week and look forward to the day in front of me!

I never wanted to do a first look, but I also didn’t want to leave in the middle of our wedding to go take photos, so we decided to do it. Honestly, it was perfect. It felt so special and intimate. It allowed us to get our nerves out of the way and just be able to enjoy the day. I’ll never forget his teary eyes when he turned around and his shaky hands that grabbed mine, and our nervous laughter as we awkwardly looked each other up and down with complete joy!  Of course the day still flies by, but we tried to incorporate little things throughout the day to slow time down.

Tell us how you met and became engaged.

It was Summer 2014. Jessie walked in her front door, and a foxy blue-eyed, red-bearded man in a Carhartt t-shirt was sitting on her couch. Our roommates were hanging out and Adam happened to tag along. There was an instant friendship but things stayed casual. We spent the rest of summer BBQing with friends.

Then, it happened.

One night while they were hanging out with friends, the new Tim McGraw song came on and when Adam sang every word verbatim, Jessie knew this wasn’t your typical Orange County boy. The flirting quickly became more obvious, followed by our first hang out at SideCar donuts, a trip to the OC Fair, and our first official date at Side Door. And two days later Adam met Jessie’s entire family, so it’s safe to say he was all in.

The next 4 years were a roller coaster of lots of travel, a couple moves, and some career highlights and challenges. But in the midst of it all, we became best friends, fell in love, and scored the most amazing community of people.

Alexander Wedding from Abbey Pickett on Vimeo.

Venue: The Harper // Photographer: Hannah Beth Photography // Catering: Room Forty // Florals: French Buckets // Invitations: Kayla Adams // Wedding Dress Designer: Made With Love from Love & Lace in Irvine, CA // Groom’s Suit: Hudson’s Custom Suits // Bridesmaids Dresses: Show Me Your Mumu // Groomsmen Suits: The Black Tux // DJ: Ahsohn The DJ // Wood Box for Guest Book: Artifact Uprising //  Ring Box: The Mrs. Box

 

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Real Weddings:

Meghan and Sid’s Waterfront Maryland Wedding

photography by Eric Kelley

Meghan and Sid wanted to keep things low-key and intimate for their spring nuptials at the picturesque Inn at Perry Cabin by Belmond in St. Michaels, Maryland. So, Kari Rider Events got to work creating a scene that blended the waterfront setting with the bride’s vision for a modern-meets-botanical vibe. Enter Sophie Felts Floral Designs‘ greenery chandeliers, graphic black and white calligraphy signage and table numbers by Stephanie B Design, cool blue velvet linens, black flatware, wooden cross-back chairs, and a well-equipped cigar bar—all beneath a gorgeous sailcloth tent. Nowhere was the weaving of setting and theme more evident than in the cake display—a stunning two-tier cake by Chef Steven Anthony adorned with a blue wave pattern accented by focal roses that sat on a marble and wood stand atop a black and white striped linen. Perfection! And it’s all captured inthese stuning images by Eric Kelley.

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Photography: Eric Kelley // Planning & Design: Kari Rider Events // Florals: Sophie Felts Floral Designs // Invitation & Paper Goods: Stephanie B Design // Venue: Inn at Perry Cabin by Belmond // Cake: Chef Steven Anthony // Hair & Makeup: Ariel Lewis // Tent & Rentals: Eastern Shore Tents & Events // Rentals: White Glove Rentals // Linens: La Tavola Fine Linen // Band: Sound Nation // Ceremony Musicians: Bay Strings // Transportation: Extroardinar Limousine

 

Real Weddings:

Caroline and Ben’s wedding at Parker Hill

featuring Davy Whitener Photography

We are completely holi-dazzled by Caroline and Ben’s Auburn, Alabama wedding. Invision Events planned the day with help from florist The Flower Store and stationer Linen & Leaf. The deep maroon palette is the perfect twist on traditional holiday colors and keeps things totally timeless with a multi-seasonal appeal. The details are stunning—a lush ceremony arch, letterpress calligraphy, wood-mounted custom signage, embroidered cocktail napkins, suspended greenery structures and flowers everywhere—and the best part is that it was all set against the backdrop of the bride’s family cabin at Parker Hill. The family property is also a venue and Carline and Ben’s wedding was the first to be celebrated there. Lucky for us, the couple enlisted the skills of our friend Davy Whitener Photography to capture their day and the images are stunning.

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What made the wedding special and unique? 

The wedding was unique to me because it was freezing and raining most of the day! We had to do a last minute rain tent for ceremony, but it ended up all working out and was beautiful. We were all close together and huddled up! And our pictures turned out beautiful!

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

My mom and I found the Rivini gown in Atlanta at Lori’s Bridals where “Say Yes to the Dress” is filmed. I had looked at several other places, but when I tried this one on it was that feeling of “THIS IS IT!” It fit me like a glove so I didn’t need to do many alterations and the veil really sold me on the dress as well.

What were some touches added to make the wedding personal?

We did a lot of personalization like most people do from the napkins to the cups, but I think the biggest thing was having the wedding at our family cabin. My dad renovated it for the wedding so none of our guests had ever been there! It was our own style from the actual venue down to the décor!

What was the most memorable part of the day?

The vows were the most memorable part of the day for me! Our longtime family friend married us and my aunt read a poem that my grandmother – who had passed the year before – had written years ago about getting married on a rainy day. It was so surreal that it was actually raining on our wedding day! I felt like my grandmother was with us at the ceremony.

Tell us how you met and became engaged.

We met in Destin when I was on a girls trip in 2015. I vacationed in Destin a lot and had a friend that was living there. We ran into him and he introduced us! Ben deployed to South America a week later for six months. We kept in touch and when he got back to the states we immediately started dating. The engagement was very low key! We were living in Destin and on the way to dinner he said needed to get something from my parents beach condo that he had left there. We went out on the balcony and there were flowers and he got on one knee and asked! It was just us – very personal and sweet! And overlooking the ocean which is a big part of our life!

Photography: Davy Whitener Photography // Planner/Designer: Invision Events // Floral Decor: The Flower Store // Stationery: Linen & Leaf // Venue: Parker Hill // Videography: A Bryan Photo // Beauty: Irrelephant // Attire: Bridals By Lori / Rivini // Cake: Just A Little Frosting // Rentals: Collection Event Furnishings / Event Rentals Unlimited Birmingham / The 12th Table // Decor: Party Tables / Unique Event Elements / Sassy Biscuit // Music: Auburn Quartet / The Main Attraction Band // Catering: Jennie Weller // Bride: Caroline Parker // Ring Box: The Mrs. Box

 

Real Weddings:

Kelley and Jimmy’s Black Tie Detroit Wedding

photography by Blaine Siesser

Brown graduates, Kelley and Jimmy moved from New York to Detroit and marked their new lives with an event that was as much a celebration of Detroit’s renaissance as it was their marriage.  They enlisted the help of Kathy Byrum of Dream Wedding & Event Planners to help them show off Detroit to their many out-of-town guests with fabulous local vendors and a stunning ceremony at Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament and a show-stopping reception at The Detroit Institute of Arts. Dusty florals and greenery installations by Katie Wachowiak dressed the day and an epic cake by Sweet Heather Anne finished it off. Befitting to the theme, the couple and their guests danced the night away under Diego Rivera’s ultra-famous mural and Blaine Siesser was on hand to capture each moment of Kelly and Jimmy’s day.

 

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What made the wedding special and unique?

When Jimmy and I had gotten engaged we had already made plans to move from New York to Detroit. Jimmy grew up in Detroit as did my parents and grandparents. We were so excited to be moving back during a time that has become known as the renaissance of one of America’s greatest cities and we’ve enjoyed spending time downtown exploring new restaurants and supporting local entrepreneurs. We knew we were going to have a lot of out of town guests so our biggest goal was to show off Detroit! I couldn’t imagine a better place to celebrate our new life together in our new city than the Detroit Institute of Art – a true gem of Detroit and rich with important history.

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

I had the best dress shopping experience! I returned to New York where my little sister (and maid of honor) still lives and set up three appointments at different bridal boutiques for my mom, my sister and me to visit. I was nervous so before the day started I went to dry bar and got my hair done so I would feel confident trying on those dresses. Every appointment was different and special. Ultimately, I returned to the very first boutique we visited and bought the second dress I had ever tried on! I think I knew it was meant to be when the woman assisting me told me she had grown up in Michigan! The dress is Vera Wang’s Kathleen – a strapless mermaid gown with a hand-draped bodice and an inverted flange skirt. When my bridesmaids were asked what they thought my dress would look like, not one came close to guessing it right! And that’s what I loved about my dress, it was so unexpected for me but I felt like a total movie star on our big day.

 

 

What were some touches added to make the wedding personal?

We looked for little ways to add personal touches throughout the weekend. My favorite were the signature cocktail signs we had made with a sketch of our English Cream Retriever puppy, Wally, after whom we named our signature cocktail. On top of that, we had light-up cowboy hats for the dance floor as a nod to my having grown up in Texas. Our invitations had an olive branch emblem on them as a nod to Jimmy’s family’s Greek heritage. The song my dad chose for our father-daughter dance was One Shining Moment by Motown great Diana Ross. And finally, our gift bags were filled with special items from Detroit – a “Detroit vs. Everyone” branded water bottle, Detroit Tiger’s peanuts (Jimmy’s family has been season ticket holders for 30 years), a post card and visitors guide from the Detroit Institute of Arts, along with Sander chocolates.

 

What was the most memorable part of the day?

Gosh there were so many! From my first look with my dad, to dancing all night with the Diego Rivera mural surrounding all my friends and family, the moment I am always transported back to is when Jimmy and I exchanged our vows. Even though we were standing in front of 300 people, in that moment it felt like it was just the two of us in that church. It was incredibly emotional and I don’t think I’ll ever forget the look on Jimmy’s face.

Tell us how you met and became engaged.

Jimmy and I met in college at Brown University. He played football and I was on the field hockey team so we bumped in to each other quite a bit in Brown’s athletic training room. At first, I don’t think he was interested in a relationship but I wore him down over time and we were dating by the time he graduated! We both moved to New York out of college and after a few years we moved in together. The weekend Jimmy proposed I should have known it was coming. My parents were visiting New York to celebrate Easter and we had a busy weekend lined up. First thing Saturday morning we were supposed to meet at Bridget’s Garden, a garden located in Madison Square Park, that was named after my mother’s sister and a very special place to our family. I didn’t think anything of it when we got there before everyone else because my family is always late. After a moment, Jimmy grabbed my hands and said, “You ready?” and I instantly knew what was coming. He dropped to one knee and proposed. Meanwhile, he had hired a photographer to capture the whole thing! On top of that, when I came out of shock and we crossed the street to where my family was waiting, we found my family, Jimmy’s family and a group of my closest friends from all over the country waiting with champagne! The rest of the weekend was one big celebration. My sister had organized a big dinner that night at Buddakan in the Meat Packing district followed by a Tex-Mex brunch (my favorite!) on Sunday. Jimmy knew I wanted family and friends to be a part of our engagement and he nailed it!

Kelley // Jimmy from Life in Rewind on Vimeo.

Photography: Blaine Siesser // Wedding Coordination: Kathy Byrum of Dream Wedding & Event Planners // Invitation Designer: Written Word Calligraphy and Design // Florist: Katie Wachowiak // Ceremony Venue: Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament // Reception Venue: The Detroit Institute of Arts // Dress: Vera Wang // Cake: Sweet Heather Anne // Shoes: Badgley Mischka // Bridesmaid Dresses & Clutches: BHLDN // Jewelry & Veil: Jules Joyner Designs // Bridesmaids’ Earrings: Kendra Scott // Rings: George Koueiter & Sons Jeweler // Hair & Makeup: Hair Erika Cortez and Makeup Tammy LoMedico // Videographer: PJ Brown of Life in Rewind // Live Music: Your Generation in Concert // Linens: Event Source // Grooms Apparel: Custom // Officiant: Reverand J.J. Mech // Rentals: Gerych’s Flowers, Events and Rentals // Ceremony Music: The Paris Project String Quartet

 

Real Weddings:

Ari and Rolan’s wedding at Roaring Camp Railroad

photography byKristin Lin

Ari and Rolan’s story, which started under the night sky in Haiti, is “deeply rooted in friendship, love, and fun” and their personalized wedding day at Roaring Camp Railroad was befitting of their romance. The couple enlisted Nicole Presley to help them bring their vision to life with a rustic barn ceremony and reception filled with greenery chandeliers, equine-centric touches like the groom’s custom leather suspenders and a gluten-free donut wall by Melinda’s Gluten Free Bakery as a focal point in honor of the bride’s favorite treat. Kristin Lin was behind the lens and captured the details and the adorable couple’s love in these images.

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What made the wedding special and unique?

I really loved that all of our vendors were people we knew and felt comfortable with. With the exception of our photographer (who soon became a friend anyway), everyone who was working on our wedding made it feel like a big family party where everyone was helping out. Another one of my favorite parts of the wedding were the dances. This really felt like a joining of families, and it was so special. My dad had passed when I was 16, so getting to dance with my husband’s dad (to the song I danced to with my father when I was little) was so sweet, and pretty emotional for everyone who got to see. As far as decor, we had an incredible donut wall set up! This was my favorite creative part of the wedding, and Nicole did an incredible job of making it come to life. We had hanging hoops of greenery decorating the station, a beautiful wooden wall, and three kinds of donuts– gluten free of course!

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

My gown was simple, but so elegant. I had gone shopping with my family all day, and by the fourth store it was just my mom and I left feeling tired and ready to go. We only stopped by this second hand bridal shop because it was in a town we rarely go to, but it did not disappoint! All day I had been looking for a sweetheart, strapless, bohemian feeling dress, until I saw this dress hanging on a rack at Second Summer Bride. It was unlike anything I had liked, so I tried it on first. I fell in love right when I saw it, and found myself comparing all of my other options to this one. I wasn’t even expecting to buy a dress that day, but when I looked at my mom with tears in her eyes I knew we had found the one. We celebrated with the assistant who was helping us, picked a gorgeous handmade belt to go with it, and ended up leaving with the dress that night. That dress made me feel simply beautiful.

What were some touches added to make the wedding personal? 

Our favors were a little piece of us given to our guests. It was a cute little brown paper bag with a stamp on the front that said “besos” and our names. Besos means “kisses” in Spanish, which is my family’s language, but is also what Rolan and I would say while bidding goodnight to each other while we were dating. The paper bag held a handmade chapstick, that was made and assembled by a sweet friend. The donuts were another thing that made our wedding personal, because I only eat gluten free foods! Gluten free donuts are some of my favorite things ever, so it felt like we were sharing a special treat with our friends and family, and it was something we could all enjoy together. Our first dance song made my heart melt, and we actually chose it for this reason: the first line is “You came like a resolution, under a starry sky…” (My Lover – Birdtalker). Rolan’s and my story started under the night sky in Haiti, on a mission trip, so stars bring us back to our early days of blooming love.

What was the most memorable part of the day? 

After the ceremony we took family and bridal party photos, and then Rolan and I got to sneak away to take pictures alone. We got to be removed from the craziness of family portraits, away from our beloved (but 200) guests, and outside of the production of the wedding, and it all just sunk in. Our photographer did a really great job of celebrating with us for a second, but also just letting us be natural together and show affection. When I look back to that pause in the day I well up with tears thinking about how excited we were for our life together. We got to talk about how we felt, laugh, and kiss a little, as we prepared for the rest of the fun that was ahead.

Tell us how you met and became engaged.

I met Rolan at the first Cru event I went to. (Cru is a Christian college ministry, that is on a lot of big college campuses.) We were getting boba with a huge group of people and he walked up next to me and introduced himself. I ended up getting pretty involved in Cru, and through that Rolan and I got to develop a sweet friendship. He was someone that I naturally felt comfortable with, and I’ve always thought he was hilarious. He’s someone I always enjoyed spending time with, and looked forward to seeing. I remember towards the end of that year we were doing an outreach with Cru and I was telling Rolan I was bummed that I couldn’t grab coffee before I had work on campus, and after about 30 minutes into work, Rolan stopped by with a big (also nervous) smile and a coffee in his hand for me. That was when I started looking at him with hearts in my eyes. That summer was soooo much fun with our friends, and Rolan and I were just smitten. Dating didn’t work out for us heading into the next year, but fast forward a whole year of crushing and we found ourselves on a mission trip to Haiti. I’ll never forget the night Rolan and I got to sit under the stars and talk about what the past year had been like for us. We got to share our hearts and agree on how hard that year was, but also got to end with the sweet conclusion to *finally* date. After about seven months of dating, I remember being at our favorite coffee shop in Santa Cruz, and Rolan asking where I was on the thought of marriage. Long story short, we started to talking to parents, pastors, and friends shortly after that conversation, and at the eight month marker we were getting engaged! Rolan’s proposal to me was the most thoughtful, in our beloved Santa Cruz. He had a timeline of pictures laying out our story and an empty frame at the end. He told me he loved me for the first time (a commitment we made to save for our future wife/husband), said he had loved making all of those memories with me. Then he asked to make another one, and got down on his knee. Our friend that captured the moment described “the rich roots and branches [of the tree behind us] as a great stage,” and I can’t help but to agree. Our story is deeply rooted in friendship, love, and fun, and would not have been possible without God’s faithfulness.

Coordination/Calligraphy: Nicole Presley // Photographer: Kristin Lin // Venue: Roaring Camp Railroad // Gown: Stella York, Second Summer Bride Sacramento // Handmade suspenders: Kenny Wong // Donuts/Cake: Melinda’s Gluten Free Bakery // Rentals: Alexis Party Rentals // DJ: Scott Bolin // Catering: Rubio’s Mexican Taco Catering // Ring Box: The Mrs. Box

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