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Real Weddings:

Anastasia and Michele Italian Villa Wedding

featuring Daria Lorman Photography

Villa Rusconi Clerici in Verbania, Italy offered a breathtaking backdrop on Lake Maggiore for Anastasia and Michele’s elopement. Edelweiss Weddings designed the day with a lemon yellow theme that carried through the florals and tablescape by Della Bella Fiori. We’re definitely loving the gorgeous views captured beautifully by Daria Lorman Photography along will all of the other cheery details.

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What made the wedding special and unique?

The venue the couple have chosen together with their planner Diana. Villa Rusconi Clerici is located in the small town of Pallanza on Lake Maggiore. Walking along its embankment, for a moment it may seem to you that you are on the French Riviera, and sea waves are beating on the shore. The villa was built in the late 1800s. It is impossible not to notice it from the water. Bright yellow color and stucco windows of this villa stand out among others. It is surrounded by a luxurious garden, has enviable and rare specimens of flowers of various kinds, such as rhododendron, azaleas, camellias, magnolias and others, some of which were planted for more than 200 years, even before the construction of the villa itself. This place is an endless source of inspiration for artists and poets, and for all beauty lovers. From the bride: “On this day, everything came together so that it is impossible to highlight some special part of the celebration, leaving others behind. Everything was beautiful, starting from a clear sunny morning, after a long rainy week.”

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

I tried a lot of dresses, but still couldn’t choose just one. I had a dilemma between two completely different styles: sophisticated and luxury mermaid and more romantic dresses. So I got both of my favorites from two different designers in two boutiques. First, I felt in love with that beautiful sparkling lace dress from Honeymoon Sposa Italia, which was shining in the sun. I felt like this was my dream dress. And for the dancing part of the day I went with a light and airy organza dress from Cristian Spose, which was very comfortable but still exquisite as I didn’t want anything too simple either.

What were some touches added to make the wedding personal?

We built our concept around such a simple element as lemon. On such a hot June day, which was June 12, 2019, a glass of cold lemonade came to everyone’s taste and was very welcomed. And it added that Italian touch to everything.

What was the most memorable part of the day?

Our ceremony was the most memorable part of the day and a couple of minutes right before it when we were both standing a couple of meters from each other and impatient to finally see each other. We also had lots of fun when trying to get those cute Pinterest photos with Baloo, the villa’s dog. Daria did her best trying to make the dog sit still and pose with us, while Baloo was clearly more interested in getting snacks.

Tell us how you met and became engaged.

That day I had a big event planned at a restaurant, which I was supposed to attend in the company of my two friends. I definitely did not plan to meet my destiny – my future husband. He was in our big company at that restaurant. Nothing special, the usual acquaintance. Everyone was getting to know each other there, talking. The evening has passed. That evening we did not even talk a lot.

Some time later Michele started calling me, chatting on the phone. Later we saw each other a few more times at various events. Then he invited me on a date. I refused, and he had planned a trip to his homeland, Italy, for work, for a whole month. He flew away. He kept calling me the whole month, despite my refusal to go on that date. Apparently he decided not to give up! When he returned, he called me on a date again, this time I agreed.

After 1.5 years, he proposed to me. Now we are husband and wife. And three years ago, on one happy summer day, we first saw each other in that restaurant and I could not even imagine that I was sitting there and talking with my future husband.

Photography: Daria Lorman Photography // Planner & Organization: Edelweiss Weddings // Flowers & Décor: Della Bella Fiori // Stationery: Edelweiss Card Design // Venue: Villa Rusconi Clerici // Muah & Styling: Anna Poliakova // Wedding Dress #1: Honeymoon Sposa // Wedding Dress #2: Cristian Spose // Headpiece & Earrings: Della Bella Gioielli // Cake: LallabyCakes

 

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Real Weddings:

Kate and Grant’s Wedding at WestPoint

photography by Rodeo and Co

Kate and Grant dated long distance in college and when Kate visited WestPoint, she would stay at the Thayer Hotel, so it it was a natural choice for the location of their reception following their traditional ceremony at the breathtaking Cadet Chapel. The couple enlisted the help of planners Table 6 Productions to create their stunning day filled with sentimental details in blue and bold, brilliant florals by Faye and Renee, vibrant watercolors by Bohemian Mint and a Momofuku Milk Bar cake that was shipped directly to the reception!! Loving all the joie de vivre in Kate and Grant’s day and it’s all captured here by Rodeo and Co.

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What made the wedding special and unique?

From the photographer: So many aspects! First of all, the cloche jar display wall for the escort cards is one of our favorites. But also the location was so unique! Getting married in the WestPoint Chapel is a super memorable setting because it’s a breathtaking chapel. The entire WestPoint grounds are gorgeous, and I think every guest appreciated just walking around and seeing the amazing views!

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

Kate found her dress at Kleinfeld’s! She wanted something unique but that still had an elegance to it – just like her! I remember her sending us the picture of it, and we were BLOWN away. It is stunning and honestly no picture could do it justice! The beauty is in the details.

What were some touches added to make the wedding personal?

Definitely the WestPoint Military traditions added such a personal touch. They sabered champagne for their toast, did a saber arch after exiting the ceremony, had an ice sculpture of the academy’s logo, had a table for their fallen soldiers, and so many other small things! It definitely made it feel super personal for both of them. Also, the Momofuku cake was a must for Kate – we literally used Fed Ex to ship the cake to the Thayer Hotel!!! It HAD to be the original Momofuku, and if you taste it you’ll realize why it’s totally worth it.

What was the most memorable part of the day?

The band! They were AMAZING. We have used Hank Lane Music multiple times before, and we are continually impressed with the quality of their bands. Everyone was dancing ALL night and kept raving about them.

 

 

Photographer: Rodeo and Co // Planner: Table 6 Productions // Stationery: Bohemian Mint // Floral: Faye and Renee // Venue: WestPoint Military Academy and the Thayer Hotel // Videographer: Blue Moon Video // Dress: Isabelle Armstrong New York // Dress Store: Kleinfeld’s // Music: Hank Lane // Cake: Momofuku Milk Bar // Beauty: Beautini // Transportation: Peekskill Trolley Company // Live Painter: Peter Pluchino // Rentals: Durant Rentals // Velvet Ring Box: The Mrs. Box

 

Real Weddings:

Alison and Jonathan’s wedding at Ebell Long Beach

photography by Maritha Mae

Alison and Jonathan not only wanted to display their love for one another, but also wanted their wedding day to “be a time to honor our friends and family who have supported us through our entire journey.” The couple enlisted Ah Love Events to help them create a day filled with personalized touches and STUNNING details including florals by Emblem Flowers and calligraphy by Taingled Lettering while Maritha Mae was on hand to capture all the gorgeous moments in these images.

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What made the wedding special and unique?

For our wedding, Jonathan and I didn’t want to only display our love towards one another, but also wanted it to be a time to honor our friends and family who have supported us through our entire journey. One part that was really important for us was to appreciate our parents during the ceremony. We knew that no gift would be great enough to show how we truly feel, so we wanted to verbally thank them for their great love and influence on our lives. The entire room was in tears when Jonathan started off his appreciation by calling his mom, “Mommy…”. It was such a tender and real moment that showed the closeness of their relationship. Because my mom’s native tongue is Mandarin, I decided to muster up the courage to publicly speak to her in her native tongue, and as I looked into her eyes in that moment, I was just overwhelmed by the love and sacrifices she has shown me.

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

Growing up, I knew my bridal style wasn’t the “strapless, sweetheart, tulle” type. I saw beauty in sleek lines and modern details, and that is why I completely fell in love with BHLDN’s “Estelle” gown by Jenny Yoo. I wanted to feel as completely myself as I could, well, besides the eyelash extensions, and wearing the Estelle gown made me feel bright and effortless. I loved how elegantly the thin straps crossed in the back, the bell shaped skirt that allowed my body to move, and how gracefully my cape/veil draped as I walked down the aisle. The most special part of this dress is that my sister gifted this to me on my birthday! Reading her birthday card for me brought tears to my eyes, knowing that she wanted to dress me on such a special moment!

What were some touches added to make the wedding personal?

I love how weddings blend two people’s universes together. It was important for Jonathan and I to both feel that we were attending our own weddings, not one side more present than the other. I loved how during the planning process, Jonathan knew exactly which song he wanted to walk down the aisle to, and that was the theme song to one of his favorite video games, Legend of Zelda. The instrumental version was actually quite beautiful, and as Jonathan walked down with the biggest smile of his face, many of our guests smiled and rooted along because they knew exactly what was going on. Along with our music selection, I had the best time creating DIY elements to make our day feel more personal. One thing that I will forever treasure is my cape/veil that I made with tulle and some crystals. I love how it’s a unique take on the traditional veil and it totally made me feel like a goddess walking down the aisle.

What was the most memorable part of the day?

The ceremony was such a sweet moment for us. It was a time for us to express our love towards one another, our families, and to God. While planning, it felt like each part of the ceremony was just a check off list, but on the day of, the entire atmosphere was filled with so much joy and love, and that was so magical to experience. For our unity symbol, we decided to have communion together to start off our marriage with a clean beginning. It was such a powerful moment because as we stepped away from the guests and through the beautiful arch, we finally had a moment to ourselves to pray and hold each other. That was so special to experience because that marked the beginning to our new lives together!

Tell us how you met and became engaged.

Jonathan and I are blessed to have many mutual friends who helped form the start of our relationship. Most of our early times together were around our different church communities coming together to play sports or hangout at a friend’s house. After many laughs and some snapchat exchanges later, we decided to take the next steps to build a relationship together! During those times together, we would either find ourselves having picnics at parks, or Jonathan re-watching all the Marvel movies with me just because I didn’t grow up watching them. It was only natural that Jonathan chose a park that we would often visit after a trip to the theaters to propose at. Jonathan sang and played “You’ve Got a Friend In Me” on his ukulele, (which is something he does during every anniversary), got down on one knee, and made history for the both of us! We were able to celebrate with friends and family afterwards, and we are so thankful for that!

Jon + Alison from Memo Collective on Vimeo.

Photographer: Maritha Mae // Wedding Coordinator: Ah Love Events // Floral Design: Emblem Flowers // Videography: Memo Collective Films // Calligraphy: Taingled Lettering // Venue: Ebell Long Beach // Dress Designer: BHLDN // HMUA: Sharon Y. Park // Catering: Tres LA // Rentals: Stephanies Linens // Photobooth: Pixarity // DJ: Will Tseng

Real Weddings:

Meghan and Dan’s Santa Barbara Wedding

featuring Rebecca Theresa Photography

Meghan and Dan chose to get married in Santa Barbara because it was the location of the first vacation they took as a couple. Santa Barbara Historical Museum provided the perfect backdrop for the floral-filled event designed and planned by Jane Alexandra Events. Velvet Blooms created colorful, floral bliss at—literally—every turn and the result is a cheerful, sunny celebration and it’s all captured on film in these stunning images by Rebecca Theresa Photography.

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What made the wedding day special and unique?

We chose to get married in Santa Barbara because it was the first vacation we took as a couple, for 4th of July in 2013, and we had spent many wonderful weekends there since that first trip. Meghan also grew up going to Santa Barbara for vacations with family. Meghan and Dan put a lot of thought into their guests’ experience and ultimately chose Santa Barbara Historical Museum as their venue because of its location in downtown Santa Barbara and the option to have the ceremony and reception at the same site. They wanted the venue to have a classic Santa Barbara feel because nearly all of their guests were from out of town and they wanted to share the beauty of the city with them. Meghan and Dan also had their very talented friend Krista Doersch design all of the invitations and paper goods, so they were completely custom and turned out better than the couple could have ever imagined. Krista even learned how to water color just for Meghan and Dan!

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

Meghan’s gown was Wtoo by Watters from Lili Bridals in Tarzana. Meghan tried on dozens of gowns over several occasions — she knew what she wanted, she just couldn’t find it. Luckily Lili Bridals hosted a Watters trunk show and Meghan was able to see a wide variety of gowns from the brand. She knew she had found “the” gown because she couldn’t stop thinking about it when she tried on a few more gowns afterward, and because she kept thinking about it as “my dress” when she went home that night. The gown was beautifully altered by Sonya of Lili Bridals. Meghan is glad that she didn’t give up on finding her perfect wedding gown!

What were some touches added to make the wedding personal?

The couple wanted to honor Meghan’s mom and Dan’s dad, both of whom passed away. Meghan’s mom Mickey was an avid gardener and Meghan knew she wanted to honor her through the wedding flowers. Rachel Burch of Velvet Blooms created two planter boxes for the end of the aisle filled with flowers from Mickey’s garden and put a single iris, Mickey’s favorite flower, into the bridal bouquet. The couple chose to honor Dan’s dad Joe by having a Budweiser toast at the reception, Joe’s drink of choice. It was important to the couple that Mickey and Joe’s presence be felt on their wedding day and they were able to accomplish that with the help of their vendors.

What was the most memorable part of the day?

A bee got stuck in the bride’s gown right before the first dance. Luckily, Meghan had the world’s best bridesmaids, who along with their dates, helped get the bee out moments before the DJ cued the music. Meghan and Dan took dance lessons and practiced the dance over and over, but they just couldn’t have anticipated that happening!

Tell us how you met and became engaged.

Meghan was accepted into a summer program in Leuven, Belgium and the couple decided to travel in Europe together beforehand. They started their trip in London and spent their second afternoon in St. James Park. After a few hours, Meghan was ready to get going on the next activity, in part because she was so tired she fell asleep on a park bench! Meghan became grumpy when Dan insisted they spend just a little more time in the park and was especially cranky when Dan kept fiddling on his phone. She went to wait it out under a tree and a few minutes later, heard the sounds of a camera shutter as Dan walked over to join her. It turns out, Dan had been texting the professional photographer he had hired their exact location in order to capture the moment. Dan’s proposal was one of the happiest moments of Meghan’s life and encapsulates much of what makes Dan a great partner — his thoughtfulness, his generosity and of course, his patience!

Photography: Rebecca Theresa Photography // Planning and Design: Jane Alexandra Events // Florals: Velvet Blooms // Stationery & Signage: Krista Doersch (friend of the couple!) // Venue: Santa Barbara Historical Museum // Dress Designer: Wtoo by Watters // Dress Boutique: Lili Bridals // Beauty: Cheek to Cheek // Bridesmaid Dresses: Jenny Yoo // Catering: Pure Joy Catering // DJ: VOX DJs // Live Music Jazz Trio: Jake Sucher Music // Tux: Mens Wearhouse // Ice Cream Bar: McConnell’s Fine Ice Creams // Rentals: Ventura Rental Party & Events and Bella Vista Designs Inc.

 

Real Weddings:

Cara and James’s wedding at The Powel Crosley Estate

featuring Everence Photography

Glam undertones, pops of dusty blush and gorgeous light on the grounds of The Powel Crosley Estate are just a few details that make up Cara and James’s gorgeous Florida wedding day. Coordination was by Laura Snow with florals by Oneco and it’s all captured here by  Everence Photography.

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What made the wedding special and unique?

What makes our wedding unique is that we focused less on some of the traditions and instead focused on everyone having a great time. We left out the bouquet and garter toss, didn’t stop the music to have everyone stop and watch the cake cutting (just family and a few of the wedding party were present), and kept the music upbeat and entertaining. Food and music were important to us so we chose that very carefully. We had been to so many weddings where the food was mediocre and the music was always the same so we wanted ours to be different. We also wanted it to be very romantic, elegant, and dreamy and I think we accomplished that!

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

I purchased my Lazaro gown at the White Magnolia (style 3814). I wanted something different and I had my eyes on this gown for a while! I tried on several dresses that I liked, but nothing that was giving me that spark. After trying on a few, I decided to just cut to the chase and try on the one I had been eyeing (even thought I was saving it for last!). From the moment I tried it on I just knew. The sparkle it gave and the way it flowed felt so magical. It was everything I wanted in a dress. It was perfect!

What were some touches added to make the wedding personal?

James and I wrote notes to each other and exchanged gifts the morning of. We then had our first look which I highly recommend! It made the day less stressful and allowed us to enjoy the day even more. It allowed us a few moments to enjoy by ourselves. Our dogs were also included which made our day even more memorable. We wrote each other our own vows in personalized vow books for our ceremony. It meant a lot to me that we did that for each other. It just made it that much more meaningful and special.

What was the most memorable part of the day?

Sharing our vows with each other during our ceremony and feeling the love that we share for one another. I think I sped walked down the aisle because I had dreamed of that moment for so long and was so excited. Hearing the speeches during dinner was entertaining and meant a lot to us as well. Having everyone celebrating our love was so appreciated. Our DJ was also amazing. I don’t think we stopped dancing! The weather was also perfect! I remember because the week before the forecast was rain and EVERYTHING was outdoors. I was stressed about it until a few days before the chance of rain went down to 0! It was warm, but not too warm, sunny and breezy. It was a dream come true.

Tell us how you met and became engaged.

James and I originally met working together in high school at Hollister. We were just friends back then. One year while I was in pharmacy school I came home for the summer. Mutual friends of ours threw a beach party for cinco de Mayo. We ran into each other and chatted for a bit. A couple weeks after I reached out to him and we started messaging back and forth. It took about 6 months to actually plan a date! But once we had that first date the rest was history. We dated for over 7 years before he proposed to me on New Year’s Eve during a picnic on the water at the University of Tampa. He told me earlier that day that he had a surprise for me later. When we got there he took out a new blanket and said look what I got! I asked if that was his surprise. He laughed and said yes. He then stood me up and proposed right there. That was the real surprise!

Photography: Everence Photography // Coordinator: Laura Snow // Florist: Oneco // Stationery: Minted // Venue: The Powel Crosley Estate // Videographer: Bonnie Newman // Hair & Makeup: Destiny and Light // Dress: Lazaro style 3814 // Bridal Boutique: The White Magnolia // Veil: Haute Bride (purchased from Malindy Elene) // Cake: Sugarpaste by Stephanie // Shoes: Badgley Mischka // Earrings: Sara Gabriel // Robes (for getting ready): LeRose // Bridesmaid dresses: Jasmine B2 (purchased at CC’s bridal boutique) // Tuxes: The Black Tux // Ties: The Tie Bar // James’ Shoes: Aldo // Bride’s rings: Mavilo // Catering: Milan Catering // DJ: Cory Barron // Lighting: Affairs in the Air // Ring Box: The Mrs. Box