Real Weddings: Caroline + Edward

Love was blowing through the Windy City on Carrie and Mike’s wedding day, and these breathtakingly sweet photos showcase the elegance of it all! The couple wanted guests to have a real taste of the city, and the downtown Chicago Cultural Center was just the right venue for their ceremony and reception. Jesse Deckard of Event Creative made sure Carrie had a classic all-white bouquet to accent her White by Vera Wang gown – Carrie is a drop-dead gorgeous bride and we have to admit to being just a wee bit smitten with her! We love details like the moss reception table numbers wedding planner Lauren Carter of Lola Event Productions found, and the foam fingers that guests used to welcome Carrie and Mike to their reception. Such a fun day captured by Bobbi+Mike!

The stunning L’Auberge Del Mar is the backdrop for Megan and Chad’s chic California beachfront wedding.  Equal parts casual and sophisticated, the couple echoed the natural beauty of the resort with their earthy blue and green color palette. Jennifer Cole Florals did a phenomenal job with the florals, including blue and green hydrangea, orchids, and thistle nestled among dried grape vine as the main centerpieces at the reception, which featured tables named after their favorite vacation destinations, complete with their passport stamp pictures! We are head over heels for these beautiful images from Joielala!

There’s so much this wedding to fall in love with. Colorful tissue poms for the ceremony, unbelievable florals by the always amazing Fleur, and one of the cutest invitations I’ve seen in a while (self-designed, printed with Letterform), Bahareh and Justin had a colorful garden party wedding with all these stunning details and more! Their love of animals is what brought the two together, so they incorporated animals into their invitations, table numbers, cake, and other reception decor. Oh, and I’m in love with her shoes. Simply Jessie Photography did an incredible job capturing Bahareh and Justin’s big day!

Deciding on Galleria Marchetti in Chicago as their venue was one of the easiest choices for Emily and Tom. It wasn’t as easy, however, for Emily to keep Tom from wanting to hang streamers from the tent. Either way, their colorful wedding looks like it was a blast! The florals by Fleur are stunning (love the limes!) and Emily’s necklace makes me want to dig through my mom’s jewelry and find a brooch to steal just so I can have it made into my own necklace by Elva Fields. The couple is very lucky to have some extremely helpful friends. Emily’s sorority sister, Amanda Hein, took great photos of the day, the one of the bridesmaids shoes is my fav!

When I think of what an elegant Newport Beach wedding should look like, Alison and Chris’ event is exactly what I picture. The color palette is fresh and clean, the florals classy and understated, the bride decked out in pearls…so classic! Oh, and wait till you see where they got married. If I had access to a private residence like this, there is no doubt in my mind that our guests would have been dining in long tables along the water under string lights too! Sigh…I can feel that fresh breeze now. Incredibly beautiful event coordinated by Joyful Weddings & Events and photos by the always amazing Meg Perotti.

Raven and Michael’s beautiful North Carolina beach wedding has me so excited for the upcoming days of summer!  The couple worked with Jennifer of Salt Harbor Designs to create their stunning event, with a classic and clean color palette of white, green, and navy, and beautiful details like vintage mirrors, chandeliers in the reception tent, a unique message in a bottle guest book station, and gorgeous farmhouse tables with lush white blooms.  The overall result is elegant, warm, and cozy – perfect for an oceanfront affair.  Thanks to Andrew Bryant Photography for sharing!

Fall has firmly settled in here in Chicago, so it’s time to reminisce about summer, and what better way to do that than with a beautiful wedding from Laurie Peacock?  All of the details of this wedding, minus the flowers, were created by the couple, and I love all of the personal elements they incorporated!

You guys never cease to amaze me. Not only are you insanely creative and talented (and I’m talking about both brides and vendors here), but you just keep delivering us these fabulous, unique weddings to blog about! Each day I see something new and inspirational.

We are so thrilled to showcase images from a new photographer to EAD, Terra Tabbytosavit.  Alex and Rachel were married at the beautiful Asilomar retreat in Monterey, CA on New Years Eve 2007.

Ahh, just the thought of a wedding brings so much joy and happiness. What better way to celebrate this memorable milestone than with an all-out Arkansas party! Literally a good old fashioned Big Party! This is exactly the vision that came true for one couple recently when they got married in front of their family and friends in an extravagant wedding reception filled with love, joy – and of course partying! Read on to find out more about this memorable celebration.

Sarah and Scott originally had a large celebration planned, but like many other brides, COVID changed that. In a cautious manner they decided to move forward with their wedding with just their 12 closest family and friends. Despite the small guest count, the design aspect was large. Their outdoor ceremony took place surrounded by banyan trees under the most stunning Chuppah. Reception was followed with the most divine tent with flowing florals and hints of citrus.

Sarah & Benjamin wanted guests to feel like they were entering a magical world when they arrived at their wedding and the day was full of awe-inspiring details which made that vision a reality. From getting married at the castle-like Wonderland Cluj Resort, to the horse-drawn carriage fit for royalty, to the show-stopping, jaw-droppingly lush, floor-to-ceiling florals by Elena Bodea – Las Floristas that filled both the ceremony and reception, guests were transported into a fairy tale for the day. Add to that that these two look like they walked out of a magazine themselves, and this may be one of the most dreamy weddings ever! The gallery is full of more incredible photos by Ioana Porav Photography, from the stunning rose petal seals on the stationery by Invogue Art, to Sarah’s romantic Milla Nova wedding gown (a nod to her Hispanic roots), to even more photos of their unbelievable florals, and trust us, you absolutely want to see them all!

Ellie and Drew traveled from Texas to the beautiful Capen House on Lake Osceola for an intimate wedding with their closest friends and family. Pixies and Petals ran with Ellie’s vision of a Lilly Pulitzer-inspired English garden with florals in vibrant shades of peach, raspberry, coral, and fuchsia and created a lush pink garden wonderland in the ceremony and reception space. Along with stunning florals, their day featured 3 different musicians, an epic grazing table, and even a few fun pranks! These photos by Kristen Weaver Photography are guaranteed to brighten your day so be sure to check them all out and read more about the amazing details of their wedding in Ellie’s own words below!

Kelsey and Scott exchanged vows in front of friends, family, and a spectacular cotton candy sunset on the bay where they both grew up. Even their adorable dog was able to enjoy the celebration, walking down the aisle adorned with the perfect floral collar! The couple chose to complement Waters Edge‘s natural beauty with french blue and sage tones, bleached driftwood collected by Scott’s mother, almost a thousand succulents, and clean white florals by Lush Flowers. Every detail, from Kelsey’s stunning Monique Lhuillier gown, to one of the coolest getaway vehicles we’ve ever seen, is elegant, glamorous, and perfectly captured by Paul and Grace Photography!

Almost instantly, a wedding in Washington, DC has visions of ultimate grandeur. Jen and Nick wed in the early spring at the Four Seasons and they left no stone unturned when it came to the ins and outs of their wedding design. Jen’s favorite blooms are the ever-stunning and lush magnolias and with that color inspiration as their jumping point, they coveted a white/ivory and green wedding with gold accents. Florist Amy from Amy Lauren Floral Designs expressed and continued the color palette by using sumptuous white peonies and white roses along with the glossy magnolia leaves. This wedding has too many impeccable elements to it, both in design and in personality. We’re just glad that Kristen Gardner captured all the splendor in full!

Audrey and David had the absolute privilege at marrying at a beautiful French chateau and with the smiles on both of their faces in various photos from Romain Vaucher, their day was beyond joyful and seeped out everywhere. After a proposal in Japan, the two found Chateau de Razay to call their wedding venue. Japan is near and dear to them, so they wanted to bring the colors of a Japanese spring to their wedding, using white and green with blush pink peppered across their decor. Their ceremony was steeped in Madagascan traditions in homage to David’s heritage. The groomsmen wore Malagasy hats and the service was conducted under the Madagascan church. For motif, we love they went simple with their colors; a chateau almost never needs any excessive decor and allowing the chateau’s present decor shine like Audrey and David did will create such a memorable experience.

Elena and Jonathan’s wedding vision was “Grace Kelly does New Orleans” and wow, did they deliver! With classic, timeless elements inspired by her grandmother’s wedding and a palette of soft blues and mustard yellow, their New Orleans wedding at Maison Montegut pays homage to their families while creating a chic and sophisticated atmosphere. Emily Sullivan Events made sure the day went off without a hitch, and Poppy and Mint created florals with vibrant pops of yellow to accent the fresh greenery of the courtyard reception. Their day is beautifully captured by Mon Soleil Weddings!

Let’s all take a moment (or two) out of our day to check out this bliss-inducing Janita Mestre wedding. It’s delightfully in the desert, so of course you’re going to spot a few cacti at Galway Downs, but you’re going to see such a dreamy color palette too. Being so close to Valentine’s Day, Stephanie and Alex wanted to evoke love all throughout, so they picked pink as their go-to hue. Big and bright blush and ivory florals by Events by Floral Sensations complemented the eye-catching David’s Bridal mauve bridesmaids’ dresses, and we loved this idea, too. Instead of continuing the soft tones everywhere, shake up the colors like Stephanie and Alex and throw a deep hue in the same color family somewhere that will be seen. Adding it to the bridesmaids’ dresses was a clever touch without overwhelming the couple’s desire to have an airy feel to their wedding day.

After Jessica and Zach got engaged, they sweetly joined Jessica’s parents on a trip to DC to celebrate their wedding anniversary. One of their excursions there was to take a walk on the grounds where her parents held their wedding ceremony, the National Cathedral. Naturally, they were so smitten with the gardens and the buildings that once they found out the Gothic-style cathedral was now hosting wedding receptions in addition to ceremonies, the New Yorkers jumped on the chance to get married there. Jessica wanted an “elegant and ethereal” day so with the help of Caroline Dutton Events and Kate & Lilly Floral Design, they drew inspiration from the Bishop’s Garden on the grounds. With Audra Wrisley capturing all the pretty pale pink roses, peonies, greenery, and everything in between, the duo said their I do’s and partied the night away in one of the most amazing venues we’ve seen.