Bridgerton Inspired Modern Wedding

Bridgerton has taken the world by storm with its stunning aesthetics and enchanting romance, so why not take some inspiration from the show on your big day? Katelyn and Caleb are on board with the idea and we couldn’t be more thrilled. Imagine a modern wedding with all the Bridgerton touches, from elaborate floral arrangements to elegant ballgowns. They could exchange their vows in a grand ballroom, lit up by chandeliers as bright as their love, and dance the night away to classical music and modern jams alike. Who knows, maybe Lady Whistledown herself will make an appearance to report on all the splendid details. Let’s make this Bridgerton-inspired wedding a reality – it’s sure to be the talk of the ton!

Caleb and I are high school sweethearts, but we actually went to rival high schools in nearby rural Ohio towns. When I moved to Ohio with my family my freshman year we ended up going to the same church as Caleb and his family. Since I was very shy and introverted, Caleb had to enlist the help of my younger sister to plan an opportunity for us to connect. I was drawn to Caleb’s awkward but endearing personality and the way he pursued me faithfully despite my initial elusiveness.

It was a very warm December day in Waco, Texas. Caleb was visiting me from Ohio for the Christmas holidays and was so excited to surprise me with the proposal. According to Caleb, he had several plans fall through over the several days he was in town. Time was running out as he had to return home to Ohio soon. He was finally able to pull me away from the chaos of Christmas with my family on the pretense of going for a hike in our favorite local park. We drove up to a particular area of the park called Lover’s Leap, he had planned to propose at this location but realized it was too crowded and opted to start hiking on the trail and pick a spot along the way. At some point, I stopped to answer an urgent work email with my back turned away from Caleb. This was the moment he decided to propose. However, I was annoyed about working while on our hike and quickly started to walk away without looking back to continue our day. He quickly pulled me back and tried to play it off like he just wanted a hug while he fumbled to dig the ring out of his pocket. He then turned me around and I saw him down on one knee! I was truly surprised it was finally happening! Caleb is a true romantic and got all choked up. Apparently he had rehearsed a speech but the only words he was able to manage were, “will you marry me?” Those were the only words I needed to answer yes! We enjoyed some time to ourselves before informing all of our family. It was truly a day that was perfectly “us.”

After dating for 8 years, I was so excited to finally start officially wedding planning! We immediately knew we wanted an intimate affair with just our closest friends and family. Additionally, I knew there would be lots of soft shades of pink, my favorite color, with champagnes and gold. Overall, I wanted the vibe to be classic and elegant with a few modern touches.
A few factors went into our location choice. Most of our family and friends live east of the Mississippi river, so we wanted a venue located near Dallas and its major airports. Additionally, finding a venue that could host an indoor ceremony and reception, preferably without having to complete a room flip, was very important to me since we were hosting an August wedding in Texas. I also wanted the venue to be bright, airy, and modern. The Emerson Venue completely swept me off my feet and checked all of our boxes! The picturesque white chapel is so dreamy and intimate and the reception hall provided the perfect modern and bright space to bring my vision to life!

I went into wedding dress shopping knowing I wanted something that felt classic and elegant. Some of my key features included a fit and flare shape, no embellishments, an open back, and a bow on the back. Once I found my perfect dress, I worked with my bridal salon to design a custom detachable bow for the back. To complete my look, I ordered a cathedral length veil and white block heels, both embellished with pearls, and some simple pearl and gold hoop earrings.

For the men, we initially thought we would go with classic navy suits, but I felt they were too dark for the weather and the light and airy feel of the wedding. When I found a gorgeous light blue suit online, I knew it was the perfect unique but still classic option! I also ordered Caleb a pair of monogrammed gold cuff links as a gift.

The most important thing for us was to create an elegant but fun atmosphere for our closest family and friends to celebrate with us and to just enjoy the day together. Out biggest splurge was our venue. I felt it was essential to meet our specific needs and set the perfect vibe for our wedding. We also invested in our photographer. With all of the planning involved, we wanted to make sure our photographer could capture our vision and all of the special moments in a way we would love for years to come. Karina’s work spoke for itself, and she was so sweet and engaging from the very first interaction. I knew she was the one for us!
We skipped party favors and a custom cake. We went with a small, plain white cake from Sam’s club and added our own flowers and then served sheet cake from Sam’s club as well. We also chose to have a small wedding party of two people each. This way we kept things intimate and cost effective.

One of our favorite parts of the day was our private first look. It was such a sweet time together and allowed me to get the pre-wedding jitters out and my fiance to get his first round of tears out! I had previously asked my fiance what he thought my dress would look like. He had correctly guessed some elements but not many, so I was excited to surprise him. I loved when he said, “it’s not what I pictured, but it is so perfectly you!”
Since we went with a first look, we were also able to complete our portraits prior to the ceremony allowing us to spend about 10 minutes together privately right after the ceremony to take it all in. This is another one of our favorite memories from the day. It was so nice to have time to process the event together and enjoy each other’s unique perspective of the ceremony.

I have always wanted tons of flowers at my wedding, especially peonies. Unfortunately, peonies are hard to come by in August and are also quite expensive. I searched for a cost effective solution and found a company I could rent faux floral arrangements from at an affordable price. This allowed me to have the amount and type of flowers I envisioned. Additionally, I did not have to stress about making the arrangements myself or reselling them after the wedding. When my bridal bouquet arrived, I did add a few extra faux pink peonies to the arrangement to complete my vision. I truly loved my flowers and felt they looked very realistic. As a bonus, I was able to keep my bouquet as a keepsake without having to preserve it!

We opted to order a small, tiered wedding cake from Sam’s club and added our own flowers then served sheet cake from Sam’s club as well.

I made all of the signage myself using acrylic sheets, paint, and vinyl lettering. For the seating chart, I used Canva to make a poster, had it printed at a local print shop, and framed it in an inexpensive gold frame. I also designed all of our stationery on Canva. To complete our stationery suite, I ordered a wax-seal stamp and gold wax to make custom wax seals.

My older brother served as our officiant. He was the officiant for my sister’s wedding and I loved the thought of carrying on the tradition. He did an awesome job!

My advice for future couple would be to rank what is most important for you both and plan your budget accordingly. Also, don’t be afraid to do a little searching for a good deal. There are lots of websites and Facebook groups for selling wedding decor and finding inspiration. Lastly, don’t forget to slow down and enjoy the day! It truly does go by so fast, and you have to be intentional about solidifying the memories.

Karina, our photographer from Karina Danielle Photography, truly did the most! She was so organized and on top of every little detail. Even our other vendors commented on how awesome she was! She helped me develop a custom timeline and made sure the day ran so smoothly. Karina made me and my husband feel at ease in front of the camera which is not an easy feat! Ultimately, she delivered us the most beautiful album of photos and memories I will treasure forever.