Talent Behind The Day
Photographer: Kara Stewart Photography | Wedding Dress: Always Elegant Bridal | Venue: Struckmeyer Farms | Cake/Dessert: Upper Crust Bakery | Florist: Little Red Hen | Planner: The 530 Bride | Caterer: Chicobis | DJ/Music: The Wedding DJ | Rentals: Chico Party Planning / We Do Designs | Invitations: The 530 Bride | Men’s Attire: Always Elegant Bridal | Hair & Makeup: All Dolled Up
Love story…
My husband Alex & I met on the Bumble dating app, and I remember being immediately attracted to his fantastic sense of humor and warm smile. We began dating, and though we were a few hours away from each other, we spent lots of time sharing laughs and deep conversation on FaceTime. We saw each other as often as we could and on our second date, he took me on a tour of his town/farm, ending the day with slow dancing in the barn that became our wedding venue. We both knew we were in love after that day. 3 months later, he got on one knee during a trip to the coast and proposed on the beach.
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This was my second wedding, and since shopping for my first wedding dress I had lost a significant amount of weight. My last experience with shopping was limited both in what I could afford and also, what was available to me in plus sizes. I was so excited to discover that Always Elegant Bridal had a special shopping experience where you could rent out the store and make it a full event! My mother, MIL, a few bridesmaids and some family came with me. It was so fun to come out in each dress and stand on the little pedestal! Prior to my appointment, I scoped out the AE Pinterest and had let my stylist know what I was leaning towards, and that I had fallen in love with one specific dress. We tried on a lot of variations, but I said YES to that initial dress. It was a perfect mix of romance and tradition. I’m so glad I chose it and decided to preserve it through AE, so I can save it for my girls!
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It was really important to Alex that he not see me until the ceremony. He wanted that special moment of watching me walk down the aisle, a moment he had been thinking of for some time (I love his heart!). I loved seeing his eyes well up with tears as I walked down the aisle with my father.
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I also loved how much time we got together (thanks to our amazing planning team!). Once we saw each other in the church, we were able to spend every moment together. We did a great couple session with our photographer directly following the ceremony, and Alex went and snuck me some cocktail hour appetizers when we moved locations for golden hour portraits. It was fun to snack alongside him as we took that little break and got to watch our guests from afar.
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I also loved dancing with him!!! Our DJ was amazing and Alex & I shut down the dance floor to our favorite songs from college.
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We got married on New Years Day – it was cold so we added a lot of things to help our guests feel comfortable like a hot cocoa/coffee bar, fire pits, and s’mores stations. We knew a lot of our vendors personally, through other events and life, so it felt very welcoming and like a big party.
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I would say that as things get stressful (and they will), remember to check in with yourself on WHY you’re getting married, and what is most important. Take lots of date nights, spend time together and enjoy the process. Also, don’t skimp on the vendors that matter most to you. For us, that was the music & the photography! The day goes by so quickly and the photos are really what you hold on to after the big day. Our DJ was great at not only providing a perfect soundtrack to our day but also making sure everything ran smooth, our guests were directed well AND that everyone had a good time.
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