Happy May Day!

Today we’re featuring Elyse and Weston’s urban engagement photos. Their sweet session was taken at a studio in downtown Minneapolis and also at the infamous Stone Arch Bridge–an historic railroad bridge that spans the mighty Mississippi River. The Stone Arch Bridge is a special location for Elyse and Weston … because it’s where Weston proposed!

We love city engagement sessions–and how they capture the personality of not only the couple, but the city too. We also love Elyse’s gorgeous smile and the way she lights up when Weston looks at her! Enjoy!

Wedding style: classic, romantic, outdoor garden
Colors: Berry Blue and White
Photographer: Tracy Walsh, Poser Design
Saving the Date {September 15th, 2012}: MagnetStreet Weddings

“Best part of day was the joy of celebrating our engagement” Elyse

Vendor Shout Outs

Poser Design: Tracy Walsh of Poser Design
Tracy of Poser Design did an amazing job! She is incredibly talented, and she made us feel relaxed and comfortable in front of the camera. I would recommend her to anyone who is looking for a wedding photographer. Her work is exceptional.

{You can see all of this darling engagement session on their blog, right here!}

MagnetStreet: We LOVED MagnetStreet! The designs to choose from were so creative, and we loved personalizing our Save the Dates! It was fun and a wonderful way to formally announce our wedding to friends and family!

Congratulations on your engagement Elyse and Weston! Thanks for sharing your photos with us and we look forward to seeing your wedding photos next!

xo

We are simply in love with Chad and Vicki’s elegant beach wedding in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. Drawing us in are the turquoise waters, white sand and this beautiful couple–so clearly in love. Natural romance abounds in this tropical destination and Chad and Vicki’s beach wedding is full of love, family and significance … the icing on their wedding cake. Enjoy as our lovely bride guides us through their day…

Wedding Style: Beach Formal
Colors: Aqua and shades of Purple
Ceremony & Reception: Melia Caribe Tropical in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
Photographer: Brian Khang Photographer
Save the Date & Thank You: MagnetStreet Weddings

Highlights of the day:

A surprise love letter from my husband, seeing how beautiful the bouquets turned out, being surrounded by 60 of our closest friends and family, marrying my best friend.

Some of my favorite details:

Our fan programs … the groomsmens’ striped socks … my “something blue” anklet … wearing the same earrings my mom and sister wore on their wedding day … my camouflage garter (my husband is a big hunter) … our “In lieu of a party favor” cards (we used one of our engagement photos and explained that we were donating to the cancer organization that helped my husband when he was sick) … our engraveable guest book … and our wedding cake that had real shells on it.

Advice you’re glad you took:

Using lots of hairspray – it was REALLY windy but my hair stayed in place all day … Not wearing extremely tall heels (mine were 2.75 inches and I kept them on all night) … Strolling hors d’oeuvres versus self serve (so much more elegant).

Advice you’d like to give:

For destination weddings, try to go to the resort at least 6 months prior to the wedding to see the venues, meet the wedding planner and get a vision. We did this and it helped tremendously.

Best part of the whole wedding day: Dancing all night with my husband, friends and family.

{Chad & Vicki personalized “Love Airways” Save the Date Card and “Black Fade” Thank You Card}

Thank you Chad and Vicki–for sharing your day and the topical prettiness of your lovely, lovely wedding! You can see more from this beach destination wedding via photographer, Brian Khang.

We have a very lovely wedding with a very gorgeous couple from across the pond today. Irene and Aaron got married in the United Kingdom and their ceremony and reception were held in a romantic wine vault that dates back to the 14th century! And if that isn’t rich enough in history for you–Irene and Aaron had their pictures taken outside of Rochester Cathedral and Castle–England’s second oldest cathedral–founded in 604 AD. So cool. But, here’s beautiful Irene to tell us more about their day and their relationship.

Wedding Style: Blending British and Nigerian influences
Colours: Purple and White
Ceremony & Reception: a 14th century bar called The George Vaults.
Photographer: Mamun Humayun of m24instudio
Thank You Cards: MagnetStreet Weddings

Traveling alone, Aaron and I met in the Philippines in 2009. Since then we have traveled to many countries together and maintained a long distance relationship before getting married 14 August 2011. It was an intimate wedding of about 50 people. I’m British and my family is Nigerian so this had a lot of influence on the theme of the wedding, as most of my family wore native Nigerian clothing. However it also had a traditional English influence as it took place in Kent, UK.

The wedding took place in a bar called the George Vaults which has as a 14th-century vault in the basement. There was a very romantic atmosphere as it was small and intimate and lit up with candles. The ceremony and reception were in the same place. They just rearranged the tables and chairs.

The best part of the day …

was when we were announced husband and wife and I walked out of there with my new husband. Taking pictures was also a lovely experience. We were able to take pictures outside Rochester Cathedral and Castle as the venue is opposite those two sites. The reception was also a lot of fun as we love to dance.

Highlights of the day:

The speeches from my brother-in-law, father and my 11 year-old sister were all amazing. My little sister surprised everyone and did a toast for us. The ceremony itself was also very beautiful and went really well.

The venue took care of the catering and decorations and it was so much easier having the ceremony and reception in the same place. Most of my family came down from London so they didn’t know the area. It would have been a lot of hassle having the reception in a different location. I’m glad we didn’t have to worry about finding a separate caterer and decorator. It was very straightforward doing it that way.

Advice I wish I had taken:

Check and double-check bookings over and over to ensure people who say they were going to do something don’t let you down at the last minute. Relying on family and friends helps to cut costs but sometimes it can cause more stress than it’s worth.

Advice I would give:

Compromise as much as you are willing to–in order to keep family members happy–but once you have reached that point don’t budge, or you will end up having the type of wedding you never wanted. Keep it simple and don’t let people pressure you into doing what you don’t want. People are still shocked that we managed to have a small intimate wedding considering my Nigerian background. Weddings in Nigeria are usually like carnivals!

Don’t lose sight of what the day is really about and remember, it’s yours and your spouse’s day. You can’t please everyone, so just stick to what you want as a couple.

Also, ask for money instead of gifts. You can request contributions towards your honeymoon for example. It’s much better than getting random gifts that you may not need or may not go with anything in your house. We had to move to a new country so we didn’t want a lot of stuff.

Irene & Aaron personalized “Wall of Love” Thank You Cards.

Vendor Shout Outs:

Photographer: Mamun Humayun

Their prices were so reasonable and they also did a 1 hour video with all the highlights of the day and behind the scenes footage.

MagnetStreet Weddings

MagnetStreet has a good selection of designs for our thank you cards. We sent the original invitations via email. We used Smilebox so it was a selection of pictures of us on our various travels together and it was accompanied with our song – Stevie Wonder for your love. However, as we sent the invitations via email, we wanted to send real thank you cards with some nice photos as a keepsake. I was impressed with how easy the website was to use and the range of designs available to choose from.

Thank you Irene and Aaron for sharing your spectacular day! We wish you every bit of happiness as you *journey* through life together!

xo

Reminiscent of “Casablanca” or “An Affair to Remember” we have a classic love story of our own to share with you today! It’s the story of how Lydia and Willie–after 20 years of separation–reconnected their relationship and rekindled their love. Now married, here’s their reunion story and real wedding that will surely tug on your heart strings. For Lydia and Willie, it’s their journey of love, patience and contentment. It’s their happily ever after and we couldn’t be happier for them!

And I have to say, that Lydia is probably the sweetest person on the planet. Just saying. Enjoy.

Wedding Colors: Ivory, Wisteria, Champagne with a touch of Silver
Theme: Two hearts led by love. 20 years later, two lives joined forever.
Wedding Style: Traditional-Christian

Highlight of the Day:

Willie: Seeing the joy and happiness on Lydia’s face. Watching Lydia say “I do” and giving me our wedding kiss.
Lydia: Seeing Willie at the altar waiting for me.

from Lydia …

“Our story begins with my very best childhood girl friend, Lorita. We had gone to a local club one Friday evening and while sitting at the table talking, this very handsome man came up and spoke to her … well, we ended up talking, laughing and dancing all evening, and by the last dance we had exchanged information.We started dating and our relationship grew.

Willie was in the Army Reserve–a Staff Sergeant and moving up the ranks. It was 1990. We didn’t know then–that when Willie left for his two-week annual training, he would be leaving again for a lot longer … Willie was mobilized for Desert Shield {which later became Desert Storm}. We lost contact with each other and that time–turned into years.

Many years later and on my way into the court building where I worked, I asked a friend who I knew was in the Army Reserve, if he knew a person named Willie Conley. He said “yes, he’s my best friend (brother) why do you ask?” My reply to him was the next time he talked to Willie–to tell him that I said “hello”. Well Al Baylor did one better, he called Willie and handed me the telephone.

We talked for a few minutes and exchanged numbers again. Willie came over Christmas evening, 2010. When I opened the door, our journey began … ”

The wedding: August 20, 2011

Lydia being walked down the aisle by her brother.

Advice we’d like to give:
Take your contract and go over it several times–even have someone else read it–to make sure you are getting exactly what you and your fiance’ want.

Best Part of the Day:
Watching our family and friends have a good time at our reception. My husband and I danced all night.

Advice I’m glad I took:
My florist had me use silk flowers instead of real flowers–since it was so hot in August.

*Willie and Lydia honored 4 of their deceased loved ones through the ivory flowers in Lydia’s bouquet: 2 representing Lydia’s daughter and father and 2 representing Willie’s parents.

The funniest part of the day …
was when I had to repeat my vows after my minister. Instead of saying “I, Lydia”  I said,  “I, Willie” Everyone broke out laughing! So, that is our private joke among our close church friends.

Vendor List

Ceremony: AME Zion Church, Southfield, MI Reception: Mother of God Church
Officiant: Rev. Al C. Hamilton
Photographer: Harold Harris, H.J.H Enterprise
Florist: Yvette Noble, City Mertro Florist
Limo Service:Alston Limo
Coordinator: Bridget Irby of Pretty Pink Petals
Save the Dates, Invitation Suite, Thank Yous: MagnetStreet Weddings

Lydia and Willie personalized Timeless Love Save the Date Magnet, Flower Flourish Wedding Invitation, and Green Hue Thank You Card.

Congratulations Lydia and Willie! We’re so glad you found each other again. Thank you for sharing your sweet story with the world. May joy, peace and blessings be yours–always!

xo