Bright Inspirational Real Wedding stories

Julie & Donald: A Formal Wedding in Dearborn, MI

The historic grounds of the Henry Ford Museum set the stage for Julie and Donald's romantic Dearborn wedding. The Bride Julie Hobbs, 33 The Groom Donald Julian, 37 The Date October 10 When Julie Hobbs' best friend invited her to a Red Wings hockey game, she got the chance to meet her friend's b...

Amy & Stan: A Formal Wedding in Detroit, MI

Amy and Stan shared a favorite tune all the way to the altar in Detroit. The Bride Amy Burke, 27 The Groom Stan Kulikowski, 27 The Date October 25 Amy Burke knew she had scored when a friend who couldn't attend a Barenaked Ladies concert offered her the ticket. Joining her friend's group for th...

Hilary & Todd: A Casual Wedding in Snohomish, WA

Then a receptionist, Hilary often fielded calls from Todd, who worked in another branch of the same business. They began mixing business with pleasure, exchanging friendly email. We didn't know what each other looked like, but I was drawn to him, she says. After meeting face-to-face (and exchangi...

Kelly & Mike: An Outdoor Wedding in San Juan Capistrano, CA

Kelly and Mike met through a mutual friend at a local bar and started dating, although their paths had crossed earlier: I went to a party at Mike's house but never met him, remembers Kelly. I guess it really is about timing. When it came time to propose, Mike was ahead of the game. I had inherit...

Valerie & Joseph: A Modern Wedding in Waikiki Beach, HI

It sounds more like a movie script than real life, but Valerie and Joe first met after she got into a fender bender one Christmas Eve. My friend gave me the number of someone who could fix my Porsche, and it was Joe's, remembers Valerie. His shop was all the way on the other side of the island, t...

Harper & Adam: A Fall Wedding in Tucson, AZ

Harper, a full time student and future United States Air Force officer, and Adam, a noncommissioned officer in the United States Air Force, celebrated their marriage with a magnificent fall fete in Tucson. The Bride Harper Krizman, 27 The Groom Adam Vaughn, 28 The Date September 21 I told him ...

Erica & Michael: A Fall Wedding in Chicago, IL

After falling in love at Southern Illinois University, Erica and Michael started their lives together in Chicago. Erica was completely surprised when she came home one evening and walked into an apartment full of glowing candles and rose petals. Michael greeted her at the door, dropped to one kne...

Debra & Paul: A Casual Wedding in St. Paul, MN

With a decor of stately columns, marble accents, and antique lamps and furnishings, the James J. Hill Reference Library, Debra and Paul believed, was a masterpiece all on its own. But when they caught a glimpse of the recently renovated library, it was love at first sight. THE BRIDE Debra Asplu...

Cheryl & Damian: A Summer Wedding in Columbus, OH

Was it fate that brought Damian and Cheryl together? They met by chance when each was accompanying a friend who happened to have won the same local radio station prize-tickets to an Everclear contest and a key that might open the door to a new Honda. While neither friend won the car, Cheryl and D...

Jeannine & Thien: A Cultural Wedding in Arlington, TX

How do you top off 13 years of true love? High school sweethearts Jeannine and Thien did it with an enormous wedding celebration that blended Western, Chinese, and Vietnamese traditions. The Bride Jeannine Koay, 28, physician The Groom Thien Hoang, 29, small business owner The Date June 21

Amanda & Todd: An Outdoor Wedding in Raleigh, NC

Though Todd Olson and Amanda Ward met briefly at a software conference, their conversation was strictly business. But a year later, when a mutual friend fixed the two up on a blind date, business took a backseat in favor of a whirlwind romance. The Bride Amanda Ward The Groom Todd Olson The Dat...

Sunny & Reynolds: An Outdoor Wedding in Bald Head Island, NC

After meeting and dating in San Francisco and spending the ski season at Lake Tahoe, Sunny Durack and Reynolds Maxwell took off to the California coast for a break in March. Sunny's expectations of a low-key expedition took a turn for the romantic when Reynolds pulled into Manka's Inverness Lodge...

Emily & Nate: A Fall Wedding in Hershey, PA

Four stores and 40 dresses later, Emily Weidman, with the help of her patient boyfriend Nate Meloon, found the perfect outfit for an upcoming wedding. Little did Emily know she would soon be planning a wedding of her own. THE BRIDE Emily Weidman, 22, English teacher THE GROOM Nate Meloon, 24, ed...

Amanda & Alex: A Formal Wedding in Oakland, CA

Amanda Rybarczyk was surprised to find that her boyfriend, Alex Sadie, had arranged for two of her closest friends and their significant others to come to the Bay Area from the East Coast for a visit. She was even more surprised to find that they weren't just there to visit: Alex had arranged for...

Ashley & Todd: A Summer Wedding in Hendersonville, NC

Happy hour became a lot happier when a friend played cupid for Ashley Brown and Todd Allen. The two were at the same Arlington, Virginia grill one night after work when one of Todd’s high school friends introduced them. Though there were few sparks that night, the two found themselves chatting re...

A Formal Peacock-Themed Wedding

From the beginning, Shana and Tom knew they wanted to hold their wedding ceremony and reception at the same site, but they wanted each event to feel like it was in a different place. When they visited the American Village in Montevallo, which has both a chapel and a formal ballroom on the grounds...

Christine & Darcy: A Fall Wedding in Ardmore, PA

For Christine Tomasello, living in San Francisco and planning her Pennsylvania wedding was no easy feat. She and her groom, Darcy Cottrell, decided on the Philadelphia suburbs where they grew up for sentimental reasons -- it's also where they met at a mutual friend's New Year's Eve party in 1996....

Emily & Anthony: A Formal Wedding in Dayton, OH

A preference for contemporary elegance marked Emily and Anthony’s wedding day, and the clean lines and modern feel of The Dayton Art Institute set the tone for their sophisticated celebration. THE BRIDE Emily Stamas THE GROOM Anthony Shay THE DATE May 15 It’s an age-old story of triumph over tr...

Heather & John: A Casual Wedding in Kansas City, MO

Heather and John’s picture-perfect rose garden wedding was sophisticated and elegant, with a classic color palette of champagne and ivory. THE BRIDE Heather Tilly THE GROOM John Robertson IV THE DATE September 18 At the Have a Nice Day Café near Kansas City at a friend’s birthday party, Heathe...

Shana & Shawn: An Outdoor Wedding in Rocheport, MO

Shana and Shawn used shades of blue throughout their outdoor wedding in Rocheport. The Bride Shana Watkins, 26, high school journalism teacher and photographer The Groom Shawn Wedel, 31, American Studies PhD student The Date October 4 You could say Shawn Wedel and Shana Watkins are the perfect ...

Kirsten & Graham: A Beach Wedding in Provincetown, MA

She thought that they were headed from Chicago to Columbus, Ohio, for the University of Illinois vs. Ohio State football game. What Kirsten didn't realize was that they were never going to get out of the Windy City. THE BRIDE Kirsten Staaterman, 27, public relations THE GROOM Graham Nelson, 27,...

Sara & Jimmy: A Fall Wedding in Santa Barbara, CA

Like true Southern California natives, Jimmy and Sara met as students at the University of (you guessed it) Southern California. The Bride Sara Hsu, 27, student The Groom Jimmy Chang, 28, student The Date November 30 Sara was a freshman; Jimmy was a sophomore. After years of dating, the couple ...

Alison & Kevin: A Fall Wedding in Bridgeville, PA

Though Alison Carter and Kevin McGowan knew each other in high school, neither made a lasting impression on the other. That is, until the hometown honeys reconnected at a party years later -- and they've been inseparable since. THE BRIDE Alison Carter, 25, bid coordinator THE GROOM Kevin McGowan...