Elegant Inspirational Real Wedding stories

Modern Flair Meets Rich Tradition at This Asian-American Wedding at The Foundry in Long Island City, New York

Both first-generation Asian-American immigrants, Rosalee Celis, hailing from the Philippines, and Soe Naing, born in Myanmar, faced unique challenges in the United States. Rosalee reminisces, “Like many first-generation immigrant children, it was difficult to maintain our Asian identity while ass...

A Couple's Modern Knanaya Wedding With Heartfelt Customs in Dallas, Texas

Benita Peters and Terry Philip’s love story began at church, where Benita found him “really cute,” even with his trademark smirk. That smirk made Benita suspect he thought he was “better than everyone” when, unbeknownst to her, it was a clever disguise to hide his braces. Despite her overprotecti...

We Love This Ethereal-Meets-Industrial Wedding With Jewish Customs at 99 Scott in Brooklyn

"Plot twist: there are two Butlers in Williamsburg." Melissa Levin and Shneur Wolvovsky met on the dating app Bumble, agreeing to meet in person at a local cafe—they quickly learned of the two locales when each of them showed up at a different location. "Shneur ended up showing up at the wrong Bu...

Exclusive: Inside Influencer Steph Frosch's Garden Rooftop Wedding in New York City

Few phenomena are more magical than a double proposal. When lovebirds Stephanie (Steph) Frosch and Melissa Barnett set out for Cape Cod for a summer vacation in 2021, both women had rings in their pockets. “We went on a trip to our favorite small beach town, unaware that we were both planning on ...

The Couple's Grandmothers Inspired Their Jewish-Italian Pizzeria-Themed Welcome Party in Ojai, California

Even before the main event, Natalia Renna (28 and a digital marketing strategist) and Zachary (Zach) Nathanson (30 and a small-business owner) infused their wedding weekend with unique personalization. The Los Angeles–based couple invited 210 loved ones to California’s Ojai Valley for three days ...

For a Wedding Planner, Surprise Nuptials in Her Maryland Backyard Were Just the Ticket

Imagine this: Your good friends get engaged and invite you to celebrate at a local bar. Except, upon arrival, you learn that you won’t be raising a glass to an upcoming wedding—it’s happening today. To celebrate their love, Angelica Laws (32 and a wedding planner) and Melisa Matthews (34 and a ph...

An Equestrian’s Dreamy, Rustic-Chic Wedding at Winvian Farm in Morris, Connecticut

Guy Dunkley spent hours finding the perfect spot to propose to Jennifer (Jen) Dorfman while on a quick Key West vacation. Suddenly, the opportunity presented itself—a local dog beach was within golf-cart-driving distance, and the pair had their one-year-old Cocker Spaniel with them. “Noodle playe...

This Outdoor Wedding at Olowalu on Maui Had The Perfect Mix of Tropical and Modern Vibes

“We remember just standing there, holding hands, saying, ‘There is no way this is our wedding. This is perfect,’” newlyweds Mike Watkins and Killian Smith recall. After three postponements due to the pandemic, the grooms were ecstatic to host their friends and family for their tropical nuptials—f...

Live Vicariously Through This Couple’s Fairytale Destination Wedding at Villa Erba in Lake Como, Italy

While everyone was stuck inside during the height of the pandemic, were all found creative ways to facilitate human interaction. So, when Sade Okagbue’s friend invited her to join a virtual “House Party” app, she leaped at the opportunity. “We played games and met new people,” she describes. “We ...

This World-Traveling Couple Selected the Wythe Hotel in New York City for Their Vintage-Inspired Wedding

David Nimmo and Jason Pettigrew’s relationship can best be described as a worldly romance: spanning cities, states, countries and even continents. But, their story began as many do—in New York City. “We met on Tinder! Our first date had us hopping around the West Village, Soho and Nolita: having ...

Stroll Through NYC With a Bride Planning an Art-Centered Wedding at the Baltimore Museum of Art

Planning your wedding can be stressful—it’s important to savor the fun moments. In that spirit, bride Kristina (Krisy) Temple went a step (or two) further, opting to forgo engagement pictures in favor of a wedding-planning photoshoot. With her photographer and two bridesmaids in tow, Krisy spent ...

Influencer Hoàng-Kim Cung's Dallas, Texas, Celebration Included Three Wedding Ceremonies

Hoàng-Kim Cung (31 and a content creator) and Jonathan (Johnny) Huang Van (29 and a tech entrepreneur) wanted a wedding that felt both timeless and modern, so they could “look back at it decades from now and still love every detail without it feeling outdated or trendy,” says Hoàng-Kim. One way t...

This Wedding With Citrus Details is a Summertime Dream at The Annex in New York

Summertime and the lovin’ is easy. When it came time for Stephanie King and Adam Partridge to tie the knot, they knew which season they’d be honoring. “Because the wedding was in June, it was inspired by the joyfulness of summer,” the bride explains. “I dreamed of a citrus-filled room surrounded ...

This Couple Embraced Art Deco Decadence at Their Country Music Hall of Fame Wedding in Nashville, Tennessee

Theirs is a timeless love: Aidan Grano and Brady Mickelsen shrewdly infused aspects of their blended personalities and tastes into their Nashville nuptials. In an effort to highlight the different vibes of each of their wedding venues, the grooms decided to play to the spaces’ unique styles. “Eac...

This Bi-Coastal Couple Hosted an “East Meets West”-Themed Wedding at Villa Sevillano in Santa Barbara, California

Grace Shelton was raised a true Los Angeleno. As the daughter of an entertainment executive and an actress, she spent her childhood summers in Montecito in Santa Barbara County. “I grew up there and have so many fond memories: I got my ears pierced in downtown Santa Barbara as a young teen, and I...

An Elegant Fourth of July-Themed Rehearsal Dinner With Metallic Stars at Greengate Ranch in San Luis Obispo, California

Who doesn’t love kicking things off with a big (and stylish) bang? When it came to their wedding weekend, Southern California couple Kayla Marquez and Cody Stouffer did just that. As the convivial pair they are, both the bride and groom set out to give their friends and family a weekend jam-packe...

A Bel-Air Bay Club Wedding Filled With Warm Details and Artful Inspiration in Los Angeles, California

After participating in 14 weddings over the course of their lives, sweethearts Karina and Mike Gwynn knew exactly how they wanted to style their big day. Spotlighting the magic of Southern California, the couple selected the Bel Air Bay Club as the backdrop for their wedding. “We wanted something...

A Chic Texas Wedding at Ma Maison in Dripping Springs With Black-and-White Details

Jordan Wessel, model and founder of More Than Inc., and Brendan Canova, a sales professional, celebrated their love at Ma Maison in Dripping Springs, Texas, with a chic black-and-white wedding. Despite saying "I do" in Texas, the couple knew they didn't want a rustic wedding. Instead, they wanted...

Inside Bridal Gown Designer Justin Alexander's Destination Wedding at a Castle in Italy

Have you ever wondered what the fashion looks like when a wedding dress designer gets married? When Justin Warshaw, the CEO and creative director of the renowned Justin Alexander brand, wed Kelsey Turchi, a tech sales professional, in Italy, the fashion wasn’t the only memorable part of the celeb...

This Effortlessly Chic Vineyard Wedding at Saddlerock Ranch in Malibu, California, Had Epic Mountain Views

Kat Landeta, owner of Bride Loves a Sale and Second Look, and Jason Lawler celebrated their marriage with a vineyard wedding in the mountains at Saddlerock Ranch and Vineyard in Malibu, California. "Since Jason is from Sonoma County, we wanted to get married at a vineyard as a nod to his wine cou...

An Elegant-Meets-Boho Wedding at Ricarda's Restaurant in Toronto, Ontario

Pansy and David tied the knot with a modern, sophisticated wedding with bohemian flair at Ricarda's Restaurant in Toronto, Ontario. The couple's wedding aesthetic was rooted in the juxtaposition of and balance between feminine and masculine design. "We wanted the theme to be a reflection of both ...

This New England Wedding Started With a Sailboat Rehearsal Dinner in Gloucester, Massachusetts

Ariana Frayer and Adam Schmitt tied the knot with a nautical wedding along the coast of Gloucester, Massachusetts, at the bride’s family’s coastal estate. Appropriately, the waterfront wedding weekend actually kicked off with a sailboat rehearsal dinner so guests could enjoy the high seas before ...

A Dreamy Blue-and-White Palette Anchored This Tented Garden Wedding at Hobbit Hollow in Skaneateles, New York

College sweethearts Carly and Mark (they met playing lacrosse in college!) tied the knot with a church wedding ceremony followed by a tented wedding reception at Hobbit Hollow in Skaneateles, New York. In short, the couple describes their wedding as "epic, magical and fun! Everything from the det...