Formal Inspirational Real Wedding stories

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 ...

One Couple's Classic Lakefront Wedding at Chicago Cultural Center in Illinois

Although Nakisha and Antonio tied the knot in Chicago, Illinois, at the Chicago Cultural Center, the day was largely inspired by a Mediterranean vacation where Antonio proposed to Nakisha. "We’d gotten engaged at the start of our 2019 Mediterranean vacation. Subsequently, we had the chance to tou...

Old Hollywood Inspired This Jewel-Tone Wedding at The Ebell of Los Angeles in California

For their wedding at The Ebell of Los Angeles in California, Hannah and Sarah drew inspiration from the Golden Age of Hollywood. Hannah and Sarah are history and film lovers, so they chose to incorporate both interests into the formal event. The classic film "Casablanca" was projected on the wall...

This Romantic Wedding at Dover Hall Estate in Richmond, Virginia, Included a Bagpipe Player

After shifting their wedding date three times because of the pandemic, Becca and Malcolm finally said "I do" with a formal, classic wedding at Dover Hall Estate in Richmond, Virginia, that included a bagpipe player and cigar roller. Since Dover Hall is already beautiful on its own, the couple set...

This Couple Personalized Every Part of Their Purple-and-Blue Wedding in St. Louis, Missouri

When it came time to celebrate their at-home wedding, Jennifer and Tim focused on personalization and honoring their family throughout the St. Louis, Missouri, event. "The day was truly about creating details that incorporated family, St. Louis, and the feeling of home," says Jennifer. "Everythin...

A Romantic Tented Garden Wedding in Hinsdale, Illinois, With Flowers at Every Turn

For their wedding, Alexandra (Alex) and Balaji (Bala) planned a tented private residence celebration with a romantic garden aesthetic. Elegance abounded throughout this couple’s wedding, from their bespoke details to the lush flower arrangements. "We got married in the yard at my parents’ house,"...

A Glamorous Pink-and-Gold Ballroom Wedding at the Hyatt Regency in Baltimore, Maryland

To celebrate their marriage, Afua and Buddy planned a glamorous ballroom wedding at the Hyatt Regency Baltimore Inner Harbor in Baltimore, Maryland, with a luxurious pink-and-gold color palette. We wanted our wedding to feel magical so we chose shades of pink for our florals and incorporated lots...

A Preppy Emerald-and-Pink Wedding in Bloomington, Illinois, Filled With Monogram Accents

When it comes time for a professional wedding planner to tie the knot, you know that, without a doubt, the celebration they plan will be beautifully executed and curated to perfection. That was exactly the case for the private residence Chicago wedding Arin planned in celebration of her relations...

A Classic Wedding at the Inn at Perry Cabin in St. Michaels, Maryland, Followed by Sailing

Imagine waking up in the middle of the woods in France and suddenly you stumble upon a fresh picnic surrounded by flowers—that’s exactly the vibe William (Will) Peters (24) and Theodore (Ted) Gendron (27) wanted to capture with their waterfront wedding. “A woodland fall ball, if you will,” says T...

One Couple's Luxe Black-and-White Wedding at Saddlerock Ranch in Malibu, California

As the co-founder of GlamGlow, Shannon knows a thing or two about luxury, and her wedding to Luciano at Saddlerock Ranch in Malibu, California, is dazzling proof. The couple leaned into a glam black-and-white palette, accented with gold, for their stunning celebration. A flower-filled ceremony ki...

Vibrant Red Hues Set Apart This Wedding at Oheka Castle in Huntington, New York

Isha and Adam's vibrant red-hued wedding at Oheka Castle in Huntington, New York, was equal parts traditional and glam, and all-around stunning. For the past year, the couple has been through "a roller coaster of uncertainty with COVID-19 and the possibility of moving our wedding date. I never re...

This Classic Wedding at the Cincinnati Art Museum in Cincinnati, Ohio, Had a Gray-and-Navy Palette

Amy and Jeff are both from Shanghai, but since they met and live in the United States, the couple wanted an American-style celebration with touches of Chinese culture. “I think assimilation, while at the same time keeping your heritage, is very important,” Amy says. In that spirit, they held a si...

This Couple Chose a Secret Garden Theme for Their Wedding at The Denver Botanic Garden in Colorado

The Denver Botanic Gardens inspired Kendra and Daniel's wedding style from the start. Their stationery, printed with an architectural design, corresponded with the cut stone and molded concrete found at their venue. The vibe—“elevated backyard garden party with a touch of The Secret Garden romanc...

A Whimsical Purple Wedding at Lord Thompson Manor in Thompson, Connecticut

High school sweethearts Julie and James imagined a romantic wedding, but were overwhelmed by the thought of planning one. “When we first turned onto the long drive to Lord Thompson Manor, it felt as though we’d stepped into someplace intimate and special,” Julie says. It also had an expert team t...

A French Chapel Set the Scene for This Modern Wedding at The Club at Houston Oaks in Texas

Bridget Awosika (a womenswear designer) and Dapo Olagundoye’s (an agro-commodity trader) wedding planning journey was a globe- trotting affair. The couple met (thanks to a chance run-in at an ATM) and reside in Lagos, Nigeria, but flew stateside for their nuptials. In late 2019, they wed with a t...

A Classic, Intimate Wedding at Maggie Daley Park in Chicago, Illinois, Focused on Family

Sydney and Todd, who first met at a wedding themselves, tied the knot with an intimate, family-only wedding at the Cancer Survivors' Garden in Chicago's Maggie Daley Park. Although the couple got engaged at the height of the pandemic, "it actually created the opportunity for us to lean into an in...

Lush White-and-Green Flowers Filled This Wedding at Eolia Mansion in Waterford, Connecticut

Tram and Johnson chose to host their garden-inspired green-and-white wedding at Eolia Mansion in Waterford, Connecticut, because that's where they "met and fell in love in our home state of Connecticut. There was no more meaningful place for us to get married. On a random chance, we toured Eolia ...

Chinoiserie Details Filled This Couple's Wedding at Upper Montclair Country Club in New Jersey

Katherine and Erik met when they were one step away from the altar—as maid of honor and best man for their close friends’ wedding. A few years later, they were the ones celebrating. “Our ultimate goal was to create an event that we would love years from now,” Katherine says. “We’re both tradition...

Pink, Gold and Black Brought a Glam Vibe to This Washington, D.C., Wedding at The Watergate Hotel

After meeting in college, Molly and Peter lived in DC for five years, so the couple took inspiration from the capital when planning their wedding at the Watergate Hotel. “It was very important to us to pay homage to our home city, where we built our lives and relationship,” Molly says. The couple...

Poinsettias Filled This Snowy Winter Wedding at Castle Farms in Charlevoix, Michigan

Gianna and Karl came all the way from Halmstad, Sweden, to create a winter wonderland of their very own in Charlevoix. After debating locations, the pair settled on the small northern Michigan town because Gianna visited her grandparents there to ski each winter. The snowy, picturesque landscape ...

A Glam Wedding at The Grand Hall in Kansas City, Missouri, Inspired by "The Great Gatsby"

Ashley and Dan bonded over a shared love of history and old-world architecture, despite meeting in the most modern way possible: a dating app. “When we got engaged, we knew we wanted to incorporate those shared passions into our wedding,” Ashley says. The pair turned to the Prohibition era for in...

Emerald Green Set the Tone at This Regal Wedding at Stone River in Columbia, South Carolina

Despite the ongoing pandemic and a postponement from their original wedding date, Asha and Zane were able to celebrate in style with a romantic-meets-glam wedding without too many changes thanks to their outdoor ceremony spot overlooking a river and a spacious reception venue that allowed for ple...

One Couple's Literary-Inspired Black-Tie Wedding in Napa Valley, California

An image of a living room curated with Restoration Hardware pieces formed the inspiration for the black-tie wedding of Barbara Lodde (35 and a property manager) and Mark Reynolds (33 and an AP English Language teacher). Ultimately, the couple wanted a celebration that felt timeless and classic, y...