Formal Inspirational Real Wedding stories

This Wedding in Irvine, California, Will Make You Fall in Love with Neutrals All Over Again

For Stella Lee and Edward Hsu's wedding at Oak Creek Gold Club in Irvine, California, a crisp and clean neutral palette set the tone for the day. "Clean, white and chic was what we really wanted for the wedding," Stella says. "We wanted to make sure we weren’t leaning too much into trends so our ...

White Decor Brought Snowy Winter Charm to This Wedding at The Anderson House in Washington, DC

Brought together through their shared media careers, Brittney McCrae (30 and an entertainment marketing director) and Tracey Todd (31 and a digital strategy director) know how to make an editorial vision come to life. A cozy holiday vibe à la Richard Curtis (the screenwriter famous for Love Actua...

A Classic Black-Tie Wedding at The Detroit Institute of Arts in Michigan

Ryan McClure (31 and a showroom director) and Zachary Miller (30 and a banker) wed in the section of the Detroit Institute of Arts that sold them in the first place—among Diego Rivera’s “Detroit Industry Murals.” “Zachary and I both love the architecture of old buildings and their history and bea...

A Classic, Elegant Wedding at Oregon Golf Club in West Linn, Oregon

Jenica Lee and Jason Wong had a formal, elegant wedding near their hometown of Portland. "We fell in love with the beauty Oregon offered and knew we wanted to have our wedding in the summer outdoors," Jenica says. Their theme of "white, light and clean" started with the navy and white invitation ...

A Tropical Wedding at The Bonnet House Garden in Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Jenna Cloyd (31 and an attorney) and Paul Jump (30 and a senior manager at Uber) know how to combine formality with fun. Jenna and Paul said their vows under the cover of palm trees in Bonnet House’s garden. Upon their engagement, the San Francisco-based pair began planning a wedding all the way ...

A Classic Black-and-White Wedding at The Shambles at Headhouse Square in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Sydney Pauline & Michael Pivovarnick wanted their wedding to be “classic with a black-and-white color palette, but with a modern, elegant approach.” The ceremony took place at The Shambles at Headhouse Square in Philadelphia—and they transformed the brick-clad marketplace with romantic string...

An Elegant, Intimate Wedding on the Napa Valley Wine Train

For their intimate yet formal wedding, Darina Voloshina, Blake O'Connor and their 36 guests first attended a classic outdoor ceremony. Then they boarded the Napa Valley Wine Train for a  1920s-inspired "safari style" reception, which hinted at the couple's honeymoon destination of Kenya. "The tra...

A Classic, Elegant Wedding at the Scottish Rite Cathedral in Indianapolis, Indiana

Patia and George Storms hosted an elegant wedding at the Scottish Rite Cathedral in the heart of Indianapolis. They introduced the celebration's formality with personalized watercolor save-the-dates. Patia carried a simple bouquet of white roses, peonies and greenery. White and green arrangements...

A Rustic Black-Tie Wedding at Blue Hill Farm at Stone Barns in Tarrytown, New York

Jessica Spitzer maintains a city vibe, while Stephen Lobosco prefers rustic style. The pair combined the two aesthetics into a modern, rustic, black-tie wedding at Blue Hill Farm at Stone Barns. “Jessica had seen an article in The New York Times  years ago about the venue, before even meeting Ste...

A Classic Black-Tie Wedding at Seabright Lawn Tennis and Cricket Club in Rumson, New Jersey

When planning their wedding, Alexis Harrison (a vice president at Goldman Sachs) and Michael Jones (an associate at 3G Capital) drew inspiration from their reception venue: Seabright Lawn Tennis and Cricket Club. "We were looking for a venue that felt understated yet elegant, and different from a...

A Classic, Elegant Wedding at Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, New York

Melody Abikhair and Paul Burgo celebrated their wedding in a tent outside of Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, New York. "Our wedding represented a mix of several cultures from around the world and was the first time our families and friends had been together in the same country, let alone the ...

A Black-Tie Wedding at the Woman's Athletic Club of Chicago

Vintage wedding photos and Dolce & Gabbana designs inspired Caroline Finnegan (27 and a creative manager) and Steven Mazzone’s (27 and a doctor) winter wedding—a black-tie celebration that took just nine months to plan. “I love glamour and a juxtaposition of feminine and masculine,” Caroline ...

A Classic, Elegant Wedding at The Betsy Hotel in Miami, Florida

Ashley McCauley and Tim Adleman had a classic formal celebration for their destination wedding. The ceremony took place in a Catholic church, and the bridesmaids' pink bouquets decorated the altar. Postceremony, guests headed to a reception at The Betsy Hotel, a boutique property nestled in the h...

A Vintage-Inspired Wedding at the Legion of Honor in San Francisco

Pamela (Pam) Bosh (30 and a product operations analyst) and William (Will) Hubbard (30 and a general manager at Escape Campervans) exchanged vows at Saint Ignatius on the campus of the University of San Francisco, the bride’s alma mater. "We both knew we had to be married in San Francisco, a city...

A Classic Formal Wedding at Golden Gate Club in San Francisco, California

Daniela Peregretti and Alan Grady wanted “a modern city wedding and a super-fun party” that incorporated their respective Italian and Brazilian cultures. She added a full overskirt to her detailed, formfitting gown with a plunging neckline and carried a delicate white bouquet of flowering pieris ...

An Elegant Wedding with Ghanaian Traditions at Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles, California

Dzifa Kpodzo, who is originally from Ghana but grew up in Los Angeles, wed Coalton Bennett, a California native, at Skirball Cultural Center. As a nod to Dzifa’s heritage, they added shades like tangerine, gold and cerise to brighten their color palette. Dzifa wore a simple silk ivory dress for t...

A Romantic Waterfront Wedding at The Lodge at Pebble Beach in California

Amanda Keller and Brian Shortsleeve both work in the entertainment industry—her as a TV producer, and him as a screenwriter. They tied the knot at The Lodge at Pebble Beach because Amanda grew up going there with her late grandmother. “I couldn’t think of a better venue that blended our two backg...

A Formal Multicultural Wedding at the Grand Rapids Public Museum in Michigan

Wenqi Zhang and Mackie Woodruff had a multicultural wedding celebrating the groom’s western Michigan roots and the bride’s Chinese heritage. The ceremony, which took place outside the Grand Rapids Public Museum, was decorated with an arch of flowers and greenery. “Both my parents walked me down t...

An Intimate Estate Wedding at The Castle on Stagecoach in Little Rock, Arkansas

Kristen Forester and Patrick Jackson invited only close family members to their intimate wedding at The Castle on Stagecoach in Little Rock, Arkansas. The groom donned a black suit and tie, while the bride wore a long-sleeve crepe dress with a raw-edge cathedral veil. Her cascading bouquet of pha...

A Modern, Formal Wedding at Yale Union in Portland, Oregon

Jason B. (29, a physician) and Jason H. (30, a physician) met while they were in the same group of friends their freshman. Both felt a deep connection when they became roommates their sophomore year, but it wasn’t until the following year that they began to date. Jason B. lived in Germany for a y...

A Romantic Black Tie Wedding at Westwood Country Club in St. Louis

Margot Langsdorf (33 and a VP of partnerships) and Drew Levine's (30 and a lawyer) black tie destination wedding put velvet linens, hand-painted watercolor stationery and cement centerpieces on display. After Margot and Drew married under a birchwood chuppah, guests moved to cocktail hour where t...

A Glamorous Garden Wedding at Saint Ann Catholic Church in Naples, Florida

Kelly Masters (30 and works in human resources) and Maurice (Kirby) Kirby IV (30 and a claims adjuster) threw a formal garden-inspired celebration with an emphasis on sophisticated black and white details. “As a former event planner, I’ve always loved creating a ‘wow’ factor,” Kelly says. For the...

A Glamorous Wedding with White Accents at Quinta Mazatlan World Birding Center in McAllen, Texas

With white flowers and twinkling lights, Laura Corpus (30 and a nurse) and Serafin Gomez's (30 and a contractor) wedding had an ethereal, dreamy feel. Laura wore family heirlooms, including a bracelet worn by all the women on her father’s side of the family. “It was an honor to wear a piece so ex...