Formal Inspirational Real Wedding stories

A Romantic Black-Tie Wedding at San Francisco City Hall in San Francisco, California

Christina Kwong and Thomas Dang put their own spin on a city hall wedding by throwing a romantic black-tie bash in San Francisco City Hall’s striking Beaux-Arts Rotunda. “We both share a passion for eating good food and taking pictures during our travels, so everything from the gowns to the flowe...

A Classic, Warm Wedding at Boston Symphony Hall in Boston, Massachusetts

Modern elegance ruled supreme with cool shades of silver and purple and cascading arrangements of orchids that seemed to take over Lauren Hooley (28 an accountant) and John Coppo’s (28 and works in sponsorship sales) opulent venue. “We wanted a classic design that felt warm and inviting,” Lauren ...

A Sophisticated Glam Wedding at Kansas City Country Club in Mission Hills, Kansas

A custom monogram set the tone for Kathryn (Katie) Black’s (28 and works at Booz Allen Hamilton) and William (Trip) Mullen III’s (29 and works at Trident Maritime Systems) sophisticated soiree at a local country club. Trip paired a white dinner jacket with a classic bow tie and velvet slippers th...

A Sophisticated Southern Wedding in Charlottesville, Virginia

Elizabeth Fife (27 and a registered nurse) and Philip Goffinet's (27 and an advertising operations manager at SoundCloud) nuptials combined two of our favorite things: childhood sweethearts and wedding royalty. Elizabeth first met Philip—wedding planner Lynn Easton's son—when her family moved fro...

A Formal, Classic Wedding at Sherwood Country Club in Thousand Oaks, California

Jennifer Philen (24 and a public relations professional) and George Philip Spencer III (24 and an investment banker) wanted their wedding to feel timeless. After deciding to wed at the scenic Sherwood Country Club in Thousand Oaks, California—the same venue where Jennifer's parents were married 2...

A Formal Southern Wedding at the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts in San Antonio, Texas

Millie Freeman (26 and a marketing coordinator) and Luke Reinhart (25 and a law student), who first met in elementary school and started dating in high school, threw a classic Texas wedding in San Antonio at the elegant Tobin Center for the Performing Arts. "Our goal was to make everyone feel com...

An Elegant, Formal Wedding at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco, California

To honor their respective family traditions, Sirisha (30 and an investment analyst) and Justin (31 and a consultant) held two ceremonies followed by two receptions on two consecutive days: a Hindu wedding in a hotel ballroom and a Catholic ceremony at a historic art museum.<br><br>“For both days,...

A Chic, Masculine Wedding at the Darlington House in La Jolla, California

Mark Robertson and Joshua Tucker pulled off a formal al fresco affair laced with chic, contemporary touches and masculine flair for their late fall wedding at the Darlington House in La Jolla, California.<br><br>Borrowing from the venue’s elegant vibe and ample greenery, the couple paired natural...

A Glamorous Gold and Ivory Ballroom Wedding at Merchants Exchange Building in San Francisco, California

Jenny McCullum (28 and a writer) and Jamien McCullum (34 and a Vice President of Business Development) first met while attending as guests at a wedding. Although Jenny had a date, the two of them enjoyed talking on the bus and at the reception dinner table. At the end of the night, Jamien asked t...

A Glam, Romantic Wedding at The Addison in Boca Raton, Florida

To complement the natural beauty of their venue, Erika Sheffer (26 and a digital marketing strategist) and Kyle Auckland (26 and an entrepreneur) relied heavily on flowers, filling their day with blooms in shades of pink, peach and purple.<br><br>“We’re laid-back people, but we love small details...

A Sophisticated, Elegant Wedding at a Private Residence in Panama City, Florida

Alexandria (Alex Anne) Spencer (23 a student) and Garrett Brown (31 and a physician) decorated their timeless, elegant affair with ivory blooms and subtle pink accents.<br><br>Alex Anne and Garrett married at the waterfront home of a family friend in Panama City Beach. “The upscale landscaping, m...

A Classic Black Tie Wedding at the Four Seasons Hotel in Boston, Massachusetts

Rachel Medow (29 and a nanny) and Justin Gilson’s (31 and a tax manager) fall fete was the epitome of classic elegance, thanks to towering, orchid-filled arrangements and a monochromatic palette of black and cream.<br><br>Upon arriving at the ceremony, guests were greeted with glasses of champagn...

A Sophisticated, Multicultural Wedding at Addison Park in Keyport, New Jersey

Erin Tinkel (28 and a social worker) and Satvik Patel (28 and in business operations for Big Ten Conference) planned a vibrant, multicultural affair that wove both Jewish and Hindu customs throughout two colorful ceremonies.<br><br>“We combined both ceremonies into one giant day so all of our gue...

A Classic, Formal Wedding at the Medinah Country Club in Medinah, Illinois

Elizabeth Koehn (32 and an attorney) and Jonathan Rudersdorf’s (34 and works in real estate) elegant affair focused on florals, from towering, textured centerpieces to a fall-inspired bridal bouquet filled with olive branches, dahlias, seeded eucalyptus and astilbe.<br><br>“Jonathan loves to golf...

A Glamorous, Elegant Wedding at Rosecliff Mansion in Newport, Rhode Island

Sarah Ghermay (25 and a graduate student) and Suleman Iddrissu (27 and an investment professional) channeled the opulence of the Rosecliff Mansion into a palette of antique blush and gold for their luxe summer nuptials.<br><br>Satin linens, votive candles and towering arrangements of white orchid...

A Glamorous, Black Tie Wedding at Gotham Hall in New York City, New York

Rachel and Michael brought the outdoors in for their Jewish nuptials with towering centerpieces, a rose-covered chuppah and vases of orchids, anemones and hydrangeas.<br><br>“I grew up in the city and loved the idea of getting married at a venue neither of us had been to before,” Rachel says of e...

A Glamorous, Romantic Wedding at The Peninsula Hotel in Beverly Hills, California

It was all about elegance for Marie Zalameda (24 and a senior graphic designer) and Louis Boney’s (27 and a mediator) ballroom wedding — a fete that featured lush white arrangements and glam gold details.<br><br>“Both Louis and I come from large families, so we wanted something intimate,” Marie s...

A Glam, Formal Wedding at the Raddison Blu in Bloomington, Minnesota

Timeless black-and-white details, gilded flatware and all-white arrangements of orchids evoked a sense of classic, elegance for Kelsey Peyton (26 and a financial planner) and Matthew Feriancek’s (26 and a chiropractor) celebration.<br><br>In addition to beautiful blooms and an outstanding band, g...

An Elegant, Formal Garden Party Wedding at The Cleveland Museum of Art in Cleveland, Ohio

Carolyn Beringer (26 and a brand manager) and Patrick Irvine (29 and a hedge fund vice president) combined The Cleveland Museum of Art’s sophisticated aesthetic with dramatic cranberry, slate and gold details to create a winter garden party.<br><br>To soften the museum’s unique mix of modern and ...

A Rustic Black-Tie Wedding at Fearrington House Inn in Pittsboro, North Carolina

Wanting to exchange vows close to her family and beloved hometown of Durham, North Carolina, Kara Brothers (29 and works for Google) and John-Marcus Phillips (28 and a strategy manager) hosted an elegant black-tie wedding at Fearrington House Inn in Pittsboro, North Carolina. The couple planned a...

An Elegant Tuscan Wedding at Castello di Vincigliata in Florence, Italy

Erin Phillips (27 and a former recruiter) and Winston Bennet (36 and an entrepreneur) had planned to say their “I dos” in their hometown of Toronto, Ontario. Then the pair, on a whim, visited Florence, Italy, where they connected with planner Sonia Galliana to visit potential wedding venues. “We ...

A Glamorous, Romantic Wedding at Villa Miani in Rome, Italy

Silje Glenne (26 and a wedding planner and designer) and Tommy Szabo (31 and a director of sales and retention) planned an intimate Italian affair with plenty of glitz and glamour for their early-September wedding in Rome. With their friends and families scattered across Europe, travel was inevit...

A Refined Outdoor Wedding At Old Wide Awake Plantation in Hollywood, SC

rn Megan Henson, 24 and works in patient access services first met Blair Wehtje, 24, a senior finance analyst, during college. Nine months later, Blair surprised Megan with a backyard proposal and the couple swapped vows at Old Wide Awake Plantation in Hollywood, SC. A light pi...