Contemporary Inspirational Real Wedding stories

A Halloween-Themed Wedding at Ignite Glass Studios in Chicago, Illinois

Caroline Bowden (an actuary) and Brent Campbell (a software developer) tied the knot October 27. Caroline and Brent embraced the spooky timing of their October wedding by throwing the ultimate Halloween bash­—complete with guests in costume, of course. For their first look, the Chicagoans agreed ...

This Black-and-Silver-Hued Wedding at the Georgia Freight Depot in Atlanta, Was Pure Glam

Hillaby (a teacher) and Ron (a finance manager) wanted their wedding at the Georgia Freight Depot, "to be very romantic and feel intimate" so they settled on a white-and-silver palette and filled the wedding with an abundance of candle light for added ambience. The couple kept their floral arrang...

A Modern Purple-and-Black-Hued Wedding at the Hotel Van Zandt in Austin, Texas

Ian Rainbolt (33 and working in private equity finance) and Rex Wright (32 and a supply chain consultant) played up the juxtaposition between moody and airy with their “elegant, masculine and soft” wedding aesthetic. For their wedding-day fashion, Ian and Rex chose to wear navy suits to complemen...

A Peach-and-Terracotta Palette Added Cheer to This Greenville, South Carolina, Wedding

After visiting 30 venues in Charlotte and another 15 in Asheville, Lauren and Evan happened to be walking around Greenville, South Carolina, one day when they stumbled upon, "an abandoned brick building by the riverfront and laughed as we thought maybe we should do our wedding here. There was a r...

This Couple Exchanged Vows at the Courthouse Then Celebrated with Friends a Year Later

For Kyra and Portia, "the idea of planning a wedding sounded exciting to us. However, it definitely seemed like a ton of work and money. The type of work we were not sure we wanted to do and the amount of money that we weren't sure we wanted to spend. Then we discussed the idea of having a courth...

Western Kentucky University's Storied Architecture Was the Backdrop for This Couple's Elopement

Natalie and Nathaniel's wedding theme was, "'re-plan everything and uninvite everyone in 1 month.' Kidding. Sort of! We had no idea we would be getting married in the middle of a pandemic! For the last year, we were planning a wedding with about 100 guests at an Airbnb out in the country. When CO...

Building 177 Provided The Perfect Blank Canvas for This Minimal Wedding in San Diego, California

For Gabriella and Louie's modern, minimalist wedding at BLDG 177 in San Diego, California, a subtle-yet-bohemian color palette of beige, caramel and rose brought the understated affair to life. "For our wedding theme, we wanted to go for something modern with touches of whimsical feelings. We cho...

A Chinese Tea Ceremony Preceded This Couple's Classic Wedding in North Carolina

Although Emily and Sunny live in Washington, DC, the couple chose to return to Emily's hometown of Wilmington, NC, for their classic garden-inspired wedding with a color palette of white and green. In honor of Sunny's Chinese heritage, it was important to the duo to incorporate cultural elements ...

This Glamorous Wedding at The University of Maryland is a Blush Lover's Ultimate Dream

Siara and Dennis' navy and blush hued wedding blended "lush, vibrant and glam" vibes in a perfectly over-the-top way. Starting with ornate blush draping at the ceremony (where a harpist serenaded guests!), each part of the day balanced elegance with vibrance and glam. Champagne escort carts welco...

A Regal Black-and-White Palette Dazzled at This Bradford Estate Wedding in New Jersey

Inspired by their estate venue's white-and-gold reception space, college sweethearts Tiana Wilson and Naeem Johnson, "wanted a classic wedding that exuded elegance but we also wanted to ensure that we could make the room ours. We added touches of black and gold to add to our theme and I made the...

These Brides Invited Llamas to Their Rustic Wedding in the Mountains of North Carolina

Convenient accommodations for their wedding guests was important to Kate Bunting  and Alyssa Gentry when finding a venue for their destination wedding. With that in mind, the couple chose to get, "married at the Vineyard at 37 High Holly, in Highlands, NC. We picked this location due to its sceni...

A Romantic Blue-and-White Wedding at Wychmere Beach Club in Harwich Port, Massachusetts

Pheng Kouch (37 and a chiropractor) and Patchamol (Pat) Kanjanakuha (28 and an acupuncturist), who met working at a wellness clinic, settled on a color palette just as calming and rejuvenating as their career fields—blue and white. For their ocean-hued nuptials on the beach, the couple chose to D...

Magic and Music Filled This Eclectic Wedding at Brooklyn Winery in New York

For their eclectic wedding in Brooklyn, Mary Eliska and Robert Russell, "wanted to have a party with the people we loved, with good food, and dancing! After having dinner there the first time, we both knew that Brooklyn Winery's was going to be the best wedding food either of us had ever had." To...

Champagne Welcomed Guests to This Moody-Meets-Tropical Wedding in Wichita, Kansas

Kansas may be land locked, but Ashley Moore (36 and a wedding planner) and Garrett Labusoloreri (36 and a project manager) took their guests to the beach for their nuptials. “I wanted to go to a beach and since we could not travel, the vendor team brought the beach to Wichita,” Ashley recalls. Mo...

A Bohemian Wedding in Naples, Florida, with the Most Cheerful Yellow-and-Peach Palette

Since Jamie is originally from California, it was only natural that her wedding to Casey channel a bohemian west coast vibe with an explosion of floral elements. "One of my favorite places to visit is Joshua Tree National Park. So for me, it was a big part of the general wedding inspiration. I lo...

This Modern Loft Wedding in New York City Included a Bathtub Filled with Champagne

In college, where they met, John Kelly (30 and a product manager) and Pedro Gomez (31 and an advertising executive) planned many student events, so they had mood boards ready when they started designing their minimal, masculine wedding at Gary’s Loft in Midtown Manhattan. Stationery based on a ge...

A Love of Comic Books Inspired This Industrial Chic Wedding in Downtown Minneapolis

Tracey Zeng (28 and an attorney) and Shaun Taylor (35 and a TSA officer) envisioned a modern springtime affair in a palette of soft blues and greens with a twist. “To inject some personality, we included nods to our nerdy fandoms,” Tracey says. Shaun collected comic books to gift guests and displ...

A Second Line Parade Made This New Orleans Wedding at Race and Religious Even More Festive

Caroline Sobiesuo and Andrew Matina may be based in Brooklyn, New York, but a destination wedding in The Big Easy was a must since they love the, "French aesthetic, romance, soul music (groom has produced soul music), and mystery of New Orleans. We visited New Orleans together 3 years ago and dec...

A Classic Navy-and-White Military Wedding at Belle Mer in Newport, Rhode Island

It was important to Nikki Anderson and Karthik Venkatraman, "to have the wedding be a representation of who we are as a couple." As such, they planned a wedding in Newport, Rhode Island, that melded watercolor details, traditional Indian elements and tributes to the Navy. While those components w...

Every Part of This Luxurious Bel-Air Bay Club Wedding in California Was Full of Blush Pink

Lush florals and an abundance of blush pink made Michelle Carter and John Gragg's wedding at Bel-Air Bay Club in Los Angeles, California, one to remember. "The color palette I knew from the beginning I wanted to be was a lot of neutrals and pastels, especially soft pink, but then also wanted pops...

Minimalist Stationery Modernized This Secret Garden Wedding at Hotel Emma in San Antonio

Amy Mciver (32, a realtor) and Addison McAuley (27, works in commercial real estate development) lived half a world apart and a chance meeting at a bar kicked off what became a whirlwind, transcontinental love story. Following an emotional airport good-bye, a telephoned proposal and a move from A...

Balloons and Pampas Grass Set Apart This Wedding at the Union on Eighth in Georgetown, Texas

Eye-catching textures were in abundance at Daniela and Brent's wedding in Texas. From velvet bridesmaids dresses in a warm mustard hue to a dramatic white balloon floral arch and plenty of pampas grass, each décor item added to southwestern vibes seen at the  warehouse. To anchor the wedding's ae...

Greenery Added a Modern Touch to This Urban Warehouse Wedding in Detroit, Michigan

When planning their wedding, Jasmine Flanagan (28 and a graduate student) and Sean White (31 and a director of fund development) both felt a strong pull towards Detroit. “It’s where we met and started building our home, so we knew we couldn’t do it anywhere else,” Jasmine says. The pair hosted a ...