Contemporary Inspirational Real Wedding stories

These Grooms Celebrated Their Palm Springs, California, Wedding with a Modern Luxury Theme

David Canfield (26 and an entertainment journalist) and Andrew Quintana (26 and a writer) brought a luxe, modern flair to their wedding in Palm Springs that blended seamlessly with the region's retro vibe to create a memorable desert getaway to celebrate their union. "It was important to us to cr...

The Coast of Australia Inspired This Modern Neutral Wedding at Colony 29 in Palm Springs, California

For their desert wedding in Palm Springs, Samantha Birkel and Zack Novack drew inspiration from a far-flung locale—the coast of Australia. "We both wanted more of a non-traditional, outdoor California wedding that felt authentically 'us.' I drew a lot of my inspiration from coastal Australian wed...

Fuchsia Brought a Modern Touch to This Autumn Wedding at The Stave Room in Atlanta, Georgia

“We wanted the evening to feel warm and elegant,” Alyson Moler (30 and a director of revenue growth management) says of her wedding to Brandon Hayes (34 and a financial planner). They also envisioned a night with a bit of urban edge, reflecting the vibrancy of the city where they met and live. Wi...

Sleek Taper Candles Illuminated This Black-Tie Wedding at The Four Seasons in Atlanta, Georgia

For their modern, refined wedding, Ben Touchette and Adam Rimes needed a space the was equally as chic to host their black-tie affair. The couple chose the 50th floor penthouse space at Atlanta's Four Seasons hotel as the venue. ". While the hotel has several locations where you can get married,...

A Love of Bicycles Inspired This Couple's Wedding at The Foundry in Long Island City, New York

A shared love of biking inspired much of Evan Seigerman and Marc Schechter's wedding day at The Foundry in Long Island City, New York. Illustrated bike spokes appeared on much of the couple's stationery and tiny bicycle figurines were even used to hold guests' place cards. The bike spoke motif ma...

The Stars Were Perfectly Aligned at This Celestial-Inspired Wedding in Long Beach, California

Janise Whitmore and Kelsi Barron looked to the stars when planning their wedding in California, coming up with a celestial theme and navy, mauve and gold color palette. "We just wanted the whole space to radiate with love and fun. We throw a mean house party and wanted our wedding to have an ele...

Copper, Black and Red Made This Beaulieu Garden Wedding in Napa Valley, California, Shine

Nine years into their relationship and four years after they got engaged, Stephanie and Corey celebrated their union with an intimate, al fresco fête at St. Helena’s Beaulieu Garden. “We visited a lot of venues, but the garden felt like a place where you could relax in a formal setting,” Stephani...

Mid-Century Modern Design Blended with Industrial Vibes at This Wedding in Houston, Texas

Though Lynsey Jones (30 and a graphic designer) has photographed many Houston weddings over the years, for her own celebration, she and Ryan Owens (30 and a mechanical engineer) wanted an undiscovered venue. They found that and more at Hughes Manor. “We loved the mix of mid-century modern and ind...

Palm Fronds Brought a Tropical Vibe to This Wedding at Castle Park on Lake Michigan

Because Lindsey Etterbeek (28 and a sales representative) grew up spending summers in Castle Park, when it came time to marry Joel Van Veen (36 and president of his concrete company), choosing the Lake Michigan oasis as the setting was a no-brainer. Inspired by the surroundings, the celebration w...

A Bold Emerald Wedding Dress Took Center Stage at This Boo Cat Club Wedding in St. Louis, Missouri

Kathleen Perniciaro (30 and a construction project manager) set her sights on a green gown while planning her modern gallery wedding to Will Duggins (31 and a geologist). “Green is my color—it makes me happy, and I knew I could find something elegant that would help me stand out,” she says of roc...

This Celebration at The Joinery in Chicago, Illinois, Will Make You Want a Brunch Wedding

What happens when a food scientist and an innovation consultant get married? They turn the wedding menu upside down. Exhibit A: Brittany Towers (29 and the scientist) and Brandon Lewis (29 and the consultant) served breakfast for dinner. “We often make ‘brinner’ when eating at home, and we though...

This Wedding at The Emerson in Texas Will Convince You to Go Bold With Your Color Palette

With a crisp, blank slate of a venue, Heather Rogers (27 and an office manager) and Eric Betancur (30 and a senior acquisitions agent) knew that a generous dose of bold and saturated color was the ticket. “I was definitely going for a modern, moody masterpiece. I went for burgundy tones and punch...

Filipino and Chinese Heritage Inspired Every Part of This Wedding in Rolling Hills Estates, California

For their modern wedding in California with a black-and-white color palette, Jocelyn Lam and Orion Robinson threaded details from their heritage throughout. "Our idea was to have the 'traditional' American wedding with elements of our culture incorporated. Orion being half white and half Filipino...

Bold Colors Brought This Wedding at Wild Carrot in St. Louis, Missouri, to Life

The wedding planning process for Shannon Pimmel (26, works in marketing) and Ryan Miller (28, a labor organizer) set the tone for what the couple wants their marriage to look like—a partnership that’s “the product of work, trust and respect.” “He’s a big picture person and I spend all of my time ...

This Modern-Meets-Boho Southampton, New York, Wedding Almost Didn't Have a Venue

After their initial venue fell through three months before the wedding, Kate O’Donnell (27 and a merchandising and design operations manager) and Matt Cavallo (28 and in new business development) panicked but eventually lucked out. They rented a private beachfront property that became the focus o...

Music Was Central to This Wedding at Fountain Point Resort in Lake Leelanau, Michigan

As a musician, Jon Timm's wedding to Brianne Farley was sure to involve plenty of music. For the couple's wedding in northern Michigan, they, "invited several of his friend's bands from Traverse City, Detroit, and Nashville to play, and we had a big karaoke party following the reception BBQ. Then...

Lucite Modernized the Neoclassical Architecture at This Couple's Houston, Texas, Wedding Venue

The meet-cute that brought Michelle Liu (32 and a finance estimator) and Soo Cho (34 and an acquisitions general manager) is the stuff blockbuster Rom-Coms are made of. The couple started out friends, but happened to live on the same street, “a very narrow street! Our balconies faced each other, ...

Dinosaurs Made an Appearance at this Greenery-Filled Wedding at The Joule Hotel in Dallas, Texas

Planning a wedding that was reflective of their relationship and unique personalities was of utmost importance to Toby Camilleri and Joey Donovan. "When thinking about our wedding we knew that while we would honor some traditions, we would only do things we wanted. We didn't want to be bound by t...

Confetti and Basketball Lent a Unique Twist to This Classic Wedding in Kansas City, Missouri

Emma Plese (27 and a teacher) and Livi Abney (31 and working in business management) know a thing or two about merriment. The couple entered their festive reception with a shower of confetti and ended the night joined by all their guests in a group hug, with non-stop dancing in between. It’s easy...

This Sentimental Couple Built Their Own Wedding Venue in Springfield, Ohio

Jordan Stacy and James Coyne's wedding spoke to their sentimentality and deep love for friends and family. So much so that they their wedding took place on, "the bride's beloved late grandmother's land," shares their planner. "It was an emotional day for a family that invested months of grueling ...

Butterfly Details Filled This Romantic Wedding at Neo on Locust in St. Louis, Missouri

Alex Milligan (27 and a pediatric clinical pharmacist) and Ryan Koons (29 and a community living manager) took involving family in your wedding to a whole new level. An entourage of eight neices and nephews served as wedding attendants, Ryan’s sisters threw the couple a “Bro-dal Thunderstorm,” in...

Unique Chairs Set Apart This Indian Wedding at Cranbrook Art Museum in Michigan

Priya Chatterjee (32 and a healthcare consultant) and Debmallo Shayon Ghosh (32 and a lawyer) honored both their family values and their Bengali heritages by throwing a culturally-focused celebration steeped in tradition and sentimentality. “Indian weddings put a heavy emphasis on two families co...

Hot Pink and Lucite Dominated the Aesthetic of This Wedding at Skylight in Denver, Colorado

Caroline Smoke (29 and a project manager) and Joey Swanson’s (32 and a VP of sales) venue was as urban as they come, but the guiding vision for their day was purely Mediterranean. “I wanted people to feel like they were in a different world,” Caroline says of the inspiration behind the Grecian co...