Contemporary Inspirational Real Wedding stories

An Eclectic, Fashion-Forward Destination Wedding at Italy's Villa Lario in Lake Como

For a couple all about spontaneity, it’s no wonder their first proposal was a spur of the moment. When Alejandro popped the question 11 months into his relationship with Taylor, it was at the Highland Park Village in Texas… without a ring. “[He] casually suggested we get married and then bought a...

A Casual Museum Engagement Shoot Ahead of a City Hall Elopement

An exchange semester for Miriam at the School of the Art Institute in Chicago proved to be a fateful decision. Originally from Switzerland, Miriam was meant to spend just one semester in the Windy City before she met James, a fellow art student. The two quickly bonded over shared projects and lat...

Earth, Wind and Fire's "September" Inspired This Chic Wedding at The Driskill in Austin, Texas

Ella and Brennan were like two ships passing in the night throughout their days in college. Both attended the University of Texas at Austin, with overlapping friend groups and similar favorite spots, but they narrowly missed each other every time a meet cute seemed bound to happen. Fate duly inte...

A Modern Brooklyn Wedding With Shades of Blush Pink at the Wythe Hotel

Like most modern romances, Kathryn and Anthony met on an app. The two took their chats offline and met up for drinks at the Frying Pan, a New York City bar and grill, where they spoke about their recent trips to Croatia. They hit it off and soon became a couple, waiting for the chance to take a t...

A Technicolor Winter Wedding at Harper Hall in Lexington, Kentucky

Though Erica and John call Washington, DC, home, they knew they wanted their wedding to be at their “favorite place in the world”––Lexington, Kentucky. The Bluegrass State was sentimental to these two lovebirds since they first met at the University of Kentucky. Their shared passion for volunteer...

Glamorous Arab Wedding Full of Cultural Traditions at The Westin Anaheim Resort in California

Mariam and Nadeem describe themselves as an obvious match from the start after both swiped right on a dating app and met in person. Soon after, they introduced one another to family and friends. With their shared cultural heritage, they became official with a traditional tulba ceremony, where Nad...

This Surprise Proposal Turned Into a Whimsical Same-Day Wedding at The Hummingbird Temple in Hollywood Hills, California

There’s a reason grand whirlwind relationships anchor so many blockbuster hits—they’re just so romantic. Persis Kham- batta (34, a real estate agent) and Crystal Ramos’ (34, a clinical specialist) entire relationship has been like a real-life fairy tale. So it’s no surprise that the day these two...

This DJ Bride Mixed Beats at the Reception of Her Garden Wedding at Brookside Gardens in Wheaton, Maryland

There's something so compelling and enthralling about a well-written love song. And for this musically minded couple—their real-life journey was worthy of a chart-topping hit. From the beginning, music has been a bond that's united Dominique (Dom) Young (a firefighter/EMT) and Doneshia (DJ Chan D...

A Wedding Planner's Evening Celebration Under the Stars at Hall of Lights in Carrollton, Texas

When an interior designer and an event designer get hitched, the decor has to be, well, nothing short of perfection. Add the fact that both experienced the pomp and circumstance of the royal wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in 2018, and your own big day is a tall order. Thankfully, Franc...

The Couple at This Colorful Napa Wedding Wore 18 Different Outfits and Walked a 500-Foot Pink Aisle

When someone says “vineyard wedding,” what comes to mind? Before now it probably wasn’t anything like Vita Newstetter (26, the founder of an online fashion platform) and Jesse Beller’s (26, a fintech cofounder) epic neon celebration. But their prismatic wedding set a brilliant new standard for vi...

The Couple's Grandmothers Inspired Their Jewish-Italian Pizzeria-Themed Welcome Party in Ojai, California

Even before the main event, Natalia Renna (28 and a digital marketing strategist) and Zachary (Zach) Nathanson (30 and a small-business owner) infused their wedding weekend with unique personalization. The Los Angeles–based couple invited 210 loved ones to California’s Ojai Valley for three days ...

This Colorful Mod Wedding in Santa Barbara Included Mood Rings, Goldfish, Sand Castles and a Marching Band

There’s creative and then there’s absolutely and utterly visionary—and the Southern California beach wedding of Mychaela Miller (32 and a nurse practitioner) and Giancarlo Silva (35 and a media executive) was undeniably the latter. The couple wanted “something very memorable, out of the box, inte...

We Can't Stop Dreaming About This Couple's Romantic Wedding at Santa Barbara Historical Museum in California

Three months after a serendipitous introduction to Mudra Patel (34 and a VP of product management), Paul Cressman (35 and an attorney) knew he wanted to marry her. “In fact, I told his little sister that very thing. She was just such an amazing person, with such a kind heart, and everything just ...

One Couple's Simple Urban Minimony at Maketto in Washington, DC

Although the pandemic forced Phil and Kellen to postpone their larger wedding celebration, they didn’t want to wait to get legally married. The couple decided to have a minimony in Washington, DC. The color palette, decor and stationery at the minimony also subtly hinted at was to come at their b...

A Sandstone Formation Was the Backdrop For This Mohave Desert Wedding at Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada

Spectacular views and desert vistas made of red rock sandstone formations at Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada's Mojave Desert set the tone for Sofiya and Joshua's colorful outdoor wedding. The couple wanted their wedding to be "beautiful and delicious" so they prioritized vibrant decor and tas...

An Elegant-Meets-Boho Wedding at Ricarda's Restaurant in Toronto, Ontario

Pansy and David tied the knot with a modern, sophisticated wedding with bohemian flair at Ricarda's Restaurant in Toronto, Ontario. The couple's wedding aesthetic was rooted in the juxtaposition of and balance between feminine and masculine design. "We wanted the theme to be a reflection of both ...

Blue and Orange Wowed at This Couple's Indian-English Fusion Wedding in Calgary, Alberta

Vibrant tangerine, dark teal and dusty sage green set the scene at Tila and Jake’s private residence wedding in Calgary, Canada. To honor Tila’s Bengali heritage and Jake’s English heritage, the couple tied the knot with an Indian-English-fusion wedding ceremony before celebrating with a romantic...

One Couple's Personalized Waterfront Wedding at Ocean Key Resort in Key West, Florida

2022 saw a rise in domestic destination weddings, and Katie and Kaitlin were one of the many couples who found it more appealing to stay within the United States. The uncertainty of border-crossing regulations, paired with unprecedented travel delays, means that many to-be-weds who may have previ...

A Garden Party-Inspired Rooftop Wedding at Potomac View Terrace Overlooking Washington, DC

Asha and Rene celebrated their marriage with a rooftop garden party-inspired reception at Potomac View Terrace in Washington, DC. However, before the city-view event the festivities kicked off with a Sangeet that doubled as a welcome party at Glenview Mansion in Rockville, Maryland inspired by A ...

Guamanian, Nigerian and Military Traditions Filled This Wedding at Lansdowne Resort in Leesburg, Virginia

Vanessa and Joe’s wedding at Lansdowne Resort in Leesburg, Virginia, was inspired by all the things that mean the most to them as a couple. The duo threaded Guamanian and Nigerian cultural elements throughout the wedding to honor their heritage. They also included many military traditions as an h...

The Atrium of the Cleveland Museum of Art Was the Centerpiece of This Pink Ohio Wedding

NFL player Mitch Trubisky of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Hillary Gallagher celebrated their marriage with a romantic pink-and-silver wedding celebration at the Cleveland Museum of Art in Ohio. After exchanging vows with a ceremony at St. John's Cathedral, the duo welcomed their loved ones to the ...

Jewel Tones Filled This Luxurious Beach Wedding in Mayakoba, Mexico

Mili Shah (31 and a VP of corporate strategy) and Jaidav (Jai) Reddy (32 and an investment banker) wanted a destination wedding so they could gather loved ones in a unique location where attendees could make memories of their own. Thanks to five events and ample entertainment, they were able to d...

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...