1. Real Weddings

An Elegant Formal Wedding at Reunion Resort Grande Hotel in Orlando, Florida

Anna Boyd, 23, account coordinator for Dodge Communications and Houston Hough, 26, research analyst for Equifax Inc., exchanged vows at Anna’s childho

Anna Boyd, 23, account coordinator for Dodge Communications and Houston Hough, 26, research analyst for Equifax Inc., exchanged vows at Anna’s childhood church in Orlando, Florida with a reception at Reunion Resort Grande Hotel. They created a sophisticated, formal wedding with mint and gold accents topped off with some sequins.

"I knew I wanted a very classic and timeless ring," Anna says. "We went looking together in Birmingham where we narrowed it down. After that, Houston wanted me to be surprised, and I knew nothing else until the day we got engaged." He picked a round solitaire diamond engagement ring from Solomon Brothers.
"I hate wearing heels, so I always knew I would wear flats," Anna says. "My mother-in-law found me a pair of Kate Spade shoes with a bow on the toes that I loved."
The groomsmen wore black tuxedos with bow ties and the bridesmaids wore cocktail-length gold sequined dresses for a formal yet sophisticated feel.
The groom wore a tuxedo from Ralph Lauren and his groomsmen rented tuxes from Absolutely Fitting. They completed the look with black bow ties and champagne rose boutonnieres.
"My gown was everything I wanted and more," Anna says. The bride wore a formfitting organza and lace gown with a sweetheart neckline and a crystal-embellished belt.
"I came across gold sequin dresses I fell in love with," Anna says. "Before I even asked my friends to be bridesmaids, I texted them asking for their dress sizes and ordered them immediately, praying they would all fit. Thankfully they did, and they turned out gorgeous!"
Anna found the gold sequined bridesmaids dresses on RueLaLa, and paired them with mint and gold earrings from Forever 21 and their own nude heels.
Anna carried white hydrangeas, ranunculus and dahlias accented with champagne roses, seeded eucalyptus and dusty miller.
The bridesmaids carried bouquets of white hydrangea with peach and champagne roses accented with dusty miller and seeded eucalyptus.
Anna and Houston exchanged vows in Anna's childhood church, First Baptist Church of Orlando in Henry Chapel, where they were able to keep decorations minimal.
The aisle was decorated with an ivory and gold monogrammed runner that matched the invitation suite.
Florist Lee James framed the alter by adding ivory drapes and two large bouquets of hydrangea, roses and dusty miller to draw them back.
After a picnic and walk through Mountain Brook, Anna and Houston went back to Anna's apartment so she could change clothes to go to the movies. However, when she opened the door the apartment was covered in flowers and candles. “Houston sat me down and shared how he felt about me and why he loved me,” Anna says. “He opened a box, got down on one knee, and asked me to marry him.”
Anna and Bryan had planned on having an outdoor reception, but had to move to the ballroom because of tornado warnings. But, they pulled off the floor to ceiling draping, amber lighting and gold decor.
The round reception tables were dressed with mint tablecloths and gold-beaded glass chargers completed with gold napkins.
The reception tables were decorated with white hydrangea, peach and champagne roses, dusty miller and seeded eucalyptus. "They were all low, lush and a conversational height," Anna says.
Pearl Beach Paperie did the wedding invitation suite, aisle runner, table numbers and menu cards so everything would match. They chose decorative ivory paper with gold font.
Anna and Houston chose an all-white wedding cake finished with a cascade of sugar flowers and their monogram piped on the top tier. "It was delicious!" Anna says of the amaretto, marble and lemon confection.
The newlyweds danced to "God Gave Me You" by Dave Barnes. "We picked this song because we truly agreed with the lyrics and know that God created us for each other," Anna says.
"We used sparklers for our grand exit and Houston's parents surprised us with a fun '47 Cadillac Convertible to drive away in," Anna says.