1. Real Weddings

An Elegant, Sage and Ivory Wedding at Woman's Club of Portsmouth in Portsmouth, Virginia

Kelsey (25, teacher) and Matthew (27, teacher) could have crossed paths 1,000 times— they grew up ten minutes apart, went to the same university and b

Kelsey (25, teacher) and Matthew (27, teacher) could have crossed paths 1,000 times— they grew up ten minutes apart, went to the same university and became educators at neighboring schools. The two never met until Kelsey’s younger sister suggested Kelsey had a lot in common with her history teacher, Matthew. They met at a restaurant to exchange teaching tips, and have been together ever since. A year later, Matt took Kelsey to an icy pier at Yorktown Beach and slipped down to one knee!

Kelsey was hesitant to try on a ballroom-style gown, but as soon as it was all buttoned, she and her mom both knew they had found her dress. "I had always watched wedding shows like "Say Yes to the Dress" and all of the brides said they just knew when they tried on the right dress and that is exactly how I felt," says Kelsey.
Kelsey wore ivory peep-toe heels with a stylistic bow with her ivory wedding dress.
Matthew said that Kelsey's engagement ring just jumped out at him at the store and he knew it was the one. The couple got all of their rings from a local jeweler, Goodman and Son's.
Kelsey explains the special significance of the blue crystal earrings she wore on her wedding day. "My father gave my mother the blue stones when he went TDY to Saudi Arabia. My mother wanted to give them to me for my "something blue.""
Kelsey couldn't find the stationery she wanted, so she used a graphic designer to make her dreams come true. "I wanted the stationery to match the theme of romance, so we included curly cursive fonts along with a customary font; it felt very boy meets girl," says Kelsey.
Each bridesmaid picked out her own style of a long, sage green chiffon Bill Levkoff dress. They also wore nude heels, and chose different silver, petite bracelets to wear. Natural makeup and curled hair completed the look.
Jeff's Flowers Of Course, Inc. created the bridal bouquet, which featured creme cabbage roses, white lisianthus, blown open ivory roses, Queen Anne's lace, and lamb's ear accents with hints of sage. The bridesmaids' bouquets were a smaller version of the bride's
Kelsey wanted her hair to be a loose, dreamy do-up with a lot of curls. "I told my makeup artist that I wanted my eyes to pop but for the rest of my look to be light and natural," says Kelsey.
All of the groomsmen wore khaki suits with champagne vests and ties, except for the Best Man, who wore a champagne bow tie. The groom wore a khaki suit with an ivory vest and bow tie. Each groomsman wore green argyle socks and initialed cufflinks as a gift from the groom.
The Portsmouth Women's Club was romantic, elegant and airy, just the way Kelsey dreamed her wedding would feel. "I loved the venue so much that I decided to have the wedding on a Friday just so we could have it there," says Kelsey.
Outside the ceremony, the couple placed an "L" for guests to sign rather than a traditional guest book next to ribbon wands for them to wave during the recessional. In addition, there were baskets of multicolored ribbons tied to wands surrounding a print that read: "Please grab a wand to help congratulate the couple as they exit the ceremony and then again as they exit to begin their new life together!"
The club is lit with natural light from the many windows and has dark, hardwood floors and a cavernous ceiling with golden chandeliers, providing the perfect romantic venue for the ceremony. Kelsey and Matthew decorated the space with gold Chiavari chairs, flowers and a wooden arch that Matthew made.
Kelsey and Matthew exchanged vows under an arch that Matthew built for them. In addition to traditional vows, the couple wrote their own promises. "I think that was the best part of our wedding," says Kelsey. "It was the part that most of our guests absolutely swooned over."
Kelsey and Matthew hold hands before their witnesses after being pronounced husband and wife. "I wanted my wedding to inspire our guests to find summer love," says Kelsey. "Our wedding had an elegant, romantic feel to it."
Matthew steals a kiss during a wedding party photo. The couple's color palette included sage green, ivory, gold and other neutrals. "I chose the colors because they felt very authentic to my personality," says Kelsey. "I think they gave the space a warm and relaxed feel."
A sorority sister of the bride designed and made the corn hole set that guests could play during the outdoor cocktail hour.
The centerpieces were gold cases with a floral arrangement, gold votives and a framed table number. The tables had ivory linens with a striped sage green runner and gold charger plates.
The arch that Matthew built for he and Kelsey to be married under served as the backdrop for the couple's sweetheart table, decorated in sage green and gold votives with ivory flowers.
Kelsey and Matthew's next door neighbor baked their wedding cake: a white-layered cake adorned with fresh flowers and greenery, and a gold cake topper. It had butter cream frosting with strawberry, chocolate and vanilla layers.
The bride and groom love 90's music and the lyrics of Edwin McCain's "I'll Be" perfectly described their love for each other.
The couple wanted their parents to pick out the songs for their father/daughter and mother/son dance, but their parents ended up choosing the same song, "My Wish" by Rascal Flatts. Neither of them wanted to change their song, so the pairs danced together!
The couple made a photo booth out of long ribbon strands and a wooden dowel rod for their guests to enjoy. They borrowed a lot of fun and silly props to use, and included guests' photos in their thank you cards. The bride's sister also made a hashtag out of the couple's last name, Leeper: #takingtheleep!
The venue didn't allow the use of sparklers for the couple's grand exit down the aisle and from the reception. "Even though they took forever to make, they really turned out great and our guests got to keep them as a second party favor. They are a big hit with the kids!"