1. Real Weddings

Courtney & Charles: A Modern Wedding in Anaheim, CA

Ten months was all it took for Courtney and Charles to meet, fall in love and get married. Their whirlwind romance began at a church party on New Year

Ten months was all it took for Courtney and Charles to meet, fall in love and get married. Their whirlwind romance began at a church party on New Year's Eve, Charles' 30th birthday. The Bride Courtney Reed, 28, graphic designer The Groom Charles Jacques, 31, carpenter The Date October 18 He chatted with Courtney's girlfriends, but not with Courtney. Undeterred, Courtney brought him out to the dance floor and at midnight, they hugged. Courtney later got the text, The best part of my birthday was meeting you. Four months afterward, magic loving Charles had a card trick for Courtney. She chose the jack of diamonds from a deck. Then, Charles ripped open a beach ball to reveal an antenna jack—it represented the jack card she chose. Guess what Charles pulled out to represent the diamonds?

The carnival wedding called for a topsy-turvy cake with bold patterns in the signature hues. For extra color, the acrylic cake stand was filled with red gumballs.
Surrounded by bails of hay and underneath oversized paper lanterns, the couple danced to It's Your Love, by Faith Hill and Tim McGraw. It was so hard for us to pick a song, but we both like country, says Courtney.
A pastor from the couple's church performed the ceremony in the sunlight-drenched First Congregational Church of Anaheim. The altar arrangements not only fit the color scheme; they also matched the stained glass windows.
Calla lilies in yellow, red and orange added pops of color to the bride's otherwise subdued look.
As the couple took portraits, guests played Bingo at their seats. It was great for pictures, because whenever we'd hear, ‘Bingo!’ we'd all bust out laughing, says Courtney.
Yellow and red blooms and an apothecary jar stuffed with lemons dressed up the drink display, where guests could choose from iced tea and lemonade.
Courtney drew on her graphic design skills to create the clever invitations. Each included a ticket-shaped response card to play up the carnival theme.
Classic carnival games were as fun for the adults as they were for the kids, and they made for great photo ops.
How sweet! Guests found their seating assignments from tags attached to candy apples.
Just outside of the church, a sign matching the rest of the day’s details welcomed guests and let passers-by know that the church grounds were reserved for the day.
Checkered tablecloths and folding chairs kept the vibe casual at the barbecue buffet.
Yellow, chiffon cocktail dresses kept the girls' attire playful, while the guys worked in the other color in the palette with red ties and vests.