1. Real Weddings

Lauren & Travis: An Outdoor Wedding in Blue Ridge, GA

Lauren and Travis set out planning a huge celebration, but quickly realized their hearts weren't in it. Instead, they created an intimate weekend wedd

Lauren and Travis set out planning a huge celebration, but quickly realized their hearts weren't in it. Instead, they created an intimate weekend wedding where their friends and family could relax and enjoy themselves. THE BRIDE Lauren Rogers, 23 executive for a nonprofit organization THE GROOM Travis Turner, 24, a master's student of divinity at Oral Roberts University THE DATE October 10 Travis nearly let the love of his life slip away. While working on his undergraduate degree in Florida, he attended a production of Broadway Review and was immediately taken by a member of the cast, Lauren. Though Lauren was a year younger, Travis asked another cast member to introduce them. The friend's reply? A not-so-gentle You two wouldn't be right together -- you have opposite personalities. He didn't press his luck that night, but a few years after graduation, Travis received a second chance. Lauren had taken a summer internship in his hometown of Naples, Florida, and a mutual friend introduced them. He didn't realize she was the girl from the play until Lauren showed him a family photo from her wallet -- a photo that had been taken the night he first laid eyes on her. He realized that I was the girl who slipped through his fingers years earlier, Lauren remembers. He has made sure that never will happen again!

Guests at Lauren and Travis' reception mingled among tables topped with tall vases full of crab apples, pink roses, and bells of Ireland.
Dressed in a Kirstie Kelly white strapless A-line gown accented with a cascade of sheer organza flowers, Lauren met Travis under a garden arch.
Lauren and Travis' ceremony took place on top of a hill surrounded by breathtaking views of the mountains. With the sounds of the gospel choir singing a cappella hymns and the Blue Ridge Mountains in the distance, the event was like a dream, Lauren says.
The bride's bouquet, in shades of hot pinks and oranges, was tied with a ribbon embroidered with her monogram.
Sweet-toothed guests could indulge in the buttercream-iced wedding cake that included a strawberry tier made using Travis' grandmother's special recipe.
The Dave Bass Ensemble kept the dance floor hopping for the remainder of the evening, playing old-school tunes from Frank Sinatra along with jazz standards. Later in the evening, the bride and the groom each took a turn at the mic, with Travis singing My Girl to his new bride, and Lauren sharing her own rendition of It Had to Be You in honor of her new husband.
During the cocktail hour, guests sipped peach punch and pink lemonade topped by apple-green orchids.