1. Real Weddings

Therese & Devin: A Traditional Wedding in Irvine, CA

While Therese and Devin were both attending University of California, Irvine, their mutual friend Diana introduced them. After that first meeting, the

While Therese and Devin were both attending University of California, Irvine, their mutual friend Diana introduced them. After that first meeting, they ran into each other on campus, and Devin asked Therese to study with him. A lunch date came the following day, and soon the two were an item. The Bride Therese Hernando, 27, treasury analyst The Groom Devin (Dee) Nguyen, 28, residential account executive The Date May 24 Six years later, when Devin told Therese he had a special weekend trip planned, Therese got to work painting her nails -- just in case there was a proposal in store. The getaway involved a wine tour complete with a limo, plus Therese’s two best friends and their boyfriends. At the last vineyard, when Devin was finally able to get Therese alone, he proposed. Check out Therese as Knottie of the Week on The Knot Live Episode 3

As gifts, Devin gave his groomsmen standout accessories like suspenders, straw fedora hats, and argyle socks for the wedding. Each guy’s socks were a different color, which looked great in the pictures.
So that the couple had photos to take home from the wedding, their photographers took pictures with a Polaroid camera and filled up a mini photo album.
Because Therese and Devin had been taking a dance class together, they decided to perform a choreographed swing dance for their first dance. Therese changed into a short dress so she could move around easier.
Therese printed guests’ names and table assignments onto card stock, and the planner added plum and white-patterned buttons for a homespun look.
Devin and his groomsmen wore gray suits with cream-colored shirts and ties.
As an alternative to traditional floral arrangements, the centerpieces were large hurricane vases filled with water and floating candles. Pink tulle was wrapped around the vases for a pop of color. Handmade paper flowers atop the favor boxes also decorated the tables.
To match the wedding colors, Therese’s bridesmaids wore tan, knee-length dresses. For the entrance into the reception, the girls wore the guys’ straw fedora hats, and the guys carried the girls’ bouquets.
Using pictures from their engagement photo shoot, Therese and Devin created their own photo book through BookBlurb.com and used as a guest book.
The ceremony programs, which the couple’s planner assembled, were mini folders that held “tissues for tears” as well as the names of their bridal party members and their sponsors, a Filipino tradition.
Though Therese and Devin had originally intended to have their dogs walk the rings down the aisle, they decided at the last minute that their dogs’ temperaments were too unpredictable. So, during the rehearsal, they tasked their flower girl’s brother to be the ring bearer. His parents found him a suit that night, and the wedding planner found a ring pillow that complemented the day’s style.
The pocket-folder invitations matched the wedding’s plum, nude, and gray color palette while the clean, formal design conveyed the wedding’s style.
Because Therese bought her shoes at the Nordstrom Rack sale, she was able to get a great deal on pumps that were still selling at retail price at other stores. The downside: They had an ID number written in permanent marker on the bottom. To cover the imperfections, Therese bought heart-shaped stoppers from SummerSoles.com, which also helped her stay afoot while walking down the aisle.
Two other Knotties’ bouquets inspired Therese’s all-white bouquet. She carried roses, ranunculus, and phalaenopsis orchids wrapped with lace left over from her mother’s wedding gown.
The bridesmaids carried pink and purple bouquets arranged to look like paper fans that popped against their neutral-colored dresses. Making the bouquets two-dimensional rather than three-dimensional saved money, so Therese could include all the flowers she wanted: spray roses, garden roses, and gerbera daisies.
Therese gave her bridesmaids their gifts in cream and purple canvas totes -- practical because they could use the bags again. The bags were filled with sandals, rompers for getting ready the day of the wedding, earrings, and pashmina scarves.