1. Real Weddings

Vanessa & Rich: A Traditional Wedding in Salt Lake City, UT

Rich captured the attention of plenty of young ladies at his new church, but it was Vanessa who caught his. The timing was perfect for everything, say

Rich captured the attention of plenty of young ladies at his new church, but it was Vanessa who caught his. The timing was perfect for everything, says Vanessa. When the time came to plan their wedding, they found the perfect venue for their indoor/outdoor reception. Both were thrilled with Rose Sachs Gardens' breathtaking views of mountains, waterfalls, and beautiful green grass. The natural backdrop provided a stunning backdrop to their black-and-white color palette accented with bursts of Vanessa's favorite color -- green. The Bride Vanessa Hepworth, 26, franchise marketing manager The Groom Richard (Rich) Hogan, 28, sales The Date October 8 Vanessa and Rich knew they wanted to get married. They even knew where and had a rough idea of when. For weeks, they searched for the perfect princess-cut diamond ring. When they found it, Rich stashed the ring inside a backgammon box -- the couple's favorite game. The two found a nice, grassy spot outside to play, and when Vanessa opened the box to set up the pieces, she found her ring. She looked up and Rich was down on his knees (both of them!) beside Vanessa, asking her to marry him.

Nontraditional, green-and-black florals were a must for Vanessa. Her florist managed to pull off the look with a modern mix of dark purple calla lilies, tuberose, sunflowers, stars of Bethlehem, hypericum berries, and feathers. Vanessa added more drama to her bouquet later in the evening with even more feathers!
The bridesmaids accented their black, stretch-cotton blouses and skirts with white-and-black detailed heels.
Guests entered the garden through a wrought-iron archway, adorned with black-and-white damask-print ornaments hung from black satin ribbons.
Black scalloped edging and clusters of green-and-black blooms mimicked the wedding style on the four-tiered, white, fondant-covered cake.
Guests wrote down their best wishes and signed green-and-white note cards for the couple. Later, Vanessa added them to a scrapbook so she and Rich would always have them to look back on.
Simple black table linens were the canvas for elegant runners in the couple's signature black-and-white damask pattern. Each table was topped with an eclectic arrangement of scabiosas, bells of Ireland, tuberose, stars of Bethlehem, and fennel.
Clear glass containers revealed three different flavored waters: cucumber-mint, strawberry, and lemon-lime.
The garden provided a stunning background for Vanessa and Rich's wedding photos.
Rich's white-and-green boutonniere matched the modern look of the bouquet, but also included a shoot of bamboo for a masculine touch.
Vanessa’s florist painted the dark calla lilies in the centerpieces black. Yellow scabiosa and mums gave an extra pop of color to the arrangements while still coordinating with the black, green, and white color palette.
The gourmet hot chocolate bar kept with the color scheme by tempting guests' taste buds with toppings like white whipped cream and green mints.