By Perfect Wedding Guide ‘National Wedding Expert’, Susan Southerland
Wedding planning is such a gratifying job. It is so much fun planning a couple’s wedding, especially when the couple is full of creative ideas. My associate, Lindsay, had the pleasure of coordinating the real wedding of a couple that embodies that DIY spirit and they are featured in today’s wedding blog. Kate and Sam celebrated their special day this past July at the Bohemian Hotel Celebration. Lindsay shared with me that, “Kate was simply stunning and the ceremony couldn’t have been more perfect!”
Special thanks to photographer Kimberly Lange (www.portrayablephotography.com) for these amazing images! They really capture the joyous feel from the day. Please read on for more of the fun details surrounding Kate and Sam’s wedding.
Susan: How did you and your spouse meet?
Kate: We met through a mutual friend at work that Sam went to school with and has known for years. We quickly became friends and started dating soon after.
Susan: Tell us about the proposal.
Kate: Sam proposed to me on our two-year dating anniversary. We exchanged presents before heading to dinner and after that he said, “Wait, I have one more thing…” And pulled the ring out to propose to me! I was totally surprised. We then went to a fantastic anniversary and celebration dinner.
Susan: Why did you choose your particular wedding location?
Kate: We chose the Celebration Hotel because it was such a unique hotel, and we knew it would be a great location for our many out-of-town guests. The hotel has such a nice feel to it and the people who worked there were so amazing and helpful. It was a very easy choice to pick the hotel.
Susan: What was it like for you on the morning of your wedding?
Kate: The morning of my wedding I was very relaxed. We started getting our hair and make up done around 10:00, so all of the girls were up early hanging out and relaxing all day. It was such a nice way to spend time with some of the bridesmaids who had made the trip from other states for our wedding day.
Susan: What were your thoughts as you walked down the aisle?
Kate: As I walked down the aisle, I was just thinking how I could not be happier, and how everything had come together so perfectly for our wedding day. We had so many family and friends who were there, and it meant so much. All of the pieces had come together and it could not have been more perfect.
Susan: What was the most memorable part of the day for you and your spouse?
Kate: I think seeing each other before the wedding. We decided to do the first look pictures before the ceremony, and it was so nice to have that moment of just us seeing each other for the first time. We were both able to relax, and enjoy taking pictures and seeing each other before everyone else did.
Susan: What was your biggest fear about the wedding day?
Kate: My biggest fear was that the flowers would not arrive on time, or arrive and we would not have enough. I did my own flowers for the wedding, by ordering them online and putting them together myself the day before. But luckily the flowers arrived 3 days before so they had time to open up, and we had more than enough flowers! I must say I am so glad that I did all my own flowers. I loved putting them together, and it made it really special.
Susan: What was one delightfully unexpected moment on the wedding day?
Kate: I would say at one point during the reception I looked around and almost every person in the room was on the dance floor and having so much fun. I just loved seeing everyone enjoy the day as much as we were. Our dance floor stayed busy all night, and it was so fun to see all different friends and family dancing and enjoying the music and our night!
Susan: Were there any particular elements of your wedding day that you considered unique or personal touches?
Kate: I think doing our own flowers was a unique and personal touch. Also, our minister who did the wedding flew is a good friend who flew in from Texas, and it meant so much to have him there to perform our ceremony.
Susan: Based off of your experience, would you share some advice for other brides and grooms who may still be planning their weddings?
Kate: I would say to relax! We had a lot of fun planning all of the things for our wedding, and seeing it all come together. It was a really fun to make the decisions along the way. We never got stressed out because we did little things along the way to not feel overwhelmed. Take a minute to look around and see how all of your planning and decisions have come together. Then enjoy the day you have been waiting for all of your lives!
Thank you, Kate and Sam, for sharing the wedding planning details of your celebration with all of us! Do you have a real wedding story you would like to share? If so, please email me at the address below with your experience and some photos. You might be the next bride featured on our wedding blog!
If you have questions on this or any other wedding related topic, please post for me here on the wedding blog or send me an email to susan(dot)southerland(at)pwg.com. Also become a fan on Facebook (search: Susan Southerland Secret) or follow me on Twitter (@Susansoutherlan).
Your partner in perfect planning,
Susan
