Michelle and David Stoker were married at the Winter Park Farmers’ Market in Winter Park, FL on Friday, May 13th, 2011. They’re not superstitious, but wanted to acknowledge their Friday-the-13th wedding date in a fun way. Michelle says, “Instead of a bubble [blowing] or rice [throwing] exit, we had our guests take a pinch of salt and throw it over their shoulders to wish us good luck. I would not suggest this! Some of our crazier guests took more than a pinch and threw it at us instead. David and I had salt in places that salt should not be. It was a funny exit, though!”

Read on to learn more about Michelle and David’s DIY real wedding touches!

Susan: How did you and your spouse meet?
Michelle: David and I first met as dorky pre-teens in 7th grade. A few years later, we started to become friends when I joined his church and youth group in the middle of 10th grade. Our constant communication grew into a deep friendship and eventually into dating, engagement, and marriage!

Susan: What was the most memorable part of the day for you and your spouse?
Michelle: Our first look. We chose to see each other before the wedding because we had a 7:00pm ceremony and we wanted to have all of our photos done before then. We are so happy that we did it. The first look was intimate, special, and emotional. We had a few minutes to ourselves before the day got too crazy!

Susan: Why did you choose your particular wedding location?
Michelle: We wanted to be close to home and at a location where we could hold both the ceremony and the reception. The Winter Park Farmers’ Market had a very rustic and unique feel. Even though it was an old train depot, we knew that we could make it beautiful for our special day.

Susan: What was one delightfully unexpected moment on the wedding day?
Michelle: I love to dance… love it! I was really hoping that our guests would let loose, enjoy the DJ, and dance (even though we didn’t have an actual dance floor, just a designated area). Fortunately, people of all ages and people from different areas of the country got up and put their dancing shoes on! It was so fun to see my a variety of people, such as my mother-in-law, sorority sisters, four-year-old niece, friends from out of state, and my new husband enjoying the night together!

Susan: Were there any particular elements of your wedding day that you considered unique or personal touches?
Michelle: David is an electrical engineer and a computer geek, so he loves to build electronics. One of his big projects for the wedding was to build a photo booth with my camera, his laptop and monitor, a big red button, and a shiny black box that we spray painted. We placed fun props next to the photo booth and let guests take hilarious pictures with the simple push of a button.

Susan: Based off of your experience, would you share some advice for other brides and grooms who may still be planning their weddings?
Michelle: Be realistic about what you can afford and what you ask of people. You do not want to start your marriage with debt from planning your wedding. I promise that you can make your wedding absolutely beautiful on a budget. It’s all about DIY!

Photographer: KT Crabb

Thanks again to David & Michelle for sharing their gorgeous wedding with us! Do you have a real wedding story to share? Contact us; you could be the next couple featured!

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