Love Story - Lauren (EN)
Your Love Story
Tell us about your meeting, where it all started ...
We met shortly after both of us had moved to Brooklyn. We met through mutual friends while finding fun during the chaos of Hurricane Sandy in 2012!
Your moodboard
What was the color palette for your wedding, your decorative inspirations?
Both of our venues were in gorgeous natural settings. Our ceremony was set among old oak trees dripping in spanish moss and our reception overlooking the marsh at sunset, so I opted let nature do the heavy lifting for most of the decor. For the bridal party choose colors of saturated yellows, corals and nude-blush, letting them all choose their own dresses in a mix of solids and floral prints allowed them to embrace their personalities while still coming together beautifully. I am a natural dyer and my palate was definitely inspired by some of my favorite dyes such as marigolds and avocado pits. I dyed the ribbon for the bouquets with avocado and the groom and his groomsmen's boutonnieres were wrapped in marigold dyed silk. I also sourced vintage linens and naturally dyed them to accent some of our tables.
Your dress
How did you live your experience with us, how did you choose the dress?
My background is in fashion design and everyone initially asked me if I was going to design my own dress. I decided that was way too much pressure to put on myself, but had a very specific vision of what elements I wanted. After going to a few dress shops I couldn't find anything "out of the box" that fit my criteria. It was shortly after that I stumbled upon your showroom after a trip to Shop Good. Your aesthetic was so in line with the feeling I wanted to evoke for my special day. I had so much fun trying on options and talking about different ideas and ways of styling the different options. Christina is so easy going and truly enjoys working with brides to customize all the little details that make the dress truly yours. The dress I went with evoked the romantic vision I had in mind when I imagined walking down the aisle. I didn't initially intend on wearing a veil, but when I tried on the pearl beaded veil with my finished dress it totally completed the look!
Your song
The song that instantly reminds you of your marriage, your love?
The song that instantly reminds you of your marriage, your love?
Baby by Donnie and Joe Emmerson. My (now!) husband "casually" played me this song not long after we had been dating on a plane to London and completely swept me off my feet. It was our first dance song at our wedding and still fills me up!
Your souvenir
What is the best memory of your wedding?
There are too many to list just one! Each element of the wedding had its own unique stand out moment, the ceremony felt surreal, like a fairy tale come true, and the reception was the celebration everyone had been waiting for with lots and lots of sweaty humid dancing! Our wedding was initially supposed to be in Spring of 2020 and was delayed twice. I think bringing together all of our loved ones after so long to finally celebrate something so joyus was more magical than I could have ever even imagined.
Your tip
What advice would you give to future brides?
I really loved doing a first look, another special memory for me. Once you get to the ceremony every moment is planned out and you don't get much alone time with your spouse to be! The first look can be an intimate moment for the two of you before the floodgates open! It also helped to calm my nerves.
Have fun with your planning. Lean into things that make you excited to bring to life. If there are traditions that don't resonate with you, ditch them!
If you are planning a larger size wedding or coming from out of town, a month of planner is an investment in your sanity that you won't regret!
Your vendors
Which vendors did you choose for your wedding?
Our wedding was in Savannah, GA and being based in San Diego, I could not have done it without our incredible planners at Ivory and Beau. They also did our flowers which were absolutely stunning! Our reception was at The Wyld Dock Bar, and they did all the food including an oyster roast which everyone loved! We went with a fantastic band called Emerald Empire, who had us dancing all night long! Our invitations were done by a talented duo of dear friends, Christina Chang and Caligraphy by Meredith Deafenbaugh. All of the gorgeous photos you see are by Mackensey Alexander and video by Square City Productions, who both captured the day perfectly.
