From The Bride

The best thing I did for my wedding was hiring Robb as our photographer. From the start, he was professional and so easy to work with. I find myself constantly looking at the pictures he took of our wedding because I simply can’t get enough of them. He gave us timeless, gorgeous wedding pictures and I will never be able to thank him enough for that!

Associated Vendors

Event Venue: WatersEdge Event and Conference Center | Reception Venue: The Renaissance Hotel | Floral Designer: It’s Your Day Wedding and Events | DJ: Encore L’Amore Events | Bridesmaid Dresses: Henri’s Cloud Nine | Cake Designer: Cindy Patrick Cakes | Photographer: Robb McCormick Photography

The post Glittery Winter Wedding appeared first on Elegant Wedding.

How They Met

Sean and I met randomly while we were both out with a group of friends! One of my friends new one of his friends and Sean and I started talking on our own. We were at the Tavern Bar in Wicker Park! I remember exactly what table we were sitting at when we first met! We went on our first date three weeks later and have been together ever since!

How He Popped The Question

Sean and I love vacations and love waking up early to watch the sunrise while on vacation. We took a long weekend to New Buffalo, Michigan to go on some winery and brewery tours! Sean asked if I wanted to watch the sun rise on the beach before we went to breakfast, I agreed. While watching the sunrise, Sean got down on one knee and popped the question!

Extra Special Details

The couple wrote  letters for one another to read when they first woke up the morning of their wedding.

During the reception, you wouldn’t have been able to tell who’s family was who because they were all celebrating together as one.

The venue was White Deer Run Golf Club in Vernon Hills. It has a lot of rustic features that were just right for the couple’s Christmas wedding.

The Bride’s Advice

To not overthink every detail! Everything always seems to fall into place! I was overthinking our center pieces for weeks! When it came down to it, I went to the dollar store and created very simple center pieces and they turned out wonderful and I ended up getting so many compliments on them!

Vendors

Photographer: H Photography
Tuxedo and Mens Attire: Formally Modern Tuxedo
Hair Stylist: Style onsite
Cake Designer: The Lovin Oven Cakery
Event Venue: White Deer Run Golf Club

The post Winter Wonder Love appeared first on Elegant Wedding.

“If I were a bride getting married during a winter season, I would like my wedding to be simple yet elegant. Winter weddings are gorgeous and unique since most couples chose to marry during warmer months. There is something whimsical about winter. It is beautiful, daring, light, refreshing. It is also simple and elegant. Just want I like.”

— Caroline Dickson

The Concept:

The most prominent element of this shoot is winter and ice. I wanted to create a simple but wintery scenery. I also wanted it to be a little bit fairy tale like. There is a wedding dress that would fit a princess, frozen waterfall, white and silver cake and candy.

The Challenges:

The most difficult part of putting a styled shoot together is finding day and time that would be good for all vendor included. It is not easy to coordinate 12 people with their schedules. But since I have known most vendors participating in the shoot for awhile, and we all were eager to create a second part of our series ( the first one was a Fall Boho styled shoot), it was not that difficult. The easy part of this theme was that we shot in winter, and the weather was quite cooperating. The frozen waterfall was quite a surprise. Excellent surprise!

Decors and Details:

I had this vision in my head to do a winter styled shoot. I wanted snow and mist (that did not happen, but the day for this type of shoot was glorious anyway) and ice. So, of course, first thought was that we need to incorporate white, grey, and silver. I had a very specific vision for a dress: light as a mist and sparkly like snow. Savvi Boutique provided a perfect dress ever! All vendors agreed that we have to use white and silver. In some pieces, we were able to incorporate snowflakes (stationery and cupcakes). One of the vendors, The Freezing Pointe, provided gorgeous table decor for the candy bar. I always prefer simplicity over overbearing details. I still wanted everything to be elegant. And sparkly.

VENDORS

Photographer: Caroline z photography
Event Designer: A Paradigm Shift Event, LLC
Cake Designer: Confectionate Cakes
Model: Courtney Fashionista
Floral Designer: North Raleigh Florist
Makeup Artist: Onloktion Makeup
Jewelry: Sabika Jewelry Inc – Sarah Butler
Apparel: Savvi Formalwear and Bridal
Invitation Designer: The Desktop Diva Stationery
Caterer: The Freezing Pointe
Event Venue: The Garden on Millbrook
Hair Stylist: Wedding Hair by Liz

The post A Wonderful Frozen Treat appeared first on Elegant Wedding.

Our Story:

Craig and I met the bar. Or as Craig likes to say “it was a restaurant, they serve food.” Which yes, they do, but not at the hour that we met. I had been out celebrating a friends birthday, and Craig had been out at a wedding. My friends and I randomly went to a bar that we had never gone to before. It just so happened that Craig and I sat next to each other at that bar. He offered to buy me drink, however unbeknownst to him, he had lost his wallet. Fortunately for me, it was not a cheesy pickup line.

Unfortunately for Craig, he did lose his wallet, and we had ordered drinks that he had to get his friends to pay for. At the end of the night, we exchanged phone numbers and spent the next few weeks texting. About a month later, I finally got up the courage to “meet him” again and from there our relationship grew into what it is today.

We Are a Perfect Match:

Our personalities compliment each others, and we love spending time together, whether it’s going out for drinks with friends or staying home and enjoying a bottle of wine together. Sharing and communication have been key in keeping our relationship strong throughout the years.

The Proposal:

Craig proposed to me in front of my family on Christmas Eve. This was a HUGE surprise because I never expected him to “pop” the question in front of a group of people and because I had it all set in my mind that he was going to ask me a couple days later when we celebrated “our Christmas” together. A family tradition of ours is to open one gift on Christmas Eve. I was the last to open a gift, which happened to be from Craig. I was expecting it to be a watch that I had asked for, but instead it was a beautiful round cut solitaire. With kids crying in the background, and family all around, Craig got down on one knee and asked “will you marry me?” I, of course, said yes! I never thought I would want to be proposed to in front of a bunch of people but it made it so special to have my family involved and as bonus we got it all on video!

Wedding Day Outfit Inspiration:

Both Craig and I were very easy going with what our wedding party wore and let them chose their outfits. My only wish was that my bridesmaids wore black. We wanted them to be comfortable in what they wore.

The Wedding Décor Inspiration:

Since we decided to get married on New Years Eve we wanted to make it a fun party yet still a classy wedding. We picked our colors of gold, silver and shades of blue and incorporated as much glitter and sparkle as we could. We tried to make it, so the first part of the reception was the usual wedding reception and then turned it into an NYE party around 10:30 pm with hats and party favors to ring in the new year!

The Planning Process:

We got engaged on Christmas Eve 2014 and were married on New Years Eve 2015, giving us a year to plan. Considering we were planning a destination wedding, and I was knee deep in Nursing School, it was the perfect amount of time. We got all the big things (venue, DJ, photographer, florist) taken care of the right off the bat so I could focus on school until the Summer when I had more time to have fun with the smaller, more detailed items.

The Best Advice We Received:

The best advice I received when planning my wedding was to have fun! It can be a very stressful event, and you can get caught up in things that seem like they are so big but at the end of it all, the only thing that matters is the love and happiness you share your groom celebrating your marriage.

Tips & Tricks for Future Brides:

Try to remember that your wedding is, in fact, all about you and your partner! It can get difficult to remember that when planning the guest list and seating charts and all the little details that encompass planning a wedding, but don’t sweat the small stuff! In the grand scheme of things, the little things won’t matter, and you will have a perfect day.

Was there any Do-It-Yourself (DIY) Projects:

We had fun doing DIY stuff for the wedding!

• I hand-stitched handkerchiefs for my Mother, Grandmother and Mother in law. -I made coffee mugs using stamps and permanent markers for my girlfriends getting ready with me.
• My brothers, sister in law and dad helped make all the signs for around the ceremony and reception. (Friends of the bride, friends of the groom, sit together, there is plenty of room; Eat, Drink, Dance, We’re Married!; Alcohol, because no great story ever began with salad, and Polaroid picture frames for picture taking)
• My Mom and I created our centerpieces with a glittery vase, glittery sticks and beads and votive candles
• I made our table numbers with simple frames, numbers and pictures of Craig and I at the age of the table number In addition to DIY stuff, we took advantage of Etsy :-)

The Challenges We Faced:

One main challenge was being so far away from the venue location (we live in California and we got married in Sedona, Az). Thankfully, we had an amazing event coordinator who helped us out tremendously! I also had an issue with our florist. I wasn’t very pleased with the way the responded to an email and didn’t feel as though they were making me a top priority. Since we had already put a deposit down on their services, we decided to have them just do personal flowers, and we made homemade centerpieces that in the end saved us money and were fun to plan and make!

Lastly, a pleasant challenge that we faced was that it snowed on our wedding day! We were expecting sunny, 50degree weather with blue skies but woke up to a blanket of white snow with flurries! We planned an outdoor ceremony and were prepared with blankets in case it was chilly, but the snow was another thing. Thankfully, both Craig and I welcomed this beautiful challenge (so much better than rain!) and enjoyed the beauty and excitement of it all!

Money Matters:

Our Wedding budget was about $20,000

We decided just to do personal flowers (bouquets, boutonnieres, corsages and flower petals up our ceremony aisle) and saved money by making our centerpieces and reception decor.

Our biggest expense was the wedding venue. However, it also included our ceremony and reception site, food and alcohol.

The Guest List:

We invited 200 guests, and our final guest count was 104 people.

We were hoping for a small, intimate wedding, however, we both have large families and a lot of friends that we wanted to attend, so we planned for a destination wedding and asked for it to be an adult only event (with a few immediate family children as exceptions).

The Songs:

• Processional: Christina Perri – A Thousand Years (Piano/Cello Cover) ThePianoGuys
• Bride’s Entrance: Chasing Cars – Snow Patrol – Piano Cover
• Recessional: Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros – Home

Our Honeymoon:

We spent a week in St. Lucia at the Sandals Grande St. Luicia Spa and Beach Resort! Beautiful beaches, great people and an amazing week together.

Planning Advice for Couples:

Hire a wedding planner! We were so fortunate to have an event coordinator included in our venue. She was amazing and referred all of our vendors to us including our amazing photographer Robert Godridge, who was so motivated and eager and captured our day so perfectly.

Favorite Part of the Day:

That’s a tough question! But I think my overall favorite part of the day was taking first look pictures and seeing my groom for the first time. The snow was falling perfectly and all the stress and anxiety of the day just went away. We also went on a small “hike” to take more pictures together before the ceremony that was tough in the snow but so well worth it!

The Highlights From The Ceremony & Reception:

Ceremony highlights: Walking down the aisle with the snow falling perfectly around us and music in the background. Having all of our nieces and nephews as our flower girls and ring bearer. Having of our closest family and friends there to witness our love and commitment to each other (some who had traveled from across the country and across the world to be there with us). Having our ceremony conducted by my best friend’s Father, who plays a very special role in my life.

Reception: Donuts and Pizza! In addition to a cake, we decided to have donuts too which were a huge hit! And we had Pizza delivered during the “NYE” portion of our reception that was just what everyone needed to keep them going to the ring in the new year.

The Theme:

We had an NYE theme for our ceremony and reception. Lots of gold, silver and sparkles!

Most Memorable Moment:

The snow! I don’t believe anyone was expecting it to snow on our wedding day, especially because we were getting married in Arizona. A week before the wedding I looked at the weather report and saw rain scheduled for our wedding day and snow for the day after. With lots of good thoughts, we were so fortunate to wake up to what we both agree was the perfect kind of snowy day.

 VENDORS

Photographer: Robert Godridge Photography
DJ: MT Sounds
Bakery: New York Bagels
Event Venue: Sedona Golf Resort

The post Saying ‘I DO’ in the Middle of a Snow Storm appeared first on Elegant Wedding.

Say Your Vows in Front of a Fireplace

Imagine how beautiful it will be to exchange vows in front of a fireplace! It will not only be breathtaking to guests, but makes a fantastic backdrop for photos as well.

Have Your Flower Girl Toss “Snow”

Flower petals are great, but for a winter wedding, why not have your flower girl toss snow? Make it super pretty by using fake snow and adding some glitter for sparkle.

Show Up to Your Wedding in a Horse-Drawn Sleigh

This is such a magical element to add to your winter wedding, and will certainly impress your guests. If the sleigh is large enough, provide transportation for the wedding party as well, from the ceremony to the reception

Purchase a White Wedding Cape for Outdoor Pictures

For an ethereal, fairy-tale element, use a white cape for your outdoor pictures. It looks absolutely beautiful, and will help keep you warm.

Take a Photo in Front of a Christmas Tree

If you celebrate Christmas, get a photo in front of a decorated tree to use as your Christmas card!

Have a Pure White Reception

A reception hall decked out in nothing but white gives a wintry effect. It’s also the perfect canvas for some gorgeous pops of color – red holly centerpieces, shimmering golden candles or sapphire vases.

These stunning winter wedding ideas should give you some great inspiration if you’re planning a winter wedding. Using your creativity, you can make your winter wedding something truly special.

The post Stunning Winter Wedding Ideas that will Floor Brides-to-Be appeared first on Elegant Wedding.

If you love the idea of a Christmas wedding, this post will serve as inspiration to you. Many brides and grooms choose to celebrate their wedding on Christmas day, while others simply choose to have a winter wedding with a Christmas theme. Check out some of the amazing ideas other brides had for their Christmas-themed weddings.

This aisle is absolutely stunning. It really does give the impression that the bride is walking through a snow-coated forest to meet her groom. It’s absolutely beautiful and not difficult to pull off, with the help of some branches and white spray-paint.

Instead of having a focal point table overflowing with flowers, this couple chose to have tiny Christmas trees. With the bottoms draped in white fabric and dotted with pine cones, the effect is absolutely beautiful.

A bouquet of white roses is made perfect for a Christmas-themed wedding with tiny pine cones and silver embellishments.

This beautiful and simple Christmas wedding cake is white, and features snowy branches and pine cones as embellishments.

We also love this wedding cake, featuring white and pearl snowflakes on a simple white, three-tiered cake.

Your wedding dress can be made instantly perfect for a Christmas themed wedding by adding a broad red or silver sash. Adding red flowers to your hair completes the look!

These are just a few beautiful ideas that brides have had for Christmas-themed weddings. Hopefully, these ideas will give you some inspiration for your own beautiful Christmas-themed wedding.

The post Breathtaking Christmas-Themed Weddings appeared first on Elegant Wedding.

The Water

There are various ways to deliver hot water so your guests can create their own hot chocolate. Coffee pots that are filled with water and left to stay hot, carafes, electric tea kettles, etc. are all great ideas.  You can also use the ingenious suggestion of creating your own hot chocolate mix and putting it in a crockpot for guests to ladle out like punch.

Mix-Ins

Add a variety of syrups so guests can flavor their hot chocolate however they’d like. Peppermint, caramel, hazelnut, crème brulee and vanilla are all great ideas. You can also leave out dishes of marshmallows with pretty little scoops.

Mixer Spoons

If you want to make it special, create mixer spoons for guests to take back to their tables. Simply melt some chocolate in a double boiler, dip plastic spoons in the chocolate and then dip in various other items – crushed peppermint candies, sprinkles, white chocolate, etc.

These are just a few ideas for a fantastic DIY hot chocolate bar that your guests are sure to love. You can add hot tea and coffee as alternatives as well for a great (and very popular) reception station.

The post DIY Hot Chocolate Bar appeared first on Elegant Wedding.

Red

Of course, you can go with the traditional roses, but many brides want to venture off the beaten path and go with flowers that are a little more unique. Here are some great choices for red flowers:

Anemone

Carnation

Mini Calla Lily

Amaryllis

Tulip

Mini Gerbera Daisy

Chrysanthemum

Orange

Orange is such a beautiful, summery color but it can also be fantastic for autumn or spring weddings. There are a variety of beautiful orange flowers, including:

Ranunculus

Rose

Gerbera Daisy

Dahlia

Tulip

Asiatic Lily

Yellow

Yellow is another bright, fresh color that looks fantastic in a bouquet. A few fantastic choices include:

Iris

Gerbera Daisy

Daffodil

Sunflower

Snapdragon

Freesia

Orchid

Tulip

Green

If you want your bouquet to have beautiful green elements, there are some great flowers to go with:

Hydrangea

Rose

Tulip

Viburnum

Bells of Ireland

Purple

There are some gorgeous and sweet-smelling choices for purple bouquet flowers. A few include:

Hydrangea

Sweet Pea

Vanda Orchid

Iris

Hyacinth

Anemone

Pink

If you want to go with pink, you can choose from:

Waxflower

Zinnia

Cosmos

Peony

Cherry Blossom

Delphinium

Lisianthus

White

And finally, for beautiful white elements in your bouquet, choose from:

Daisy

Chrysanthemum

Gardenia

Anemone

Lily of the Valley

Chamomile

Baby’s Breath

Paperwhites

Calla Lily

The post Great Flower Choices by Color: The Wedding Bouquet appeared first on Elegant Wedding.