These two sweethearts are just full love & laughter! Jillian & Dan said that their mutual weirdness is what makes them perfect for each other. And we definitely agree! We believe that other than love, laughter is also an important key ingredient in a long lasting relationship. It pays to have your partner as your instant happy pill. And we are just so fortunate that Chil Studios got to share this couple’s wonderful engagement session with us. They were able to perfectly capture the couple’s fun personalities as they cruise along the city for this extraordinary photo shoot. We hope it brightens up your Wednesday morning!
What is your story as a couple, how did you meet & fall in love?
Once upon a time might be a good way to start, since it was a pretty long time ago. Or maybe, a long time ago in a town far, far, away… Dan and I met many moons ago when we were both working at Ruby Tuesday in Brunswick, GA. After we’d been together for about a year, we decided to leave the small town life behind and moved to Atlanta to finish college. After that, we bounced around Atlanta, then did things a little backwards. We bought a house together in 2009 and have been happily living in Duluth ever since. When we were on vacation at the Biltmore Estate back in June, Dan decided to truly surprise me and proposed by the beautiful lagoon in the middle of the grounds. It was quite the spectacular day. Since then we’ve been planning and just enjoying each other before we take the next step into forever.
What makes the two of you a perfect match?
Mutual weirdness. Dan and I are both kind of silly and funny and never miss a chance to make each other laugh.
What was the best advice you received when you were planning your wedding?
Don’t lose sight of the important things. At the end of the day, you’re marrying the man you love, and the rest is just details.
What inspired your wedding decor? Why did you choose the things that you did?
Alice in Wonderland. It’s one of my favorite stories and it really just fit with the whimsical feel we wanted for the wedding.
Do you have advice for couples still in the planning process?
Enjoy being engaged! Don’t spend so much time planning that you forget to enjoy each other.
What were some challenges you faced planning your wedding & what would you have done differently to avoid them?
Having too many options has been a struggle for me. I’ve been trying to limit vendor options to 3 per category and making decisions quickly.
What was the wedding budget? Where did you save the most money?
$20K. My dress! Carrie’s Bridal in Chamblee, GA is amazing and I found my dress for $200. She designs everything herself so she cuts out the middle man. They are all brand new and you can buy it on the spot and take it home right then.
Where will you go on your honeymoon?
We will be going to Machu Picchu in Peru.
How many guests will be invited in your wedding? And was it difficult to narrow down your guest list?
We will invite around 100 people. No. We both have small families and wanted to keep the guest list to the most important people.
What songs will you use during the ceremony?
We’re still deciding on that.
What would you say, the overall story for this album?
For our engagement session, we wanted this one to highlight the city we love.
What inspired the wedding day outfits?
I wanted something with a lot of color that would pop against the cityscape.
What was your favorite part of the day?
When we went to the High Museum of Art to take pictures and walked into filming of the new Divergent movie.
Will there be any Do it Yourself (DIY) projects? If so, can you describe them in detail?
We’re planning on doing a lot of things with paper to go along with the literary theme. We’re also going to set up a little Tea Party and have top hats.
Vendors
Photographer: Chil Studios
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