Bride
Neither my husband Sean nor I can pinpoint how we first met, but the proposal was unforgettable! In December of 2012, Sean and I visited friends in New Orleans. When we visited Louis Armstrong Park, we were the only ones there to admire the beautiful fountains, lakes and wildlife. As we crossed a bridge that overlooked the sparkling water, Sean asked me to stop so he could get something out of the camera bag I was hefting on my back. When he asked me to turn around, he was holding a gorgeous ring. I blurted, “Yes! Is this a joke? Yes!” Sean and I are tattoo aficionados, so I immediately had the idea to have a mutual friend and tattoo artist of ours draw up our save-the-dates and invitations. Our Wedgewood Crystal Springs wedding was set for the 25th of January 2014, taking a big risk because of the frequent cold and rain in the winter. It would also impact the availability of the flowers, which in turn would affect our color scheme—you get the picture. Luckily, the day was warm, the sun was up and our florist did a fantastic job.
We integrated a lot of natural elements into not only our floral arrangements, but also our entire theme in general. My mother and I gathered birdcages, nests, eggs, feathers, moss, twigs, branches, berries, tiny mice and other symbols of wildlife mixed with bright turquoise and coral. From that, our woodsy wedding with bright Frida Kahlo colors took shape. The table number stands we made ourselves, using male-and-female deer figurines on wooden bases. We also glued on pre-cut birch bark to hold the custom-made table number cards. The deer aspect didn’t stop there—we included beautiful naturally shed antlers into our various aesthetics as well. We did this as a nod to Sean and my first home together—we have a taxidermy stag in our living room! Cute little barn owls sat on top of our cake for two reasons: they fit in perfectly with our wildlife theme, and they mate for life! The rest of the cake was shrouded in fondant-fashioned birch bard, flowers and ferns. Our names and wedding date were “carved” into the birch tree, with two little just-married mice poised to enter the tree through a tiny door in the back. In addition to these symbols of our relationship entwined into our special day, Sean and I also made sure to symbolize the memories of the people who could not attend the wedding physically: the grandparents lost in both of our families. We set up a memory candle display on the entry table that we designed and made ourselves with glass hurricane holders, sand, faux succulents, a rosary and framed photos of our relatives. Family is very important to us, and they made our day all the more special. My favorite memory of the day was the father-daughter dance, because, unexpectedly, several of my family members were involved! When “What a Wonderful World,” my father’s musical cue, began to play, he was trapped behind a cluster of guests and couldn’t get to me. My maternal grandfather happened to be standing nearby and swooped in to dance with me. When my dad made it to the dance floor, my mom cut in to dance with my grandfather so my dad could dance with me. So the dance culminated in me dancing with my dad, and my mom dancing with her dad! It was a surprise that turned out to be so meaningful! From booking with Wedgewood to our eclectic music choices to the best man presenting his fake full sleeve “tattoo,” our tattooed “I do” was more amazing than I could have dreamed!
Vendors
Photographer: A Perfect Impression
Linens and Coverings: GBS Linens
Floral Designer: Rosedale Floral Design
DJ:Shawn Storm Productions
Cake Designer: The Cakery Burlingame
Reception Venue: Wedgewood Wedding & Banquet Centers
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