What was the funniest moment of your wedding? The funniest moment was actually during our portrait session. Tanja and Tia, her stylist, wanted to bring us down to the nearby beach for a few photos, so we settled into the backseat of their sedan for the trip. Philip, one of our videographers, concluded that there wasn’t enough room for him in the car (which was true, with my gown), and started to head back up to the reception. Tanja and Tia, however, convinced him to get into the trunk of the car, legs hanging over the edge, and then took off slightly faster than might be advised down a bumpy dirt road with “no trespassing” signs posted everywhere. Thankfully, he made it in one piece, and we were all able to take advantage of the last pieces of beautiful light and a gorgeous sunset over the ocean!

Pretty much anyone who knows me knows that I am obsessed with “mini food,” so serving a bite-size meal was a given. We didn’t have a full sit-down meal under the tent; instead, guests mingled around small rounds, high tops, and lounge areas, and wait staff circulated with pint-size courses over several hours. Some highlights from our caterer A Thyme to Cook included pigs in a blanket, tiny lobster rolls, a trio of fancy mac and cheeses, and composed plates of shepherd’s pie (with tiny slices of green bean on top!) and “Thanksgiving” during the reception.

Our cocktail hour included a table of “Southern favorites,” complete with mini pulled pork sandwiches, biscuits (with blackberry jam brought with us from North Carolina!), corn muffins, spicy deviled eggs, and Cheerwine! The Cheerwine was very confusing to our Northern guests most thought it was alcoholic!

Did you have a cocktail hour? We did have a cocktail hour, and I’m sure it was awesome! However, we actually were not in attendance. Instead, we chose to have a picnic for two underneath a huge old tree down the hill from our tent. Our wonderful caterer packed us an actual picnic basket full of goodies from cocktail hour, and we thoroughly enjoyed the half hour we spent together relaxing, snacking, chatting about our ceremony, and marveling over the fact that we were married.

Favorite design element of your big day: It’s so hard to choose, when you’ve spent the last year carefully planning every detail! I absolutely adored our Sperry tent – those flags are so celebratory snapping in the breeze. I also love that we collected all the silver for the reception centerpieces. It was really a group effort – a good friend and I scoured our favorite flea market for months, my Mom enlisted all of her friends, we reused a pile of mint julep cups from John’s sister’s wedding, which took place just two months before ours, and my grandmother sent a few pieces from her collection.
Groom’s favorite detail of the wedding: John’s initial answer was that he doesn’t remember any of the details, only the people (mostly me). Upon further prodding, he revealed that he liked our picnic, the couches in our lounge areas, and “that thing Linda [our caterer] provided at the mac and cheese station” best. In case you’re wondering what “that thing” is, it was a vintage set of wooden drawers she set out to hold the forks! (And it was pretty cool.)
Describe some of the decorations or décor elements you used: I spent a larger portion of time than I probably should have in the weeks leading up to the wedding making an abundance of signage for our cocktail hour and reception. I bought some calligraphy supplies and went to town, learning as I went! I also produced party popper favors, our guest book, our “Quaker” marriage certificate and my signature drink stirrers, among other things.

I handmade the popper favors (filled with candy) for our guests to take home at the end of the night. (With, I’ll add, some assembly-line-style help from John, his mom, his sister, and her boyfriend a few days before the wedding!) We also decided to make a donation to the cat adoption agency where our kitties were from in honor of our guests we love them oh so much, and couldn’t imagine our lives without them!

Two more projects! Our guest book was actually cards with question prompts like “What is your favorite memory of us?” and “Where should we go for our fifth anniversary?” I’m going to compile them into a book as soon as life slows down a bit. We also asked our guests to sign our own version of a Quaker marriage certificate as witnesses to our vows, which you can read more about here.

My sister and I actually made the wedding cake! We knew the majority of dessert was going to be small bites (to go along with our mini meals!), so we didn’t want to spend a lot on something that was only going to have two bites taken out of it. Sadly, I made a little garland cake topper that never made it onto the cake, but our florist stuck some flowers on it and it looked fine. The best part was our mini desserts – hot apple crisp, chocolate cake with raspberries, and mini fruit tarts (John’s favorite!) from our caterer. We also served each of our mom’s specialties – chocolate peanut butter balls from mine, and chocolate chunk gingerbread cookies from his.

I love dancing, but historically, it has not been John’s favorite activity. In the months leading up to the wedding, we often talked about taking some lessons, but never got around to it. To make matters worse, we were still deciding between two different first dance songs about two weeks out – “I Won’t Give Up” by Jason Mraz, and “Beyond the Sea” by Bobby Darin. In the end, we chose “Beyond the Sea,” largely because it is a standard foxtrot rhythm and much easier to dance to than the Jason Mraz song, which is a very quick waltz. After deciding, we watched several YouTube instructional videos (oh yes we did), and practiced a few times in our living room. And then, armed with a few basic moves, we pretty much winged it! The hilarious part is that we received compliments on our performance for the rest of the night, with many guests assuming we had taken actual lessons! My theory about first dances is that it’s always better to look like you’re having fun (and actually have fun!) rather than be huffing and puffing and struggling to remember a series of moves. Perhaps our huge smiles distracted guests from our less than stellar feet?

Adore these two from our father daughter dance, so I included both :)

What was your reception like? It was awesome! The majority of our time was spent dancing to our band, Avenue A. They played the perfect mix of swing, big band, and rock and roll, and had everyone on the dance floor the entire night! In fact, one of my only planning regrets is that we didn’t rent a slightly larger dance floor!
What were some of the highlights? All three of our toasts were amazing. My Dad started things off by reminding guests of the months we spent apart during our first year of college, when John was in DC and I was in Massachusetts, and concluded that we are great on our own, but always better when we’re together. My sisters, who are both physical therapists and admittedly did not get the creative genes in the family, put together a hilarious toast with lessons pulled from their academic textbooks about bones and ligaments. Sounds like a stretch, but the band leader actually deemed it the best toast she had ever heard over the microphone! Our best man, who has been one of John’s best friends for at least fifteen years and mine for at least eleven, finished thinks up with a heartfelt toast that included just the right balance of embarrassing moments. I also very much enjoyed sharing our slideshow with our guests. John and I worked hard to collect photos, choose music, and put it all together, and it was so fun to see everyone’s reactions. Since so many of our guests have known us individually and as a couple for so long, we were able to include at least one shot of most of our guests, which made it extra fun for everyone.
Tell us about your grand exit. At the very end of the night, our bandleader invited everyone up to the driveway for a sparkler exit. (We had wanted to set off sky lanterns, but our town’s fire marshal nixed that idea immediately.) John and I stayed down in the garden, chatting with our caterer and waiting for the signal from our coordinator. However, we started to see smoke go up from the lit sparklers, and figured we had better make a run for it, since we still had to get across the garden, up the stairs, and out to the driveaway, and didn’t want them all to burn out before then! So that’s exactly what we did, and though the sparklers were definitely still lit as we ran through, I don’t think Tanja was quite ready for us! The photo editor in me feels a bit guilty about that!
What advice would you give to someone planning his or her wedding? Do what feels right for you. There were many times throughout our engagement that people thought we were crazy (wanting to serve only “mini food,” having a private picnic instead of attending cocktail hour, making our own cake, flying in a photographer from California and a videographer from North Carolina, etc., etc., etc.), but in the end, they were the right choices for us.

Thank you all again, SO much, for cheering us on throughout our engagement! It meant the world to me! If you’re a new reader and curious, this post links to most of the posts I wrote during our engagement. I’ll also be sharing more details about our wedding, including DIY project how-tos, our budget, and our rehearsal dinner, on my personal blog, Em for Marvelous, in February.

Last but certainly not least, make SURE you tune in on Saturday to see our wedding highlights film from Inkspot Crow!! I may be biased, but it’s pretty amazing :)

Inkspot Crow Films and Sperry Tents are delightful members of our Blue Ribbon Vendor Directory!

What was the weather like on your big day? It was PERFECT. Bright blue sky, crisp but warm air, mid-70s… we couldn’t have handpicked a better day. I am so thankful it turned out as it did! The only thing I ever really knew I wanted for my someday future wedding was that I wanted it to take place in Connecticut (where both John and I grew up), and I wanted it to take place in September. It’s my absolute favorite month in New England, and the day God delivered was exactly the day I was picturing when I dreamed about a September wedding.

Y’all know I love paper, and I always knew I would have high standards for my one-day wedding invitation. Working with Magpie Paper Works and MM Ink to produce this beauty was a dream come true!

My sister in law drew the custom map below isn’t it darling?

My wedding dress search spanned three states and five stores. I started the hunt in Charleston, where I fell in love with a Monique Lhuillier and a Vera Wang at Maddison Row. I then looked in Connecticut at The White Dress by the Shore, but didn’t even have a top contender at the end of that trip. My third stop (with just Mom this time) was at Nitsa’s in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The first dress I tried on was the “Brisa,” by Christos, and the best way I can describe it is that it just felt like me. I had never seen another bride wear it before, which I didn’t think was important to me, but apparently it was! (And since I work at a wedding magazine, stumping me with a “new” gown is pretty tough.) We visited two more stores after that to make sure, but it was Brisa in the end. The funniest part about wearing my dress was that people asked to touch it all day! I guess the skirt looked very soft :)

Our beautiful horsehair-edged veil was a custom creation by Chaviano Couture. I dreamed it up with John’s sister, who got married exactly two months before John and I did. It’s our hope that our sisters and maybe even children will one day wear it, too!

I struggled for a long time with what to inscribe on our Paloma’s Nest ring bearer bowl, and eventually decided on simply “grateful,” plus our wedding date.

I have a very distinct style when it comes to flowers, and happily, I found my match in Elisabeth from Blush Floral Design. I asked for a lush garden look with garden roses, ranunculus, sweet pea, lambs ear, and anemones in whites, creams, and the palest blushes. The stem of my bouquet (which I loved!) was wrapped in pleated pale blue ribbon I picked up on a special trip to New York City. We incorporated tiny apples and berries into the cocktail hour and reception centerpieces, as well.

You can read more about our decision to do a first look right here. It wasn’t the overwhelmingly emotional part of the day that it is for some people more joyful but we were glad we did it and it worked well with our timeline.

My bridesmaids wore long charcoal gray dresses by Dessy. Choosing bridesmaid attire was one of the, if not the, hardest decision I made while wedding planning, though they all looked beautiful in the end!

I adore that photo of our dads! So good.

Bride’s favorite detail of the wedding: I really loved the boutonniere and bell boards we set up at the church. Upon arrival, gentlemen were invited to pin on a velvet ribbon boutonniere, and ladies could take a little silver bell to ring at the end of our ceremony. I loved that these details made our guests feel special, and included in the celebration, right from the beginning!

In the days and months leading up to our wedding, I wondered often about how my emotions would manifest themselves on the big day. I tend to be pretty unpredictable with crying – I’ll tear up at commercials, but often won’t shed a drop in situations where it’s expected, you know? If anything, I expected to cry while reciting our vows, and during the father daughter dance. Turns out I was wrong on both accounts, though I did get extremely emotional at one point.

Throughout the morning of our wedding, I felt quite calm, and quietly excited. I didn’t feel nervous, and I didn’t feel particularly emotional. Our first look was joyful, not tearful. Since we had already seen each other, bridesmaids, groomsmen, and our families all gathered together in the basement of the church to await the start of the ceremony. Soon it was time for us to line up, and when I was standing next to my Dad in the narthex I felt the first flip in my stomach. I got another one when the string trio began to play the first song of the processional. After the last bridesmaid had begun her walk down the aisle, the doors to the sanctuary closed, and my Dad and I moved into position. I had specifically asked that the doors not be opened until about fifteen seconds into my song, so that we would hit the top of the aisle at the right point in the music. My emotions started to build, and I couldn’t help smiling, while we waited behind the closed doors. When the doors finally opened, I could hear an audible intake of breath from our guests. (That sounds horribly vain, but it’s true!) I think it was in part because I was wearing a blusher veil, which is so unexpected these days but so me, and my Dad looked stunningly handsome in his dress whites (military uniform). I had my eyes locked on John’s the entire time we walked down the aisle, but when we reached our guests, I had to start taking deep breaths in and out to try and control the impending flood. Once we got a little closer, I could hear the entire row of bridesmaids and entire row of groomsmen sniffling, and that finally opened the flood gates for me. We all had tears rolling down our faces throughout the beginning of our ceremony, so much so that our pastor had to remind everyone to take deep breaths before he began.

Who was one of the most special guests at your wedding? Besides my grandmothers, and John’s relatives who came from as far away as Taipei and Shanghai, our most special guest was our pastor, Carl. He’s the pastor of our church in North Carolina, and has had such a huge impact on our lives and our life together since we met him two years ago. We were so excited and grateful when he agreed to fly north to lead our ceremony. We were equally as devastated when we found out two months before our wedding that he had been diagnosed with cancer. He had surgery about a month before, and happily, was recovered in time to still make the trip. His presence was one of the most special parts of our entire day – our wedding would have felt entirely different (at least to John and me) had he not been a part of it.
Were there any family traditions you included in the ceremony? We chose to serve communion to our guests, since we found deep meaning in having our first act as a newly married couple be one of service. We used a silver cup from the church where my grandmother was baptized to hold the wine. We weren’t sure how our guests would react, but many told us communion was their favorite part of the day.
Did you write your own vows? We wrote our own vows and recited traditional vows, as we felt they both brought something meaningful to the ceremony. Our personal vows took the form of promises to each other. My favorite line from John’s vows was “I promise to always be available to and grateful for your love.” His favorite part from mine was the last line: “And if at the end, all I have done is loved you with all of my heart, I promise that for me, that will be enough.”

At some points during the budgeting process, I second-guessed our decision to hire a string trio, but I am SO glad we did. They played so beautifully, and really set the tone for the ceremony. They were accompanied by my childhood piano teacher, and having her there injected one more layer of meaning into the day. The moms walked down the aisle to “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring,” one of my very favorite hymns, and one that just says WEDDING to me (in the best way possible). My bridesmaids entered to “In Christ Alone,” which I had never heard mentioned as a processional, but which we received many compliments on. I loved it. My processional was to “A Thousand Years.” I debated long and hard over what song to use, and worried that I might regret choosing something so contemporary (especially something that first appeared in the Twilight movies – yikes!). But in the end, it was most important to me to have something that pulled at my emotional chords and made me feel something, and “A Thousand Years” most certainly did. If you’ve only heard the radio version, you’ve got to check out Vitamin String Quartet’s rendition! Our congregational hymn was “Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee” (love!), and our recessional was “Ode to Joy,” the same one my parents and my older sister and her husband used at their weddings.

How did the two of you meet? Tell us your story. We grew up in the same small town in Connecticut, and went to different elementary schools, but had many of the same friends. Despite this, we did not meet each other until middle school, when all the elementary schools pooled into one school. I had a crush on John, but sadly, it was not reciprocated. Fast forward to high school, where we were still in interlocking groups of friends, but more acquaintances than anything else. I still thought John was cute, of course, but he was dating someone else. Fast forward again to senior year. We had a class together with a mutual good friend, and so began to hang out more. Unbeknownst to me, John had developed a crush on me, but didn’t really know what to do about it. He even resorted to loudly talking about how much he liked me while sitting a few seats away from my younger sister in the cafeteria (hoping she would overhear and report back), but to no avail. Finally, in January of their senior year, John (with the encouragement of our friend Jeremy) mustered up the courage to say something. He called me up out of the blue and blurted out “So… I think I like you.” To which I responded with nervous giggles, obviously. A first date was eventually arranged (ice skating), and we have been together ever since.
Three adjectives that describe the day are: joyful, thoughtful, and precious
How many guests attended your wedding? About 120
What was the design inspiration for your wedding? I have been studying wedding magazines for about thirteen years now, and working at one for three. So I’ve seen a lot of weddings, and a ton of creative and unique ideas. Though I love almost all of them, I knew the vast majority weren’t right for John and me. Our wedding style was classic, while never taking itself too seriously. We wanted everything to fit seamlessly into our beautiful seaside location, and in the end, I think it did.
What were your wedding colors? This is a tough question! People always looked at me like I had two heads when I tried to explain. Let’s go with powder blue, black and white, blush pink, dove gray, and environmental green. There might have been some peach in there, too.
What was the biggest challenge you faced when planning your wedding? Isn’t it always the budget? I almost feel guilty giving that answer, though, because we were extremely lucky to have a larger amount to work with than most, and were so grateful for everything we were able to afford. But when you know what’s out there, it’s hard to stop yourself from wanting more!
What range did your budget fall into? $25,000-$50,000
How did you spend the morning or afternoon before your big day? Though we had to wake up earlier than I would have chosen (6:15) to start the hair and makeup process, the morning was perfect – slow and relaxed, and spent with just my sisters, John’s sisters, and our moms. We had reserved a large suite at a cozy local inn, and we had the windows and door open all day, letting in the crisp early fall air. I also made a custom playlist to set the right mood, a tip I’d highly recommend!
Did you have any special readings? We spent much time choosing our readings, and we were so happy with them in the end! We chose one from the Bible, Colossians 3:12-17, and had a good friend with whom we went to high school and college read it. (She also has her Masters of Divinity, so she was extra qualified!) Our second reading was an excerpt from “Mere Christianity” by C.S. Lewis, which begins “Being in love is a good thing, but it is not the best thing.” Our dear friend from college read that one. Our final reading was the one we had the most difficulty choosing. After going through a box of old notes we had written to each other over the years, we finally settled on an excerpt from “The Petite Prince” that I had included with a letter to John years before. For those who are familiar with the book, we choose the conversation between the fox and the prince about what it means to be tamed. Our ninth grade English teacher and my mentor of eleven years read it, which was only fitting, as she was the one who had introduced me to it years before.
Who participated in your ceremony? Growing up I had three best friends (all of whom I’m still quite close with), and one of them did us the honor of singing “Set Me As a Seal” and “Come Thou Font of Every Blessing” during communion. It was so beautiful!

Inkspot Crow Films and Sperry Tents are delightful members of our Blue Ribbon Vendor Directory!

What Southern details or traditions did you include in your celebration? What was Southern about your wedding? When I think of South Africa, I think of fruit – we have a Garden of Eden here and it’s not even expensive. South Africa is sub tropical and you can get some of the yummiest fruits over here. Even though the winter had just passed, we opted for frosted fruits on the table and it looked like a feast. We had grapes, apples, pears and oranges. Being South African, we sang Christian songs in native South African languages and we served our guests traditional South African ginger beer, which they were all pleasantly surprised to see. We had lamb cutlets and a mashed potato for the main course, which is also a very traditional meal in SA.
Describe your wedding cake: We wanted something small, so we went for pear flavored cupcakes decorated with frosted flowers.
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? Figuring out what sort of look and feel we wanted to go for and then putting it to action. Many hours were spent until we were happy with everything.
What range did your wedding budget fall into? $10,000-$25,000
What is the one thing you are most happy you splurged on? Definitely the photographer. Not only does she take the most beautiful pictures, but she is fun to be with as well and has a really beautiful spirit.

What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? Kissing each other for the first time as husband and wife!
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you looking forward to in the future? As a couple, we really just want to spend the next two years or so getting to know each other even better and supporting each other’s studies and career aspirations because we are both very ambitious. After, we are hoping to grow our family and hope God will bless us with children.

Photographer: Rensche Mari // Planner: Nolwazi Serero (2771 222 5549) // Venue: Morrels Boutique Venue // Flowers Morrels Boutique Venue // Catering: Morrels Boutique Venue // Wedding Cake Baker: Sarah Mtetwa (2772 337 2835) // Paper Products: Canvas Stationery Boutique // Bride’s Dress: Makoti Couture (2771 222 5549) // Bride’s Hair: Khosi (2783 669 1500) // Bride’s Shoes: Juliettes // Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Makoti Couture // Grooms attire: Bogart Man (2711 938 1358)

How did the two of you meet? (From the groom) We met at the bus stop in Johannesburg as we were coming home from work. We spoke for what seemed like forever without knowing each others’ names. I wasn’t looking for love at the time because I was nursing a broken heart and, while I believed in love, I wasn’t sure if I could survive it. Nonhlanhla got a car and needed an experienced licensed driver to ride with her and she, thank God, thought of me (I was blessed because it was winter and most importantly, because she turned out to be “the one”). Then as our story goes, we got to know each other, fell in love, and the rest is history.
Describe the proposal. He took me out for lunch at Signature Restaurant and he was acting odd. We had lunch and when dessert came, I was too busy looking at what he ordered that I didn’t even notice the ring on top my dessert. Then, he went down on one knee and told me how much he loved me and that he can’t imagine his life without me. He was so nervous during the proposal. I said yes and I noticed that half of the staff was looking at us while he was proposing. After, they congratulated us.
Three adjectives that describe the day are: Beautiful, intimate, spiritual.
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: We really liked the table setting, especially the frozen fruit. But the one thing that sticks out for both of us is how happy our family and friends were.
Tell us about finding your wedding dress: I was looking for a simple and comfortable, yet beautiful dress, so I went for a Greek style dress.
Describe your wedding flowers: Nude and peach roses – they really looked stunning

Photographer: Rensche Mari // Planner: Nolwazi Serero (2771 222 5549) // Venue: Morrels Boutique Venue // Flowers Morrels Boutique Venue // Catering: Morrels Boutique Venue // Wedding Cake Baker: Sarah Mtetwa (2772 337 2835) // Paper Products: Canvas Stationery Boutique // Bride’s Dress: Makoti Couture (2771 222 5549) // Bride’s Hair: Khosi (2783 669 1500) // Bride’s Shoes: Juliettes // Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Makoti Couture // Grooms attire: Bogart Man (2711 938 1358)

What Southern details or traditions did you include in your celebration? What was Southern about your wedding? The night before the wedding, after rehearsal dinner, we had a big party at the Buffalo Chip Saloon, which is an authentic Western saloon in Cave Creek, Arizona with live music, dancing and live bull riding!
Describe your wedding flowers: The flowers were very natural. They were a mix of succulents and florals in shades of burnt orange, eggplant and greens, with pops of yellow. My mom helped a lot with the flowers since she lives in Arizona and I absolutely loved how they turned out. They went with the rustic Arizona vibe of the wedding perfectly.
Describe your wedding cake: We had a three-tiered square cake with chocolate buttercream frosting, decorated by the florist with succulents to match the rest of the floral arrangements. We had a smaller wedding cake so that we could do lots of other fun “mini” desserts as well.
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? Keeping it small. It was important to me to keep the wedding small and intimate, which proved to be a lot harder than you would imagine!
What range did your wedding budget fall into? $25,000 – $50,000
What is the one thing you are most happy you splurged on? The invitations. I absolutely loved how they turned out and felt like they set the stage for our wedding weekend celebration.
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? My grandfather’s impromptu speech during the reception (after winning the “anniversary dance” with my grandmother) on the secrets to a lasting marriage.

Photographer: Sarah Rhoads Photographers // Venue: Desert Mountain // Florist: Table Tops Etc. // Wedding Cake Baker: Desert Mountain // Caterer: Desert Mountain // Paper Products: Celebrations In Paper // Bride’s Dress: Vera Wang // Bride’s Hair Accessories/Veil: Marcella’s La Boutique // Bride’s Shoes: BHLDN // Bridesmaids’ Dresses: J. Crew

How did the two of you meet? Tell us your story. Steve and I met 7 years ago at the University of Washington, when I lived in his fraternity for the summer. We became best friends. Steve says he always knew we would be together, but it took me a few more years to figure it out. Luckily, Steve stuck around and I finally realized that our relationship was much more than a friendship. Having been best friends for so many years made dating easy and over the last few years, everything fell into place. Now, I am so happy to be married to my best friend!
Describe the proposal. Having just spent 5 weeks abroad with my family, Steve told me he wanted to take me away for a special birthday trip. We packed the car up and drove out to Suncadia (a resort in Eastern Washington) for the weekend. We spent the afternoon biking, hanging out by the river and relaxing at the pool. We did wine and birthday presents in our room that evening and the last present was my ring. Somehow he totally surprised me! We went out to dinner that night to celebrate my 26th birthday and our engagement and had amazing time!!
Three adjectives that describe the day are: Relaxed, memorable, intimate
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: That it was a whole weekend affair for everyone. We started the weekend with a golf tourney for the boys, a pool day for the girls, followed by rehearsal dinner and a night out at the Buffalo Chip Saloon. The ceremony and reception was on Saturday and we had a farewell brunch at my parents’ house Sunday, before everyone flew home. It was great to be able to spend the entire weekend with our closest friends and family. The entire weekend was perfect and we wouldn’t change a thing!

Photographer: Sarah Rhoads Photographers // Venue: Desert Mountain // Florist: Table Tops Etc. // Wedding Cake Baker: Desert Mountain // Caterer: Desert Mountain // Paper Products: Celebrations In Paper // Bride’s Dress: Vera Wang // Bride’s Hair Accessories/Veil: Marcella’s La Boutique // Bride’s Shoes: BHLDN // Bridesmaids’ Dresses: J. Crew

And here’s the couple’s sweet portrait session. Yvonne did such a beautiful job!

Describe your wedding cake: My good friend Katie baked the cake to resemble a circus tent. I loved that she carried over the bunting decoration into the cake, which was lemon-flavored with raspberry filling.
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? I had to reign myself in because I kept thinking of new ideas. This wedding was the epitome of DIY, from the invitations (screen printed by hand) to the hand-held celebration flags. Each new idea created much more work for me.
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? When Adam and I spontaneously did step aerobics on the dance floor. Yes, we’re dorks!
Did you write your own vows? If so, what was your favorite phrase, verse or line? Yes, we both wrote our own vows. My favorite part was when Adam said that he loves me because I give him an excuse to watch the Real Housewives.
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you looking forward to in the future? For now we’re focusing on school and our careers. We look forward to starting a family later and living a happy, simple life.

Ooo boy do we have a fun wedding for you today DIY brides, delight! The wedding invitation designer-bride screen printed the couple’s invitations herself and decked Eva Restaurant with colorful bunting and a cheerful banner stretching across the ceremony space. Yeri, the bride, made it easy for guests to wave their well-wishes with little flags and dab their tears of joy with individually packaged handkerchiefs. The festive air didn’t stop at paper, however. Yeri and her bridesmaid both wore short and fun David’s Bridal dresses, while Yeri opted for a simple dress and veil and completed the look with adorable polka-dotted coral pumps from J. Crew. The bride and her sister arranged all the flowers themselves with the help of her in-laws, who bought dozens of assorted flowers from their local farmer’s market. Special thanks to Yvonne Wong Photography who shared this DIY wedding with us!

How did the two of you meet? Tell us your story. We met while attending the University of Washington in Seattle. We found out later that we used to attend the same elementary school in Los Angeles!
Describe the proposal. Adam was in cahoots with my sister to pick out the perfect ring. She also made a custom box / ornament for Adam to hang on our tree. I was on my way home from work and was going to pick Adam up to go eat. He kept urging me to come into the apartment. When I went inside, he showed me the ornament and proposed!
Three adjectives that describe the day are: Light-hearted, humorous, and joyful.
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: The “Tears of Joy” bundles.
Tell us about finding your wedding dress: It was a strapless, short dress. Very simple.
Describe your wedding flowers: My in-laws were kind enough to go to the farmer’s market and buy a large amount of roses and other assorted flowers. My sister and I made our bouquets and the in-laws helped to make the table arrangements.

Tell us about finding your wedding dress: I saw a photo of my dress in a magazine and knew it was perfect for me. I found a store that carried it, tried it on, and I said yes. It was that easy. In a world with endless options, I always feel its best to go with what you know, so I didn’t bother confusing myself!
Describe your wedding flowers: When you get married in a botanical garden, there’s no need to compete! Plus, I think it’s crazy to spend so much money on flowers for one evening. We picked out very twiggy, delicate wild flowers, as well as some herbs for the boutonnieres and lilacs for the bouquets. I wanted everything to look natural and reflect a very whimsical and wispy feel.
Describe your wedding cake: We both hate wedding cakes and, again, were astounded by the pricing. We had our local cupcake lady make us a batch of red velvet with cream cheese frosting, chocolate with butter cream frosting, and vanilla with butter cream frosting. They were fantastic!
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? To be honest, my biggest challenge was overcoming my philosophical issues with the financial investment for such an occasion. While an occasion like this certainly warrants a worthy celebration, it is very easy to get carried away and lose perspective. A wedding is a very symbolic event about what happens afterward, not just about what happens that day. Both Barret and I made every effort to ensure we were able to have a wedding that reflected an attitude of celebration with appropriate restraint.
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? It is difficult to pick one as the entire day is so special. I felt the most anticipation about seeing Barret for our “first look.” But for me, having my father perform the ceremony was very meaningful.
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you looking forward to in the future? Barret and I are quite settled in our jobs but are looking to sell our home and move a bit closer to his work in Delaware. We plan to make Wilmington, DE the next hip spot, if anyone wants to join us!

How did the two of you meet? Tell us your story. Barret and I are a Match.com success story! We were both urged to join by our friends after Barret moved from Atlanta for his new job at the University of Delaware and after I was politely scolded for hanging out with married couples and working too much. We gave in. I totally submitted myself to the process and went out on a limb and sent him a message. We emailed and talked on the phone for about a month and soon enough, we had our first date at a University of Delaware football game! Nine months later we were engaged!
Describe the proposal. Barret proposed to me at the beach in Charleston, South Carolina. I had a feeling something was up that morning as he seemed a bit nervous. When we arrived at the beach, Barret seemed hell-bent on going to the pier. I kept trying to sit down and he kept saying, “Why don’t we go to the pier?” This made me nervous, but I went. I made us sit down on a bench on the pier, which I think complicated his plan for a one-knee proposal. Fortuitously, some dolphins were swimming by and so I said “look, dolphins!” Barret seized the moment to grab a “camera” from his bag, which turned out to be a vintage cocktail ring with diamonds and sapphires, which Barret’s father had used to propose to his mother. When he opened the box, I could see how nervous he was. He had forgotten to take off his sunglasses and looked down at me through them and asked, “Will you marry me?” I was so surprised at the ring (we had picked out a different ring a bit earlier that I liked) that I said something like, “That’s not my ring! But yes! I will marry you!”
Three adjectives that describe the day are: Intimate, merry, warm
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: Barret’s favorite detail of the wedding was the bluegrass band. They really set the tone for the evening and made everyone comfortable. My favorite detail of the wedding was the farm tables. I think they made for a very intimate, dinner party-like atmosphere while bringing a lot to the whole aesthetic.
What Southern details or traditions did you include in your celebration? What was Southern about your wedding? Barret did all of his schooling (BA, MA, PhD) in Atlanta, GA and Greenville, NC, and my mother was raised by a cattle farmer in Kentucky, so we both have an affinity for the South. I think the whole wedding was meant to reflect the charm we both sense from Southern living, thus the blue-grass band, the quilts and lawn-games, the farm-tables and family-style dining. The evening was meant to feel warm and relaxed and intimate, like the dinners I remember having at my grandparent’s house in Kentucky, and the fun Barret had with all his friends during school.

A few last words from Mr. Gibler, the groom:

What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? My high school friends singing our St. Xavier alma mater. (We went to an all-boys high school. Don’t judge us.)
Did you write your own vows? If so, what was your favorite phrase/verse/or line? Yes, we did write our own vows… some sooner than others. Rumor has it Katharine started working on her vows several months before the wedding. I hashed mine out a few minutes before the ceremony. She cried, so it was all good.
What was Southern about your wedding? The bride. And her Southern lawyer father.
What advice would you give to someone planning their wedding? In the (censored) words of Ludacris: “Move. Get out [of] the way.” Translation: let the bride plan everything, and do whatever she says.
Who was your most honored guest at the wedding? My ninety-four-year-old Grandma Busam. (Just don’t tell Grandma Gibler!)
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you looking forward to in the future? Eight months later, I’m looking forward to finally taking my wife on our honeymoon, which we had to delay because of my med school schedule. I’ve planned a trip to the Western Caribbean… and gotten Kat plenty of seasickness medication.

The details from Kyle, the groom…

Our favorite detail of the wedding was: The weather. 75 and sunny. We couldn’t have asked for a better day. I also loved going back to Harvard for the wedding. We got married five years to the day after we first met, and even had our “first look” back at the freshman dorm where we played that fateful “Never Have I Ever” game.
Tell us about finding your wedding dress: Her dress didn’t have a turtleneck or sleeves (which I was legitimately worried about since she likes both), so I was fine. Also, it wasn’t beige.
Describe your wedding flowers: There were flowers? Kat tells me they were white….
Describe your wedding cake: As the lead designer of our wedding cake, I chose a funfetti cake, inspired by a birthday tradition my mom started when I was three. I dare anyone to tell me it wasn’t delicious.
Were there any wedding traditions or new ideas you included in the wedding? After my wedding, I’m pretty sure all my high school friends will adopt the tradition of singing our high school alma mater at the reception. Also, I think the wedding started (or perhaps continued?) our new family tradition of letting my wife make every major life decision. And so it begins…

Today, belles and beaus, I have the distinct pleasure of introducing my dear friend and colleague’s wedding to the love of her life. Katharine and Kyle are kind of an epic couple (they have the same first initial thing going for them, Kyle’s about six and a half feet tall, they met as undergrads at Harvard, etc., etc.), and their wedding was fittingly epic: classic, romantic, meaningful everything you could hope for on the day you begin your new life as a couple. I was honored to be in attendance (and to be a bridesmaid, of course!).

But on to the details! Katharine’s gorgeous dress is the “Blakely” by Amsale, purchased on an epic (yes, again) trip to Kleinfeld last January. Its clean, structured style really set the tone for the rest of the wedding day, in my opinion. She paired Miss Blakely with the “Elke” shoes from Nina and a clutch from Davie & Chiyo (a shower gift from yours truly!). The ‘maids wore floor-length black gowns, and most of us wore gold and pearl jewelry from Erin McDermott, a gift from Katharine at the rehearsal dinner. We all carried white bouquets arranged by SW’s Editor in Chief, Lara Casey (the lovely blooms came courtesy of wholesaler Fifty Flowers)!

I think KTW was a bit nervous about how her wedding day “look” was going to come together, but it’s safe to say that the inimitable Scoobie West surpassed everyone’s expectations, not only creating flawless updo’s and faces for everyone who asked, but keeping the getting-ready room light and nerve-free. (He did scold us for eating pre-ceremony pizza in our dresses, but we’ll forgive him that.)

Take a peek at these portraits of the ladies, gents, ladies + gents, families, and “first look” (outside of K + K’s freshman dorm awww!) then come back quick for all the ceremony details! Gorgeous images courtesy of Bryan Johnson of A Bryan Photo, who perfectly delivered on Katharine’s request for black and white images.

Readers, you should know that Mr. Kyle stepped up and filled out the interview on behalf of the happy couple… enjoy!

Occupations: Professional student debtors.
How did the two of you meet? Tell us your story. I was lucky to meet Katharine on my first day of college freshman year during a dorm-wide game of “Never Have I Ever.” (We were both assigned to the “Hurlbut” dorm. It was fate.) While I was immediately attracted to her, she was just as quickly suspicious of me. A cat and mouse… or, more accurately, a Kat and Kyle… game ensued. Eventually, I wore her down with weekly dates to Dollar Scoop Tuesdays at Baskin Robbins. And my devastatingly good looks.
Describe the proposal: The short version? Kyle got down on one knee, and Katharine said yes. The longer one? I took Katharine back to Harvard, where we first met, and arranged for a candlelit dinner of Chinese cuisine by the river. It was hopelessly romantic. Just like I am. The catch? I apparently overlooked the fact that Cambridge in December is a little chilly, to say the least. After accepting my heartfelt proposal, Katharine proceeded to inform me she had never been so cold in her entire life. To that end, she couldn’t even put on her engagement ring for a full hour until her hands had thawed.
Three adjectives that describe the day are: Tigerblood, #winning and Sheentastic. Fast, 2Fast and 2Furious. No, but really: classic, elegant and timeless.
What was the design inspiration for your wedding? Whatever my wife told me it would be. Next question?
Favorite design element of your big day: The vintage Rolls Royce my father-in-law surprised us with after the ceremony. Thanks, Dad!

How did the two of you meet? Tell us your story. We met on Match.com. I had just moved to San Francisco and was looking to meet some new people and get a few drinks out of it along the way. My plan was spoiled when I met up with Jonathan for a beer at the Plough and Stars on Clement Street. Both conversation and beer flowed longer than planned that night. There was something there and we’re still enjoying it today.
Describe the proposal. (From the groom) I’m not able to surprise Lindsay too often – she’s much brighter than me! My first thought was to plan a backpacking trip to the Trinity Alps, but a solo couple trip could tip her off to the real motivation. As a distraction, I invited some friends, but, big surprise, they couldn’t make it. So it was off to the woods by ourselves, with a surprise in the making. Our destination was Lake Anna, an alpine lake perched a vertical mile above the trail head. It was slow going as the trail disappeared and we threaded our way through thick Manzanita. Daylight began to wane and we hadn’t reached the little alpine lake yet. In fact we sat at the base of a 300 foot scree field unsure of the exact location of the lake. At this point, the last thing on Lindsay’s mind was marriage. We scurried up the last few hundred feet of scree with the sun cresting the horizon. When we reached the top, I pulled out a Nepalese ring and kneeled (partly from exhaustion). Lindsay’s initial reaction was confusion which was overcome by joy. Success.
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: The weekend with family and friends was amazing. There were so many details that made our day special including the personal touch of our wedding at a family home, our friends playing the ceremony music, and Jazz Mafia’s improvisation of a New Orleans street band when the power went out. But the best detail was being immersed in the love of our friends and family.

What Southern details or traditions did you include in your celebration? What was Southern about your wedding? Fiddle playing, family and food.
Tell us about finding your wedding dress: It was the most inexpensive dress I tried on! I found it at R&K Bridal and it was perfect – simple and lacy, which is all I wanted. I added buttons down the back.
Describe your wedding flowers: We got wildflowers from Stray Cat Farm in Vermont. We chose loose wildflowers and a friend arranged them on the tables the day of the wedding. Stray Cat Farm made some wildflower arrangements in tins for the altar and the buffet tables, and then they made bouquets of snapdragons, my favorite flower, in the color of the dresses/theme.
Describe your wedding cake: We had cupcakes made by a local baker, Marion Peer, of Vermont Sweet Tooth. Her cupcakes were to die for, in three flavors with buttermilk frosting: Lemony-Snicket with orange zest, carrot cake with candied ginger, and chocolate chunk.
Did you write your own vows? If so, what was your favorite phrase, verse or line? We did. We tried to center our vows on the idea that we would work together and draw strength from this day when times get hard.
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you looking forward to in the future? We are happy! We might move to a bigger apartment, but in NYC that is a bit hard to do. We hope to take a second honeymoon in Guatemala next winter.

How did the two of you meet? Tell us your story. (From the groom) I was living and working in Caracas, Venezuela running a program for an international human rights organization called Global Exchange. I organized delegations throughout the country, focused on grassroots movements and politics. Kate was finishing law school and came on one of our trips. We met, hit it off, and then stayed in touch. Our first date was about a month later when I convinced her to come back to South America. We spent a few days on a deserted beach in Colombia and fell in love. We maintained a long distance relationship for a year then I moved to NYC where she had recently moved.
Describe the proposal. (From the groom) I invited her to meet me at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden for some wine and dinner. After about an hour, I asked her if she knew what day today was. She hadn’t a clue. I told her to close her eyes. When she opened them, I had laid out a bunch of index cards. I had written in crayon, “ TODAY IS THE DAY I ASK YOU TO MARRY ME.” She looked at me is disbelief and we cried, and celebrated. Then I told her that I wanted to take her out for a glass of champagne. We took a cab down to Brooklyn Farm and waiting on the patio were about 15 of our close friends to toast us.
Three adjectives that describe the day are: Exhilarating, inspiring and loving.
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: We held a big party the night before up in Stowe, VT, at a lodge. Friends made speeches, played music and had a got to know each other.

Tell us about finding your wedding dress: Ah, this was interesting, it was such a strange fabric and I loved it, but could not figure out how to style it. It had a large flower that was supposed to go under the bodice, but that I ended up sewing it right into the middle of the dress while I was wearing it! I cut out the beading and added more homemade “petals” to it, literally while wearing the dress to make sure it looked good. I was happy with the final look, which I am sure was one of a kind! At the reception we couldn’t find the loops the bustle, so we ended cutting it off with scissors! No one noticed, though!
Describe your wedding flowers: The flowers were gorgeous. We decorated our long wooden tables with flowers, lanters and candles. We used cabbage roses, crespidia, rannuculas, succulents and even some peonies! Everything was loose and romantic.
Describe your wedding cake: My cake was red velvet with fluffym sugary frosting. I LOVE frosting.
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? Getting the ceremony barn ready. We not only had to clean out tons of wood and old vehicles that didn’t run, but also had to get an inspector and add some structural elements, and we had to store the hay in another location for awhile, since the barn is still a working barn.
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? The day was set for 90% chance of rain, but it didn’t rain a drop! I really enjoyed my wedding day. I had a flip camera and was filming everything. I am so glad I had it, because it helped me remember everything. I filmed going to bed the night before, my thoughts in the morning, getting ready with my girlfriends andright before I walked down the isle. I was so glad I had it!
Did you write your own vows? It was very important to us to have traditional biblical vows, vows that recognize that men and women do have different roles in marriage.
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you looking forward to? Life. Playing together ☺ We are pretty ridiculous people, so we love life. We will have kids in a few years, we just want some time together first.

How did the two of you meet? Tell us your story. Oh my, this is a very crazy story, really. Chris and I met at a tiny high school in Bermuda Dunes, California, and fell head over high school heels for each other. Away at college we broke up, since we both had some growing up to do. I started dating a guy who Chris came to call “Sensible Shoes.” During our eight-and-a-half years apart, Chris and I separately traveled the world and lived out our dreams. Chris followed in his family’s tradition of joining the US Army. My boyfriend at the time (“Sensible Shoes”) had bought a ring and asked my parents for my their blessing, but I just couldn’t marry him. I went to counseling, prayed and prayed, and walked away before I ever got to the altar. At this time, Chris was in Iraq, a half a world away, when we began emailing daily. Things took a rapid turn from there, and the moment we saw each other and admitted our love, it was obvious we would get married. When we kissed that day, he told me he had loved me all his life.
Describe the proposal. Chris got down on one knee in front of a stunning Clyfford still painting in the modern wing of the national gallery in Washington, D.C. It was the perfect place: Chris was from the D.C. area, and it is where we would begin our new life together, and I have always loved art. He proposed with his late grandmother’s ring, some 66 years after it was first put on her finger.
Three words that describe the day are: Whimsy, love and barn.
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: The barns! I loved the barns. I spent MONTHS helping to restore that first barn. It was VERY special. I also adored the ring bearers and flower girls – seven in all, all my nieces and nephews – adorable!
What was Southern about your wedding? The ceremony and reception both were held at separate barns, at separate ranches. It was very rustic! Guests played bocce ball and tossed horseshoes at the reception, and horses were running outside during the ceremony. We served everything “family style,” and had salmon, steak and crispy fried onions.

Describe your wedding cake: Fun and festive. We had a polka dot chocolate covered three-tiered cake. The first layer was berry ganáche, the second chocolate mouse and the third carrot cake.
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? I’ve shot more than 125 weddings and I’ve seen so many different things, I didn’t know what to choose when it came to my “style” and colors. So I really had to decide who Iaan and I were and what would represent our personalities.
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? Walking down the aisle, for sure. It was a long aisle and looking at Iaan all the way, was just amazing. Knowing this is forever and my biggest dream come true was an honor and a moment I’ll never forget!
Did you write your own vows? If so, what was your favorite phrase, verse or line? We did write our own vows. I loved this part: “On this special day I give to you my sacred promise to stay by your side as your faithful wife.”
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you looking forward to in the future? We are building our own house this year and very excited about this awesome project!

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Today we bring you the wedding of Christine + Iaan, or, as I like to call it, the Freaking Adorable Wedding of Two Freaking Adorable People. Seriously: could they BE any cuter? I think not. The giant proteas that Christine loves so much make a fabulous style statement in this wedding no big surprise, since Christine is an extremely talented photographer and blogger with a great eye. These two South African lovebirds got married at Kleinevalleij in a gorgeous outdoor ceremony with the bride in a beautiful gown by Lace Blossom and heels by Stuart Weitzman. I’m always interested to see who wedding photographers choose to shoot their own weddings, and think Christine made an amazing choice in Julie Lim! We’ll be back with more soon!

Describe the proposal. Iaan and I traveled to Germany to shoot a wedding and also combined it with a bit of holiday. It was our last day in Münich when he suggested we have an ice cream later in the afternoon before we fly back, as we both LOVE ice cream and found a yummy little store close to our hotel. I didn’t suspect anything. We went to the ice cream store and past us walked a photographer, I recognized his cool gear and showed Iaan, but he quickly changed the topic. I didn’t think much about it. We then bought some ice cream and headed to a little area in the mid of Münich. Meanwhile there were two photographers following us all the way from the hotel and they captured the whole thing! Apart from getting engaged, this was totally AWESOME! We sat on a little bench, had some ice cream and then Iaan pulled out my iPad. He had been working on a slideshow without me even knowing! He showed me the slideshow and straight after he said he wanted to spend the rest of his life with me. We both cried and then it was smiles all the way!
Three adjectives that describe the day are: Stylish, funky and festive.
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: The bunting.
Tell us about finding your wedding dress: I’ve always been in love with Vera Wang. We took a lot of inspiration from her range and a good friend of mine made the dress for me. From the moment I saw the design, I was in love with it! It was a replica of my personality – modern and classic all in the same dress.
Describe your wedding flowers: I had peonies for a bouquet and we had different bunches of flowers on the tables in small vases. The colors were all pink and turquoise.

The Pretty Blog is a Southern Weddings sponsor.

What Southern details or traditions did you include in your celebration? Our wedding theme was preppy chic. We focused the celebration on family, food, and tradition. We had a traditional Christian ceremony officiated by the same Reverend who baptized my little brothers. The ring bearers wore boat shoes and the wedding party wore J. Crew seersucker suits and dresses.
Describe your wedding flowers: My bouquet was made of white and green hydrangeas. The bridesmaids had white hydrangeas.
Describe your wedding cake: We did cupcakes with our initials and Swiss dots in lieu of a wedding cake. We cut the grooms cake, instead, which was shaped like a pizza in honor of Chris’s second love in life
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? Walking down the aisle with my dad. Chris said it was his favorite moment seeing me walk down and it was my favorite moment seeing him standing there with tears in his eyes. Also, my second favorite moment of the weekend was that my dad, who is a pilot for Southwest Airlines, surprised me and flew my plane from Tampa to MD for the wedding.
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you looking forward to in the future? We are working hard and playing hard. We hope to start a family in the next couple of years.

How did the two of you meet? Tell us your story. We both went to the same high school and college but never met each other. We met in the summer of 2006 through a mutual friend, Joe. I was trying to set up my girlfriend with Joe and Chris tagged along as the wingman. We have been together ever since.
Describe the proposal. We were out to dinner with friends and Chris was insistent on arriving early to see the sunset. His plan was to propose before dinner watching the sunset. He tried to get me to go catch the sunset and grab a drink at the outside bar but I was stubborn because it had been raining and I didn’t want my hair to “fro”. So he put the ring in his pocket during dinner. After dinner and once the rain had stopped, we all went to the outside bar for a drink. Chris pulled me away under the guise that he thought he saw his deceased father’s boat the “Morning Girl” docked at the restaurant. So we headed down to check out the very special boat and while walking on the dock and looking for the boat, Chris dropped to his knee and proposed.
Three word that describe the day are: Love, “us” and celebration.
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: The details were our favorite part and it’s hard to pick, but here are a few: 1) we pinned a picture of Chris’s father along with an anchor to my bouquet so he could be with us during the ceremony; 2) we only kept one secret about the wedding from our friends and families – Chris’s father’s best friend traveled from NY to give us a blessing during the ceremony in honor of Chris’s father; 3) my jewelry was my grandmother and mother’s; 4) instead of a guest book our guest’s signed oars; 5) instead of table numbers our tables were identified by cities that Chris and I had been to together; 6) instead of feeding each other cake we shoved it into my little brother’s faces; 7) the latitude and longitude of the garden where we were married in was engraved in Chris’s wedding band; 8) our guests took home pizza cutters engraved with “a slice of love” and our wedding cake was designed to look like a pizza in honor of Chris’s favorite food.