Iconic Wedding Dresses for Iconic Love Stories

CALLA BLANCHE Iconic Wedding Dresses for Iconic Love Stories

Welcome to Iconic Wedding Dresses for Iconic Love Stories! Calla Blanche has elegant, fashion-forward, and romantic wedding dresses, with styles ranging from classic to contemporary and bohemian. They all have one thing in common: luxury. But, there wouldn’t be any wedding dresses to be worn by our beautiful brides without the magic of true love and the stories that led them to the altar. We believe the best way to showcase some of our most iconic and best-selling wedding dresses is to make an homage to the Bridal Stories behind them.

We are truly honored whenever a bride-to-be falls in love twice: first with her fiancé, and the second time with her perfect Calla Blanche, L’amour, or La Perle wedding dress. Without further ado, here are some of the iconic love stories between a woman, her one and only, and a wedding dress to match that will make you believe in love all over again.

Ava Wachter in Nadine 16109

Ava and her husband met at a local grocery store in Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin named “Sendiks”, where they both worked. She was in the floral department while he worked with produce. Sparks didn’t fly between the two until after Ava left and reached out to him. She made the first move! 

Their love story only got better and, soon enough, it was his turn to make a move. The couple went for a walk on the beach close to their house. He got down on one knee and popped the question! 

Bridal Salon

It was at Vera’s House of Bridals in Madison, WI  where Ava found her dream wedding dress. 

She tried on 5 dresses before saying “yes!” to Nadine. It was actually her sister who saw the Nadine dress on Vera’s instagram account and encouraged Ava to try it on. She knew right away it was the one. Thus, when she saw her sister crying as soon as she tried it on, that sealed the deal for her. It was the perfect dress for her!

When looking for her wedding dress, Ava looked for inspiration in the sophistication of Grace Kelly. She wanted something with long sleeves and lace. Nothing that was plunging in the front. What she loved about Nadine is that it was fitted, all lace, with long sleeves and a plunging back. 

Venue

The couple tied the knot on September 28, 2018 at the Milwaukee Art Museum in Milwaukee Wisconsin. 

In Ava’s own words her favorite memory of her wedding day was “walking down the aisle with my dad, something I had envisioned my whole life.” The newlyweds’ first dance to ‘I Only Have Eyes for You’ by The Flamingos and the speeches/toasts that her father, sister and sister-in-law recited were the emotional cherry on top of the cake.
Congratulations to our Calla Bride, Ava!

Photographer: Studio 29 Photography

Makeup: Melody Sopa Artistry 

Flowers: Milwaukee Flower Co. 

Venue: Milwaukee Art Museum 

Hair: Tease Salon 

Wedding Stationery: Hall Creative Co. 

In order to make room for newer styles, we need to discontinue some older styles from time to time and unfortunately Nadine has now been discontinued. Similar Style is Darby LA22249.

Kate Patenaude in Valerie 17128

It was 2014 when Kate met Dylan in the small, peaceful mountain town of Vail, Colorado.  After long days of being a ski instructor and Dylan a photographer, the two were finally introduced by mutual friends. When the ski season came to an end, Dylan didn’t want the adventure to stop and invited her to join him on a three-month bike trip from Vancouver, BC to Mexico. With absolutely no training or experience, Kate had no choice but to say yes! They tested their compatibility and patience. Resiliency and trust became building blocks for their relationship. They went from one adventure to the next which ultimately made them inseparable!

When it came time for Dylan to pop the big question, he brought it all the way back to the first few months of their relationship. After their bike trip had ended in 2014 the couple said their goodbyes on a busy sidewalk in the middle of downtown Los Angeles, CA. The ski season had come to an end which meant Dylan would not be returning to Vail. At that point, their future was uncertain. Fast forward to four years later on that SAME busy sidewalk he was down on one knee, asking her to never spend a moment without him again. 

Bridal Salon

She bought her dress at A&BE Bridal in Seattle, WA.  According to Kate, the girls were “AMAZING!” 

Valerie was the very first wedding dress she tried on! After that, about 15 other dresses gave it their best, but Kate always came back to her Calla Blanche. For Kate, our wedding dresses just stood out from the rest! 

Kate knew that Valerie was absolutely the style she had envisioned! The concept of their wedding was primarily romantic, with a bit of bohemian style and elegance which the dress fit in perfectly! The cathedral length train added the touch of drama to create a stunning look!

She fell in love with how uniquely and beautifully textured her “Valerie” wedding dress was. This wedding dress was elegant and sweet. Valerie was a dress that would not only take her husband’s breath away but made her feel oh so beautiful. It was the type of dress Kate had dreamed about when she was little. However, never thought she would actually wear when it came to the big day. 

Looking back now, wearing her perfect wedding dress was such a surreal and amazing experience. Her first thought was that she didn’t want to take it off! Kate cried happy tears and knew she’d picked the dress that was right for her! 

Venue

It was only fitting to have their wedding capture their adventurous, romantic, and passionate relationship is none other than beautiful Santorini, Greece. Kate and Dylan were married on September 29, 2019, at Dana Villas. It was the “best day EVER”!

There were so many moments during the wedding day the couple caught themselves looking out at the dramatic and stunning views of Santorini in disbelief that they were actually there, married, and surrounded by some of their closest family and friends. Our beautiful Calla Bride’s favorite moment was listening to her husband’s wedding vows.

He took them back through memory lane. And all of a sudden, for one moment, he made her feel like there was no one there but the two of them. It didn’t matter where they were, who they were with, and how they got there; all that mattered was her and Dylan. It was the absolute most romantic day of Kate’s life!

Congratulations to our Calla Bride, Kate!

 

Photography: Dimitri Paradis Photography 

Location: Dana Villas – Santorini, Greece

In order to make room for newer styles, we need to discontinue some older styles from time to time and unfortunately Valerie has now been discontinued. Similar Style is Rylan LA21234

Daniela Barancik in Debra 17255

Daniela and Brent met through a mutual friend when this friend invited them over for a get together at their house. The two were completely unaware that their friend was secretly playing matchmaker. Their first date took place at a coffee shop on the lake a few weeks later and they have been together ever since. That was only 8 years ago! 

Brent proposed while on vacation in Riviera Maya, Mexico. The couple walked down to the beach after having dinner and drinks at the resort they were staying at. After walking out onto a pier and doing some stargazing, Brent got down on one knee and asked Daniela to marry him! They celebrated afterward on their balcony overlooking the ocean with a bottle of champagne. 

Bridal Salon:

One key element of the wedding planning was finding the perfect wedding dress, and Blush Bridal Lounge in Austin, Texas is where Daniela said “yes” to Debra. 

The search for her wedding dress didn’t start off quite as amazing as she’d hoped. The first boutique Daniela went to didn’t have a large selection, nor the style she was looking for. She didn’t have the best experience.

After trying on a few dresses, she felt rushed and the excitement she was hoping for unfortunately turned into frustration. However, the second bridal boutique she went to, Blush Bridal Lounge, was everything she was expecting and more! The atmosphere was a dream! She didn’t feel rushed and was excited and able to fully enjoy the experience with her mom and bridesmaids.

Daniela told her stylist what she was looking for and they understood her vision right away. What a relief! They pulled 5 dresses, including our Debra 17255. She fell in love with her gown the minute she laid eyes on it. Moreover, it was the first dress she tried on at Blush Bridal Lounge.

Before she started the process of wedding dress shopping, Daniela had always envisioned wearing a long-sleeved, A-line gown on her wedding day. Apart from being absolutely beautiful, Debra had everything she was looking for in a dress! There was another dress competing for the coveted spot of being the one for Daniela, a long-sleeved mermaid gown. 

Dream Dress

However, for her, it all came down to compatibility “Debra just felt more like me”.

There is not just one thing Daniela can say that made her fall in love with her Calla Blanche dress. It was everything! She didn’t come across Debra while searching for long-sleeved, A-line gown inspiration online. However, she’s so glad she saw it face to face. The details on the dress were incredible! She loved all the lace, tulle, and embroidery. The ivory and nude tones were beautiful. The V-neck and V-back were absolutely gorgeous. The cathedral train was stunning.

And, last but not least, one of her favorite parts of the gown was the sequin detail throughout. It sparkled when the light hit it just right. It was equal parts dreamy and glamorous. The wedding dress made her feel like a princess!

For Daniela, being able to put on her wedding dress before walking down the aisle was nothing if not surreal! “You try on your dress a few times before your wedding but it’s so different the day of.” It was the first time she had her dress on in full bridal hair and makeup with all the accessories in place.

Truly a dream come true. “It’s such a special moment that makes what you’ve been dreaming of for so long really.” Putting her wedding dress on gave her even more butterflies because she knew she would be walking down the aisle soon after.

Venue

Brent and Daniela got married on December 7th, 2019 in Georgetown, Texas (a small city just north of Austin). Their wedding ceremony and reception took place at a beautiful venue called The Union on Eighth.

Picking out a favorite memory of her wedding day is a hard task when every moment was so special. For Daniela “the whole day was a dream from beginning to end.”

If she had to pick just one memory, our Calla Bride would say it was the ceremony. They wanted to keep it short, sweet, and true to them both as a couple. It was important to the two of them that they wrote their own vows to share with each other before saying ‘I Do’.

They took turns reciting their vows to one another, with Brent sneaking in some Ariana Grande lyrics in his (Daniela’s favorite) and her referencing “The Office”, their favorite show of all time, in hers.

Congratulations to our Calla Bride, Daniela!

Credit:

Dress – Blush Bridal Lounge 

Photography – Elisa Lopez Photography 

Makeup – Dash of Glam MUA

Flowers/decor – Stems Floral Design + Event Styling

Coordinators – Simply XO Events

Photo booth – Oh Happy Day Booth

Videography – Cloud Craft Studios

Balloons – The Balloon Bar

DJ – Byrne Rock

In order to make room for newer styles, we need to discontinue some older styles from time to time and unfortunately Debra has now been discontinued. Similar Style is Charmaine 122248.

Tabatha Stought in Delores 17260

When Tabatha met her one and only, he was a man on a mission. The two met at a local country bar where she worked as a bartender, and her now-husband was purposely leaving his credit card behind so he would have to show up the following day and grab it. 

They moved into a DT apartment pretty quickly so he decided to pop the question in a very intimate setting: their own living room. What followed the proposal was a nice couple of massage & champagne. “I was not expecting it AT ALL!”

Bridal Salon

It was at Olivia Bowen Bridal in Maitland, FL that Tabatha found her perfect wedding dress! But it wasn’t love at first sight. She tried on somewhere around 30 different styles until she found the one: our beautiful Delores. 

As far as the style goes, Tabatha knew she wanted something fitted. However, she had always imagined herself in a thin strap wedding dress with a completely open back, very plain with little detail.

Falling in love with this particular Calla Blanche wedding dress came as a surprise to her. “It was nothing I expected I would like, but when I tried on the Delores dress it was an instant emotional reaction. I was alongside my mother and maid of honor, we all started crying. Therefore, I knew instantly I had found MY DRESS!”

“I felt like the dress was made for me, I felt so beautiful! Ugh, I wish I could relive that moment again when you finally find “YOUR DRESS” it’s such a surreal feeling!”

Venue

The lovely couple was engaged for 2 years. Unfortunately, two weeks before their April wedding, Covid happened and they were forced to cancel.

“We decided to legally get married. We were one of the fortunate couples to already have our marriage license prior to the closing. Our officiant/good friend came over and he married us on our front porch. All the family and friends watched via Facebook live. It was a really special moment! We rescheduled our “vow renewal and reception” to September 19th, 2020 at the original venue – The Mulberry at New Smyrna Beach, FL. Basically, a hurricane came last minute (yay FL) but it turned out beautiful!”

Her favorite memory from their wedding was “Our first dance for sure! It was a sweet acoustic version of Tom Walker’s Better Half of Me.” How sweet! 

Congratulations to our Calla Bride, Tabatha!

 

Hair/Makeup: Before the Aisle Weddings 

Photography: Meche Ausina Photography

Planner: Melanie Page Events 

Bridal Store: Olivia Bowen Bridal 

In order to make room for newer styles, we need to discontinue some older styles from time to time and unfortunately Delores has now been discontinued. Similar Style is June LA22238.

Annalisa Beavers in Dani Rose 18107

Annalisa and her now-husband met in college at Auburn University. They were both in the same major. 

When he proposed it was at her family’s farm in Georgia, at sunset, on the spillway overlooking the lake. He coordinated for both of their families to be there right after to surprise her! How sweet is that! He had a chef come over and cook dinner for all to celebrate a special occasion. Rose petals were laid out to lead the way to a romantic table for two at the edge of the lake. 

Bridal Salon

It was at Diane’s Formal Affair in Jasper, Alabama that Annalisa said yes to our Dani Rose. She was impressed by the wide selection of gorgeous wedding dresses a boutique in small-town Alabama had to offer. They have every style you could think. Plus, a wonderful and knowledgeable staff to help you find your perfect dress. 

Annalisa tried on about 5-6 dresses before finding the one. One of her sisters picked out the Dani Rose and immediately after trying it on, she just knew. She tried on 2 more wedding dresses after Dani Rose. However, she simply couldn’t get that one dress out of her mind.

After trying it on a second time, she was certain she had found “the one.” She initially thought it would be difficult to choose from so many pretty styles and designers. However, to her surprise, it turned out to be such an easy decision. 

Dream Dress

The Dani Rose was the style Annalisa had envisioned in some ways, but not in others. She originally wanted long sleeves and was open to the idea of a ballgown.

Once she’d tried on two long sleeve dresses she realized her arms were too restricted, thanks to her gymnast’s shoulders. She then tried on a ballgown and quickly realized she wanted something lighter and easier to move in. She knew she wanted something with an illusion neckline, sheer mesh, lace, and a lower back, which is quite unique and memorable. And that was exactly what she ended up with. Dani Rose ticked all the boxes!

If there’s one thing that made Annalisa fall in love with her Calla Blanche wedding dress is that it was flattering in every way and felt like it was made just for her. The train and details were stunning! It was a dress she felt people would remember. 

When she finally got to put on her wedding dress on her wedding day she said she had “never felt prettier.” The hair and makeup made it all come together. She was so excited to show her bridesmaids and, of course, the groom for their first look!

Venue

On November 17, 2018, at BridgeStreet Gallery & Loft in Birmingham, Alabama the couple tied the knot in what can only be described by the beautiful bride as a “perfect day”. If she had to choose one moment that stood out from the rest, Annalisa would have to say it was the first look. The moment was so intimate and she loved seeing his reaction when he saw her in her wedding dress for the very first time. Her now-husband is in the army.

Thus, they hadn’t seen each other for a couple of months prior to the wedding weekend, which only helped make that first glance even more meaningful. 

Congratulations to our Calla Bride, Annalisa! 

 

Wedding planner: Becky’s Brides 

Photography: Alisha Crossley Photography 

Videography: Holloway Productions 

Venue: BridgeStreet Gallery & Loft

Floral design: HotHouse Design Studio 

Hair and makeup: Rawwbeauty 

Getting ready location: The Tutwiler Hotel 

Bridesmaids’ dresses: Bella Bridesmaids 

In order to make room for newer styles, we need to discontinue some older styles from time to time and unfortunately Dani Rose has now been discontinued. Similar Style is Sabah LA23122.

Maygan Giller in Marketa 18122

Alex & Maygan met through his cousin Micheal. Alex works with him and Maygan used to be a nanny to his kids. Their first date was on August 18th, 2018 at Crescent Beach. 

On July 18, 2020, the lovebirds went on a date to that same location for a picnic in the back of their Jeep. They had just finished dinner from the Boat House, which is one of Maygan’s favorite restaurants, and were watching the sunset. Without her noticing because the sun was shining directly on her face, Maygan’s family and her best friend Gabby walked past them. Alex suddenly hopped out of the Jeep, went down on one knee, and grabbed the ring from the stroller Gabby was walking her kids in.

Maygan was left speechless and crying hysterically. Alex had asked Gabby & her husband to capture the whole thing.

For someone who absolutely hates surprises & never lets them happen, because she somehow always finds out first, Maygan was very pleasantly surprised this time around. In the words of a woman in love: “Alex caught me off guard & left me speechless and crying happy tears!”

Venue

Their wedding took place on September 4th, 2020 in Fort Langley, BC at a friend’s private property. This date was very special for Maygan since it would’ve been her Nana’s 76th birthday. Sadly, her Nana lost her fight to cancer a year before, on February 18, 2019. “I don’t think we could’ve picked a better date to have our wedding on. It was so special to honor my Nana and have her be ‘present’ in that way. I so look forward to celebrating our wedding anniversary on my Nana’s birthday for years to come.”

Maygan had quite a few options to choose from when picking a favorite memory of her wedding day. And who can blame her? From her two brothers Joshua & Tyler walking her down the aisle, to seeing Alex standing at the altar, hearing his personal vows, dinner from food trucks, their candy bar (the newlyweds have quite a sweet tooth), to their first dance…

To sum it all up, Maygan said “I could go on… THE WHOLE DAY WAS JUST A DREAM!”

Bridal Salon

It was at Champagne & Lace in Abbotsford that Maygan found her dream wedding dress. She brought her mom, her Maid of Honour Rachel & her Matron of Honor Gabby along with her for the appointment.

All she knew going into the appointment was that she wanted a lace dress with sleeves. She tried on about 8 dresses and found herself walking through the store, while in one of the said wedding dresses, deciding on whether she liked it, or loved it, or not.

Suddenly, like a sign from the heavens, she saw the sun shining through the window of Champagne and Lace onto a beautiful dress and her exact words were “Wow this is so bougie. I love it! It’s sparkling. Is it too bougie for me? Can I try it on!?” That bougie dress was none other than the Marketa!

Dream Dress

So back she went into the change room, put the dress on, and instantly burst into tears. She opened the change room door and said “This is the one!”. Her mom, Rachel & Gabby were all crying! They were completely speechless and said it was perfect.

Maygan fell in love with how much detail the dress had, how she looked, and how she felt in it. The collective reaction she got from her mom, Rachel & Gabby when they saw her in it for the first time was also a deciding factor.

When she put on her wedding dress on her big day Maygan couldn’t hold back tears. She was so excited to see Alex’s reaction when he saw her for the first time. Since the day she bought her Marketa dress, she had talked to her now-husband about how excited she was to wear it on their wedding day and how gorgeous it is. 

Our stunning Calla Bride said she honestly couldn’t picture herself in any other dress on her wedding day. “I’m so beyond happy I bought a Calla Blanche dress for my wedding!” 

Congratulations to our Calla Bride, Maygan!

 

Photographer: Taryn Stare Photography 

In order to make room for newer styles, we need to discontinue some older styles from time to time and unfortunately Marketa has now been discontinued. Similar Style is Caroline 121229.

Reed Lackey in Scarlett 18241

It was in high school where Reed met her now-husband. The couple started dating in 2014 and have been inseparable ever since.

When it came time for him to pop the question, he did so seamlessly. Reed’s then-boyfriend had planned a New Years’ Eve” party at her house with all their friends and family in attendance. When the clock struck midnight, she turned to kiss him and found him down on one knee! What a way to start off the New Year!

Bridal Salon

The most important step in the wedding planning process took place at I Do Bridal & Formal in Montgomery, Alabama. 

The beautiful bride-to-be tried on about 3-5 dresses before saying “yes” to her Scarlett by Calla Blanche wedding dress!

Reed had always dreamed of wearing a long sleeve wedding dress! When she tried on the Scarlett dress and saw the long sleeves paired with the deep plunge and the open back, she knew she had found the one before even stepping out of the dressing room! 

In Reed’s own words: “I fell in love with my Calla Blanche dress because of how unique and different it was. The details were beautiful and it was unlike any dress I had seen before. It fit my style perfectly!”

When she finally put her wedding dress on after getting her hair and makeup done, Reed truly felt like a princess for the few short hours she got to wear it. “It fit perfectly and I loved every single detail on it! I wish I could wear them every single day.” 

Venue

The couple tied the knot on August 29th, 2020 at The Emporium in Troy, Alabama. 

Reed’s favorite memory of her wedding day is when they both got up to cut the cake and turned to each other realizing they had no idea how to cut it! The newlyweds both laughed the whole time and accidentally ended up cutting a huge hole out of the side of one of the tiers. There must be some hilarious photos in that album!

Congratulations to our Calla Bride, Reed!

 

Photographer: Brittany Jayde Photography 

Florals: Haley Scott from Montgomery, AL 

Hair and Makeup: GLOW Beauty in Birmingham, AL 

Bridal Store:  I Do Bridal & Formal in Montgomery, Alabama. 

In order to make room for newer styles, we need to discontinue some older styles from time to time and unfortunately Scarlett has now been discontinued. Similar Style is Lilia 121101.

Danielle Shirley in Melanie 18128

If you think we live in the age of technology and people just don’t meet organically anymore, think again. Danielle met her husband, Teigan, at a bar in Fort Collins on a Monday night. Teigan was playing for the Utah Grizzlies hockey team at the time and they were in town playing the Colorado Eagles. Being a man of few words, he let his teammate do the work and somehow convinced her to give him her number. After leaving the bar, Danielle received several phone calls from “Canada Guy” as she had saved it on her phone. For him, she was “Glasses Girl” (which according to Danielle he left for quite some time).

Two days later she decided to ditch her business fraternity meeting to go to his hockey game. They hit it off instantly! A couple of weeks later, she drove to Utah to “sightsee” which just coincidentally happened to be where Teigan was. On the drive back to Colorado she cried because she didn’t know if or when she was going to see him again. It was at that point that she knew she was all in.

Proposal

While on a trip to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, Teigan proposed to Danielle. On the first day when they had arrived in Mexico when they were on the beach. The funny part was, they had to check their bags as soon as they got to the hotel with the concierge because their room was not ready. Danielle was taking all of the important stuff out of her bag like her passport, iPad, and jewelry to put in her purse for safekeeping. She then asked Teigan if he had anything important in his bag, to which he replied “Nope!”.

Turns out, the ring was in his bag but of course, he didn’t want to spoil the surprise, so he left it in the bag. Danielle said she would have been sweating bullets, but he was his calm normal self. Later that evening the two of them went for a walk and as she was looking down the beach towards the rocks and waves, he got down on one knee behind her. They had a blissful week in paradise as a newly engaged couple!

Bridal Salon

Danielle bought her wedding dress at Little White Dress in Denver, CO. Before saying yes to our Melanie dress, she had tried on somewhere between 15 and 20 different dresses. They were all beautiful but just didn’t feel like the “right” dress for her. 

The Melanie dress was sort of what she had envisioned, but with an unexpected twist. She really wanted to have a deep V in the front and a low back, but never thought she would end up with a mermaid style wedding dress!

She fell in love with all the details of her Calla Blanche wedding dress! It was sparkly and beaded, had beautiful mesh detailing, and a gorgeous train. In her own words, it had “So much going on, but it all worked so well together.”

When she finally put on her dress on the day of her wedding she just had a big smile on her face! It felt like her, and she felt so confident in it, which is so important for such an important event.

Venue

Danielle and Teigan got married on July 18, 2020, at Sweet Heart Winery in Loveland, CO. 

Because of the Covid pandemic, they ended up having a much smaller and intimate wedding than they had planned on due to COVID. There was so much stress planning the wedding so it was magical to see it all come together. Her favorite moment was when she walked down the aisle with her mom. There was a slight breeze that picked up as the two of them were walking and it made her veil wrap around them. They were both laughing so hard because she just couldn’t keep her veil down! Everyone started laughing and it lightened the mood. 

Congratulations to our Calla Bride, Danielle!

 

Photographer: Jill Houser Photography

Hair and Makeup: Jordyn Greene 

Suits: Mens Warehouse 

Ties: Dazi 

Food: Basic Kneads Pizza 

Venue: Sweet Heart Winery 

Florist: Bliss Wedding Florist 

Bridal store: Little White Dress  

Dessert: E-licious Cupcakery  and Crumble Cookies 

In order to make room for newer styles, we need to discontinue some older styles from time to time and unfortunately Melanie has now been discontinued. Similar Style is Minu LA21238.

Aleigh Bollon in Rossella 18247

Like most modern-day love stories, Evan and Aleigh met on a dating app nearly 6 years ago. She was a senior in college, finishing the last few quarters at DePaul University in Chicago when she stumbled upon “the most handsome guy I’ve ever laid eyes on.” Evan was the first person she had ever met face to face from any dating app. They started chatting on the app on a Friday and had their first meeting the next Saturday night at Zella’s, a bar in Lincoln Park.

“When I saw him walk into the bar, I swear it was like a scene in a movie. And when we made eye contact and he walked towards me, it was like the parting of the Red Sea. By Tuesday, we had our first date and I can truly say I knew right then and there I had to marry this guy. Since then, the rest is history, as they say.”

Proposal

In true Evan and Aleigh fashion, their proposal was a direct reflection of them as a couple. “It was meaningful with no frills, fancy parties, or hidden photographers.” Evan proposed to Aleigh a few days before her birthday in September 2018. He led her to believe he was taking her to see her birthday surprise.

“I knew something was odd when that Saturday came around and Evan was up at 6 AM – I usually have to drag him out of bed! We were dressed and out of the house by 8 AM. He drove a few minutes before pulling over on a residential street. We walked half a block ahead of where my apparent ‘birthday surprise’ was when ‘The Bird’s Nest’ came into view – the bar where he first told me he loved me so many years ago.

Just as we approached the outside of the bar (unfortunately it was closed since it was so early in the morning!), Evan got down on one knee. Although I’m pretty sure I blacked out and only remember half of what he said. That day is hands down one of my favorite days ever.”

Bridal Salon

It was at Henri’s Cloud Nine in Columbus, OH. It was the only boutique she visited and she tried on a total of 9 dresses. Her Calla Blanche dress was lucky number 7. 

 The Rosella gown was 100% the style she had envisioned! “Every photo I printed and showed my consultant was a variation of form-fitting, unique and intricate details, and a very low back. I have many tattoos, one being along my spine, and I wanted a dress that would accentuate those details.”

 “Everything I wanted in a dress I found and more in my Calla Blanche gown – it was unique, rustic, and fit me like a glove. When I stepped out of the dressing room to show my girlfriends, everyone collectively gasped and knew right away it was THE dress.

Dream Dress

She didn’t want a style of dress that is so often worn, nor for it to be stark white. Aleigh I wanted to be sure her dress was reflective of who she is and their wedding venue. The ivory and nude colors were perfect for a barn wedding and the three layers of intricate design that made up the bottom were just stunning. Her consultant laughed when she chose her dress, saying it was the lowest back dress they carry. “It was sexy and elegant at the same time – a true head-turner that made me feel like a million bucks!”

Aleigh had imagined for months and months what it would feel like to put on her wedding dress, with her bridesmaids and bridesman surrounding her, gushing over how perfect it was. However, she ended up putting her dress on in the bathroom after doing her own hair and makeup for their wedding photos.

“My sister and Matron of Honor zipped my dress while my two sweet nieces (my flower girl and junior bridesmaid) helped me into my shoes and carried my train. I did a small first look with my dad downstairs before meeting Evan for photos. It wasn’t as I envisioned, but I didn’t care who saw me – as soon as I put on my dress, I felt so beautiful and just like the bride I deserved to be!”

Covid-19

As for a lot of brides during this quite unique year, Aleigh’s wedding plans changed drastically due to Covid. “Our original wedding that I planned in every minute of my free time for 18 months was to take place on April 18, 2020, in a quaint little barn near Uhrichsville, OH – my hometown (we live in Chicago).

When we were down to the final days in March and on our last trip to Ohio for last-minute to-dos, such as securing our marriage license, our country declared the pandemic a national emergency. Almost instantly, and quicker than we could even process, the entire country shut down simultaneously. Looking back, it’s such a blessing that we received our marriage license on that Friday afternoon at the small courthouse in my hometown county. By Monday it was completely shut down and no longer accepting new marriage license applications.

Because everything was so uncertain and things were literally changing by the minute, we made the proactive decision to have our officiant (and my bridesman, Chase) sign our marriage license. We legally became husband and wife in sweatshirts and sweatpants in my sister’s kitchen on pie day, March 14.” It all worked out in the end! 

Aleigh and Evan truly thought they would be able to get married on their original wedding date of April 18. However, each day they awoke to more and more devastation, closures, terrifying statistics, and stay-at-home orders.

Guests

“Nearly 90% of our guests were traveling in some way to be at our wedding. They were coming from 9 states, ages ranging from one year old to 90. Shortly after we were officially married in March, Chicago was put on a mandatory shelter in place lockdown. That is when things became real. Knowing we could never expose our family and friends to potential harm or live with the decision of holding a wedding despite an unknown and deadly virus and watching the state of Ohio daily coronavirus briefings very closely, we made the decision to cancel altogether.

Unsure of how long this would last, we decided to not postpone and accept that our fate was to be married on pie day, in the most intimate and small ceremonies you could imagine. To say we were devastated is an understatement. I think I cried for four weeks straight! But as days went on and the numbers of cases and deaths kept rising, we felt confident in our decision, knowing that those who mean the most to us were at home, safe and unexposed just for the sake of our wedding.” 

Favorite Memory

Aleigh’s favorite memory of her wedding day is nothing short of special. “Evan and I were sitting across the table from each other and just as Chase, our officiant, signed our marriage license on March 14, we looked at each other and said, “holy crap, we’re married!”. I remember giving Evan the biggest hug and calling him my husband. At that moment, with smiles as wide as our faces would allow. I didn’t care where we were and what we were wearing – I just married my best friend that I’ve waited 5 years to marry.”

 “In June, after things settled down and opened up safely, Evan and I decided to take our wedding photos with our amazing photographer, Jeri Steinmetz. He had yet to see my dress and I was just dying to show it to him! Dressed in his tux and me in my dress, on the breathtaking hilltop where we took our engagement photos, Evan and I made our own tradition and memories. We had our first look on that hilltop, read our vows just the two of us, laughed as we made jokes with Jeri, and cried knowing we weren’t able to walk down the aisle as traditionally planned. “

Ups and Downs

“Out of the entire saga of our wedding and Covid, the moment Evan turned around and saw me in my dress is a moment I will relive forever and ever. It was then that I knew that whatever happened before was meant to happen and I didn’t care that it was just the two of us, seeing Evan’s smile and reaction made it all worth it.”

Her relationship with Evan hasn’t been the easiest. full of ups and downs and everything in between.

“Almost three years ago, my mom was diagnosed with cancer and shortly after passed away. Just shy of three years together, we were put to the ultimate test, navigating uncharted territory as we learned how to deal with the emotions and grief that come with such a heartbreaking reality.

By the grace of God and my angel mom, we made it through the hardest year of our lives. We came out on the other side, stronger and better than ever.”  

Planning a wedding without her mom and best friend is one of the hardest and most isolating things Aleigh has ever had to do.

“Picking out my dream dress without her was gut-wrenching. When I picked out my Calla Blanche gown, I just knew how much she would have loved every aspect of it. We loved watching Say Yes To The Dress together, commenting on what we did/didn’t like. It was absolutely heartbreaking not having her share such a huge moment with me.” 

Gratitude

 “When Covid hit and we had to cancel our wedding, I wondered why this was happening to us. First, I lose my mom so young, then I don’t get to share in all of the wedding fun with her, now my dream wedding is canceled. How could this be? But we quickly reminded ourselves – we have been through much worse and if any couple can handle adversity and heartache, it’s Evan and me. I wholeheartedly believe that my mom has big plans for us and whether we’ll ever know or not, those plans don’t include the grandiose wedding I thought I needed to have. And knowing this, we are at ease.”  

“For 18 months I felt like I needed every detail of the wedding to be perfect. The perfect font on the menus, creative welcome bags for the hotels, and every flavor of mini donuts you can think of. Now that I’m on the other side of our pie day wedding, I wouldn’t change a thing. Covid has taught us to slow down and live in the moment, appreciate our health even more, and be continuously grateful for all of the good we have. I really believe when you have good health and genuine love, you truly have it all.”

Despite the hardships and what life throws our way, love is what matters most.

Congratulations to our Calla Bride, Aleigh! We wish you the best in this new chapter. 

 

Bridal Store: Henri’s Cloud Nine

 

Elyse Roan in Catarina 18248

Elyse and Kyle met in high school. He is a couple of years older than her. While they knew some of the same people, they never thought of dating each other. They reconnected through a mutual friend years later and were inseparable for weeks after! She cannot imagine her life without him.

Kyle popped the question on her birthday at their home. He surprised her while she was eating breakfast that morning with a card that alluded to the proposal. When she turned around, he was down on one knee. She was completely surprised!

The location was perfect because their home means so much to the two of them. It is their favorite place to be! He told her afterward he originally had different plans for how to propose. However, once he had the ring he simply couldn’t wait any longer.

Venue

Elyse’s wedding was the most magical day! They got married on October 5th, 2019 at Newport Beach House in Rhode Island. The weather that day was perfect: sunny and crisp with the first signs of fall beginning to show through.

The ceremony took place overlooking the beach just before the sun began to set in front of their family and friends. The lovely couple has so many special memories from that day. However, among Elyse’s favorites were their first look and their first dance. Even with so many people there, it felt like it was just us the two of them!

Bridal Salon

She found her perfect wedding dress at Alexandra’s Bridal Boutique in Fall River, MA.  The bride-to-be went with her mom and sister and had several other appointments booked for the following day and upcoming weekends for trunk shows. She saw her dress on a mannequin and it was the only one they had.

Elyse immediately fell in love with the detailed beading and lacework and asked the staff to take it down so she could try it on. She had tried on about 5-6 dresses before finding the Catarina dress. She simply knew she had to have it. 

Dream Dress

Originally, she wanted a long-sleeved dress with a slightly fuller skirt. However, her Calla Blanche wedding dress ended up being entirely different!

Putting on her wedding dress on the day of her wedding was everything. Seeing her vision come to life with the accessories and veil was so exciting. She couldn’t have imagined it any other way at that moment. One of her favorite parts about her wedding dress was removable overskirt that she wore to walk down the aisle for the ceremony. It was the perfect way to add a bit of formality to the dress for that moment. Then she was able to remove it for the reception and dancing!

Congratulations to our Calla Bride, Elyse!

 

Venue: Newport Beach House, a Longwood Venue

Bridal Store: Alexandra’s Bridal Boutique in Fall River, MA 

Shoes: Stuart Weitzman

Photography: Khiara LaBrie Photography 

Flowers: Leslie Lee Floral Design 

Hair: Kayla Capone 

Makeup: Jennie Kay Beauty,  Brandon Ward 

Rings: E.B. Horn Jewelry, David Yurman

Groom’s tuxedo: Vera Wang

In order to make room for newer styles, we need to discontinue some older styles from time to time and unfortunately Catarina has now been discontinued. Similar Style is Siggy LA21231.

Morgan Lambrecht in Elliot 19101

Morgan met Mitchell at a Granger Smith concert in a little hole in the wall venue located in Sacramento, CA on April 20, 2017. She believes it was right before Granger Smith became super popular. She was there with a couple of sorority sisters and he was there with a couple of his military buddies. Mitchell noticed her in line outside the venue and somehow the two groups ended up next to each other during the concert. Morgan asked him how tall he is and he said something like 5’10” which she quickly disputed in a flirty kind of way. (He is actually 6’3″).

Sparks flew and the two of them danced the night away. There was an instant attraction, so when he asked for her number, she gave him her actual number! This was so unlike Morgan, who didn’t usually give her number out to boys she didn’t know.  Looking back on their first encounter now, she wonders “what if I hadn’t given him my real number? I would have missed out on the man I love and adore. Life can be crazy when you think of “what ifs”!” So true, Morgan.  

Proposal

Mitchell surprised her by popping the question at Bodega Bay, CA at a place they call “The Head” where the cliffs meet the ocean. His parents live in Wisconsin and we’re coming out to see the airshow at Travis AFB, or so Morgan thought. They decided to do some tourist things like going out to the coast. When they got there, they hiked up to “The Head” and, as they approached, she saw that her parents were already there waiting for them.

She knew then that something was up but right the next second, she turned around and found Mitchell down on one knee. With the ocean as a backdrop, surrounded by the love of their parents and their puppy looking adoringly up at them, Mitchell asked Morgan to be his wife. It was a beautiful day and a beautiful moment.  

Bridal Salon

Morgan got her dress from Janene’s Bridal Boutique in Alameda, CA. Out of the many stages of wedding planning, finding the perfect wedding dress is a commitment in and of itself, and Morgan was up for the challenge. She literally drove over an hour & a half each way for all her appointments, and there were many. The staff at Janene’s Boutique took such great care of her before and after she purchased her wedding dress. They made sure that it fit her body perfectly! 

Finding your wedding dress sometimes begins with love at first sight. Morgan saw the Elliot dress on the window of Janene’s Bridal Boutique and told the consultant that she definitely wanted to try it on. They pulled several other styles before going into the fitting room. She wasn’t really thinking that she would purchase a dress that same day. It was her first time trying on wedding dresses after all.

The Calla Blanche dress was the first one she tried on and she absolutely “LOVED it!” She wasn’t sure if she should try on more dresses. That’s why her bridal consultant suggested she try on a couple more just to be on the safe side. Morgan ended up trying on 10 more styles and, although they were very pretty, she couldn’t get the Elliot wedding dress out of her mind. So she decided, along with her mom and MOH, to go get lunch and talk about it.

Dream Dress

As she was sitting there having lunch, she remembers thinking she had found her dress! It was the first one she tried on and she just couldn’t leave without getting it.

For Morgan, her wedding dress truly represents who she is. Elliot dress is princess-like but classic, with just a touch of sexy. That’s totally her! It is everything she ever wanted for her perfect wedding dress. This dress had a train which was so dramatic when she walked down the aisle. But once she bustled it, Morgan twirled just like she used to do as a little girl. “Elliot was perfect and I will forever love my wedding dress!”

One of the things Morgan loves most about her Elliot dress is the sparkle! The material with the sequins was just the right amount of it! It made her feel so special. She felt like a princess one moment with the sparkle, then classy in a full ball gown the next, but always with that touch of sexiness which is always fun. Morgan never thought she would get all three in one dress. She thought for sure saying “Yes” to the dress meant she would have to compromise somehow, but she didn’t have to. “Everyone told me that my dress was total “me”. Could there be a better compliment?”  

Tying The Knot

When referring to the moment she finally put on her wedding dress before tying the knot, Morgan said “When your hair and makeup are done and you put on your dress and all your bridesmaids gasp at how pretty you look, you know that this was meant to be your dress.” She did her first look with her dad and, when he turned around to see her in her wedding dress, his jaw dropped. He told Morgan she was stunning! But it was when Mitchell saw her that was the most special. He looked at her in awe, with pride and love! It took her breath away! 

Covid-19 

Planning a wedding sometimes comes with obstacles, but nothing compared to what our brides have had to go through this year. With the whole pandemic, Morgan and Mitchell were forced to change their wedding plans quite often. They were originally getting married on May 16, 2020, at the Culinary Institute of America in Napa, CA. Then it was postponed to July 25, 2020.

Then a few weeks prior to the wedding the venue told them that they wouldn’t be able to hold their wedding. It was a tough pill to swallow for Morgan.

“I will be honest, I was devastated! My dreams of the beautiful wine barrel room with tons of character were dashed.” They found another venue that said they could do it because it would all be outside and that fit the Covid guidelines at the time. However, just two weeks prior to their wedding day, that venue also turned them down. All her dreams of walking down the aisle in her beautiful gown were turning into a nightmare.

Then Mitchell found an Airbnb that was allowing events. They quickly contacted them and it was a go! It wasn’t her first choice, nor was it her 2nd, but it was a very special day that needed to be celebrated. 

Venue

The couple tied the knot on July 25, 2020, at Suisun Valley Inn. They didn’t have all of their family as many were concerned about traveling, but those who did join them stayed at the Inn with them and they all had the best weekend! Many people told them to postpone until next year, but Mitchell had received orders to move from California to Kansas and they needed to be married as soon as possible. Morgan is so glad they tied the knot!

Our Calla Bride’s favorite memory from her wedding is the vows. In her opinion, those are the most important part of the day. The other parts of the wedding are fun and memorable but the most special is the vow exchange. It is the whole reason weddings are celebrated. They each wrote their own personal vows. “Oh my gosh! When Mitchell got choked up while saying his vows to me, it was just pure love and emotion. That will forever be imprinted on my heart.” 

Congratulations to our Calla Bride, Morgan!

 

Photography:  Doug Miranda Photography 

Bridal Shop:  Janene’s Bridal Boutique in Alameda, CA 

Wedding Planner:  Boutique Events Napa, CA 

Hair & Makeup:  The Hen House Napa, CA 

Venue:  Suisun Valley Inn 

In order to make room for newer styles, we need to discontinue some older styles from time to time and unfortunately Elliot has now been discontinued. Similar Style is Pollyanna 122243.

Leah Stuckman in Maura 19105

Leah and her husband met at Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in Manchester TN.

The proposal was nothing if not absolutely perfect. The unknowing bride-to-be boarded a New Years Eve cruise to Jamaica with her mom, dad, two sisters, and their significant others, her nieces and nephew, and her soon to be fiancé.

The first night on the ship, they went to grab cocktails before dinner and watch the sunset with the whole family. This was not suspicious considering that Leah’s dad is “a huge softy for a pretty sky!”

The group all went out onto a private balcony where she thought her dad was going to say a prayer over their trip and get all gushy about them all being together.

However, he quickly passed the mic over to her then-boyfriend. After a few sweet words and happy tears, he was down on one knee popping the question in front of her entire family! Leah said yes and they kissed under a beautiful sunset and enjoyed their whole trip as an engaged couple!

Bridal Salon

Leah said “yes!” to the dress at Brides by Glitz in Nashville, TN. She tried on about 7 wedding dresses before finding the one. She knew instantly and so did her entire party! 

Maura is exactly the style of dress she had envisioned wearing on her wedding day. She wanted boho, earthy, fairy princess vibes. “I think this dress was absolutely perfect for fulfilling my dreams!” 

For Leah, the selling point was the stunning train. “Nothing ever compared.” She also loved the hint of sparkle underneath. “It was unique and a true show stopper!” 

Putting on her beautiful wedding dress minutes before walking down the aisle was pure bliss. “I felt beautiful and confident. It truly made me feel like a bride on my wedding day.” 

Venue

The beautiful couple tied the knot on June 27th, 2020 in Lebanon, TN at The Estate at Cherokee Dock. 

Leah’s favorite memory of her wedding was “our last dance before we escaped for the night. We kissed and laughed and cried with overwhelming emotion and realization of the day we had just experienced together. We were so overcome with joy and wrapped up in intimacy. Surrounded by loved ones, we couldn’t have been happier!”

Congratulations to our Calla Bride, Leah!

 

Bridal Store: Brides by Glitz in Nashville, TN. 

Photographer: Rebekah Laskowski 

Venue: The Estate at Cherokee Dock 

 

Holly Hurst in Maura 19105

Holly met her husband Kevin while playing on a softball team together 8 years ago. They actually went to the same high school but rarely crossed paths. However, the two of them already had a lot of mutual friends so intertwining their lives was easy!

Kevin proposed to her in Fernie, BC, in February 2019 on the way to dinner while on a ski trip. Funny enough, they were there with another couple that got engaged the following day – neither guy knew the other one was carrying a ring in their pocket on the slopes! Holly had 4 missed FaceTime calls from Kev while skiing the morning after they got engaged – her friend Karen answered and showed Holly her ring! “Definitely a trip the four of us will never forget!”

Bridal Salon

Holly bought her wedding dress at Chantal’s Bridal & Formal in Winnipeg, MB. The staff there were wonderful and made her feel calm during the whole process!

Her Maid of Honor and one of her bridesmaids had her try on about 20 dresses before she chose Maura. But it was the one that stuck with her the most, and she thought about it for a few weeks nonstop before just biting the bullet and buying it!

“I actually didn’t originally picture myself in a form-fitting dress, I figured it would be more of an A-line shape.” This dress was just so unique and beautiful that she decided to step outside her comfort zone and go for something she wasn’t expecting! And the results are breathtaking. 

Dream Dress

Holly was drawn to our Maura dress for multiple reasons – “the leaf pattern is so unique and seemed fitting because I’m such an outdoors person. The train is stunning and that low back – I knew I’d need my hair up to show that off! Everything about it was so beautiful, hence why I couldn’t stop thinking about it after trying it on!”

On the day of her wedding, when she finally put on her wedding dress, everything felt perfect. She felt beautiful, confident, and ready to show it off! Holly felt like a model all day while wearing it, which is “how you should feel on your wedding day!” Plus the way her husband reacted when seeing her for the first time: “that look is something I’ll never forget!”

Venue

Holly and Kevin’s wedding took place on September 4, 2020, at Whitetail Meadow, MB. The whole event (both ceremony and reception) was held outdoors. This was not the original plan, but the couple was “so lucky to be blessed with the most beautiful day!”

When asked about her favorite memory of her wedding day, Holly said “Honestly, I have so many amazing memories from the wedding – it truly was our perfect day. Kev and I weren’t even sure the wedding was going to happen until the day of. That’s how uncertain these times are. Just seeing everything come together so beautifully with so many of our family and friends – I feel grateful every time I think about it! But I think overall my favorite moment was standing up at the altar, in front of many of the important people in our lives, and officially marrying Kev!”

Congratulations to our Calla Bride, Holly!

 

Venue:  Whitetail Meadow, MB 

Bridal Store: Chantal’s Bridal & Formal in Winnipeg, MB 

Photographer: Sugar + Soul Photography 

 

Julia Livernois in Elena 19242

Julia met her now-husband at Grand Canyon University within the first week of their freshman year of school. They noticed each other at a welcome to school event. Then, they just began talking more after that and eventually, became more than just friends. After three years of dating with many adventures and memories, the couple got engaged at the end of 2019. They are now happily married!

Proposal

When the time came for her then-boyfriend to pop the question, he’d planned everything perfectly. He had scheduled one weekend to take Julia’s senior photos since she was going to be graduating in the upcoming month. So, when that weekend came up, he told her to get ready for her senior photos and that a mutual friend would drive her to the location where the photo shoot was going to take place. Also, this other friend of theirs was going to help take a couple of photos after her graduation photos.

Once they got to the location, the three of them were walking around trying to find the perfect spot to take the photos. They found one that was more isolated from other people and was near a pretty fountain. After taking a couple of graduation photos her boyfriend then walked up to take some photos with her.

While they were getting their photos taken as a couple, their friend was telling them what poses to do. Suddenly, Julia’s boyfriend turned towards her, got down on one knee, and popped the question! After saying “Yes”, her family and friends came out of the corner and surprised her! They then took more photos and celebrated all together! 

Bridal Salon

Julia found her wedding dress at J Bridal Boutique in Tucson AZ.  

When she first walked into J Bridal, Julia saw the “Elena” dress on the rack and instantly fell in love with it. She decided to try on three other options first, but could not stop thinking about the dress on the rack. She finally tried it on and at that moment she knew she had found the one.  

Dream Dress

The Elena dress was the dress she had always dreamed of and just what she had envisioned. This dress had everything that Julia had always wanted: the sparkle, the flower lace, the ball gown silhouette, the low back, the train, and so much more! She remembers everyone telling her that they felt that this dress really captured who she is and that it was almost made for her. She loves her wedding dress!   

Once she put it on, she saw herself wearing it on her big day and it instantly made sense. “This dress made me feel beautiful, confident, elegant, and more like a bride.”  

The whole morning of her wedding day, Julia was so eager to see her dress and put it on. “I remember looking into the mirror after I had put it on, and I couldn’t stop smiling and looking at every angle of the dress. It was just gorgeous and I couldn’t believe it was my wedding dress. The dress pretty much took my breath away. And I could say that too for everyone else who saw it that day.”

Venue

The couple tied the knot on May 28, 2020, at The Paseo Wedding Venue in Arizona.  

Her favorite wedding memory was putting on her wedding dress and showing her dad, bridesmaids, and future husband the dress for the very first time. Their reactions were priceless! Julia also loved slow dancing with her husband and celebrating with all the people she cared about after the ceremony.  

Congratulations to our Calla Bride, Julia!

 

Venue: The Paseo Wedding Venue 

Bridal shop: J Bridal Boutique 

Photographers: The Hardins

In order to make room for newer styles, we need to discontinue some older styles from time to time and unfortunately Elena has now been discontinued. Similar Style is Maple LA22237.

Jade Ascari in Joella 19243

It was during a girls’ night out in the town with some of her best friends that Jade met the man who would soon become, unbeknownst to her, her husband. The group had just gotten dropped off at a bar in Newport Beach, CA. Once inside, Chase, the man in question, came up to them and asked Jade for her name and phone number in the odd chance she would like to go on a date with him. She didn’t really think anything of it because “I mean, who knows if this guy is really going to take me on a date right?” Eventually, one date turned into many more. And now, they are husband and wife!  

Proposal

Their first date took place at the County Fair where both Chase and Jade lived at the time. This made it the perfect spot for him to pop the question two years later! Chase had prepared everything in advance. He’d bought a huge stuffed teddy bear with the bear’s shirt saying “Will you marry me?”. Chase went to the fair earlier that day to drop the bear at a game, where it was supposed to be a “prize” he would win for Jade.

The game attendant was in on the surprise proposal and “helped” her future husband win the game so she could get the prize. Before Jade knew it, she was handed a teddy bear. This was very confusing because that was not the prize she wanted! Jade did not read what was written on the bear’s t-shirt at first. However, the next thing she knew, Chase was down on one knee asking her to marry him! Jade blacked out, she was completely “in SHOCK!” Their friends were also in on it and recorded the whole thing.

She was pleasantly shocked and surprised and “I literally had NO idea what was happening or if we were ever going to get engaged!”. When you least expect it! 

Bridal Salon

Jade found her dream wedding dress at Mary Me Bridal in Orange, CA . “The girls there were AMAZING!”. Her wedding was less than 2 months away and she needed her dress ASAP. The incredibly helpful staff worked together with Calla Blanche to make sure she got her dress in time for alterations and even made her a custom veil to go with the dress. All within a 2 month period. It was simply amazing!

It took trying on between 5 and 7 dresses for Jade to finally find the perfect wedding dress for her. When she first came in, she wanted to try on another Calla Blanche wedding dress, but the one she ended up falling in love with was Joella.

Dream Dress

This wedding dress in particular was not the style she had envisioned at all. Jade thought she would leave with an A-line silhouette dress since she had been told she was petite and that was the best style for her. “Boy was I wrong!” Once she tried on the Joella dress, she knew it was the one! 

It just fit her perfectly! It was exactly what she didn’t know she wanted! The dress complemented her body shape and she looked like a mermaid. It had the perfect amount of sparkle and the most beautiful lace flowers.

The dress was so light she could move around with ease, which was a requirement since they had an adventurous elopement ahead of them. The train was just the perfect length and Jade knew her husband would absolutely LOVE it – and he DID!

To say Jade was excited to put on her wedding dress on the day of her wedding is an understatement. It was surreal! She was so excited to get dressed and to surprise her husband-to-be during the first look. She loved it so much she did NOT want to take it off at the end of the night. “It was such a dreamy dress for a very very magical day! I felt like a princess and it made my wedding very special!”

Venue

The lovely couple decided to elope in the mountains of Queenstown, New Zealand. They exchanged vows on January 10, 2020, during New Zealand’s summertime. Chase and Jade took a helicopter ride to Coromandel Peak (a famous mountain top in Queenstown) and were married by “the best officiant ever!”.

Jade’s favorite memory of their wedding was the helicopter ride over the mountain peaks of New Zealand. Because of New Zealand’s proximity to Antarctica, there was some snow left atop of the mountains, even though it was still summer. They were able to see the glaciers and all the beautiful mountain ranges and lakes and rivers in New Zealand. “Our photos were priceless and I think we had the most EPIC elopement ever.”

Congratulations to our Calla Bride, Jade!

 

Bridal Store: Mary Me Bridal in Orange, CA 

Photography: Mountain Weddings NZ

In order to make room for newer styles, we need to discontinue some older styles from time to time and unfortunately Joella has now been discontinued. Similar Style is Miku 122236.

Gabriella Lipsky in Joanne 19254

Gabriella and Bryan’s love story started when they met in Murray Hill, a neighborhood in Manhattan, NYC. 

Bryan asked Gabriella to be his forever woman on Valentine’s Day 2019, at the Bir-Hakeim bridge in Paris, France. It was a dream come true! Their wonderful photographer Semi bought them rose petals. He had her turn around and throw them in the air and surprise! Bryan was on his knees ready to pop the question!

Bridal Salon

The most exciting part of the wedding planning process, finding her perfect wedding dress, took place at Designer Loft Bridal in NYC. Gabrielle loved this boutique! They were very professional, personable, and friendly, and did a fabulous custom alterations job. She was impressed by how stress-free the process was even during the pandemic. “Shout-out to the *best* seamstress Natasha! Liz, the owner, was so nice and so professional Galit for the design inspiration sketch and all her talent. Nina for her flawless seamstress work.”

Finding one requires some patience. Not everyone falls in love with the first dress they try on. For Gabriella, it took two big-name bridal boutiques in NYC and seeing at least 30 dresses on her body to finally fall in love with her perfect Calla Blanche wedding dress.

Dream Dress

The beautiful bride-to-be had always envisioned herself in a mermaid silhouette, the trendy style suits her figure the best. Her friends and family were on board with the idea. However, once she found herself as an engaged woman, she decided to go for a BIG puffy dress to celebrate this once in a lifetime event. The Joanne dress is Gabriella’s perfect wedding look in a dress. It’s “sexy, romantic, elegant, beautiful and classic, with a modern twist!”.

She found everything she was looking for in her Calla Blanche dress! It’s girly, without looking silly. Modern, classic, and gorgeous. She fell in love with the unique 3d floral appliqués, as well as the light sparkly layer underneath. Beads and delicate pearls are “small touches of perfection”. The fact that the material was not too heavy for her summer night wedding in NYC.

When she finally put on her wedding dress on the day of, Gabriella says she felt like a queen! And we have to agree, she looked like royalty. 

Venue

She married Bryan on Thursday, September 3rd, 2020. After having postponed their nuptials twice, Gabriella says “ 2020 is not cursed. 3rd date is a charming baby!” The couple tied the knot at Greentree Country Club in New Rochelle, NY The reception and the entire celebration took place on the beachfront with dinner in a tent, under the summer stars. So charming! 

The beautiful bride has a few favorite memories: 

1. Walking down the aisle together with her parents, and meeting her future husband halfway down the aisle.  
2. Meeting her gorgeous baby niece Rose Belle for the first time! She was 3 months old at the time and had just gotten her ears pierced for the occasion (with all the sanitary measures, of course).
3. Last, but not least, seeing her entire family healthy and coming together for such a joyous occasion!

Congratulations to our Calla Bride, Gabriella!

 

Hair & makeup: Dalia Halili @frombaretobold 

“She travels in the tri-state area. Was so enjoyable! Gorgeous job! She truly wants to please her brides!”

Florist: Main Street Florist Monsey 

Caterer: Zami Caterers 

Jewelry: Swarovski  and Christie Lauren  headpieces 

Photography: Yehuda Joffe Photography 

“So professional and kind! Amazing photography skills!” 

Venue: Greentree Country Club– rep: Bradford

Bridal Store: Designer Loft Bridal 

 

Hanna Prevost in Cassandra 19261

Hanna and Alec were high school sweethearts. He had to leave for the Marine Corps during her senior year. However, that only made their love for each other grow even stronger. 

Alec asked Hanna to dinner when he came home on pre-deployment. They went to a nice steakhouse where he surprised her and popped the question! He had a photographer there as well as Hanna’s whole family waiting downstairs. “I couldn’t have imagined it better!”

Bridal Salon

Shopping for her perfect wedding dress took place at Coreena’s Bridal in College Station, Texas Hanna tried on about 7 different wedding dresses before saying “Yes!” to “Cassandra”. Just as they were about to leave, the owner recommended the dress to her. They had just gotten it in! Hanna immediately fell in love with it. She was the first bride-to-be to ever purchase this style from their store.

Her Calla Blanche was kind of the style Hanna had envisioned wearing on her wedding day. She had always pictured herself in a mermaid silhouette with straps and a low back. The magic happened as soon as she tried it on! “When I tried my dress on I knew it was the one.” 

What she loves most about her Calla Blanche dress is the intricate lace detailing, and the mesh that makes it breathable. Hanna had never seen anything like it and that is why she loved it!

For Hanna, putting her wedding dress on felt like time stopped for a moment. The couple had been planning their wedding for a year, then COVID-19 came. Thus, they carefully thought out plans were canceled. Things were finally set into motion and it was such for Hanna to put her wedding dress on, bridal glam and all, on the originally scheduled date.

Venue

Hanna and Alec got married on May 23, 2020, at Cutter’s Valley Events in Huntsville, Texas! 

Hanna’s favorite memory of their wedding is “definitely when we were finally married and walking back down the aisle. I couldn’t believe it finally happened!” 

“We have been together for six years, and four of those years we did long distance. While Alec was in the Marine Corps, I was back home going to school. We wanted our wedding to be a celebration of us finally being able to be together.

Although we went from 230 people to 30 people, our day was perfect. I couldn’t have felt better in my Calla Blanche wedding dress marrying the man of my dreams. It all felt like a fairytale and I am so lucky I got to experience being a CallaBride!”

Congratulations to our Calla Bride, Hanna! 

 

Photographer: Heather Purvis Photography 

Bridal Store: Coreena’s Bridal 

Venue: Cutter’s Valley Events in Huntsville, TX. 

In order to make room for newer styles, we need to discontinue some older styles from time to time and unfortunately Cassandra has now been discontinued. Similar Style is Lexington LA21237.

L’AMOUR BY CALLA BLANCHE

Brittany B. in Kyla LA8103

Brittany and Lisa met in San Antonio, TX during a mutual friend’s birthday dinner at a restaurant called “The Magic Time Machine”. According to our L’amour bride, and as you might imagine, “it’s a very silly place where all of the servers are dressed in costumes and stay in character the entire time.” Their server for the evening was Ace Ventura. Hilarious!

Proposal

Lisa’s proposal spanned an entire weekend, something Brittany didn’t even suspect at the time. She took her to their date night spot for dinner on a Saturday. It was Geraldine’s restaurant inside Hotel Van Zandt in downtown Austin, TX. Lisa’s intention was to propose after dinner on the rooftop, in front of the fireplace that overlooks the city.

Unfortunately, by the time they finished their meal, the fire had already been turned off. The next day they went to Antonelli’s Cheese Shop to pick up picnic supplies to spend the day at Zilker Park.” Apparently every time she was about to propose, another dog would smell our charcuterie board and their owner would have to run over to our area to pull them away. (this happened more times than I can count lol!)”.

That evening, the couple got home and had their own fire going while they listened to records. One of their songs, “Lucky Stars” by Coheed and Cambria, was playing in the background when Lisa got down on one knee, and finally, made Brittany’s dreams come true! “It couldn’t have been more perfect. I’m so happy that we got to spend that special moment in our first home that we ever shared together.

Bridal Salon

Brittany said “yes!” to the dress at Blue Bridal Boutique in Austin, TX and her stylist was Katie, the owner of Lillie’s Bridal Boutique in Lubbock, TX. 

It took two appointments and trying on 7 dresses to find her perfect wedding dress: Kyla! 

This particular style was not at all what Brittany had envisioned herself wearing on her wedding day. “I was so set on having a long-sleeved A-line dress. I even refused to try on any other styles.” When she started to feel hopeless and overwhelmed, Katie suggested she at least try on this short-sleeved gown, our Kyla, to see how she felt. “Katie was still closing the back of my dress when I looked up and into the mirror, I knew instantly that it was my dress. It’s so cliche to say, but I really did experience that feeling of “you’ll know when you know”.”

Dream Dress

Brittany initially described what she wanted as something grandly elegant, sexy, but classic enough to still look modern 20 years from now.

“This dress hit all the marks! The train was grand and made a statement during our ceremony. I was able to create 3 different looks using a wrist bustle for our first dance and a french ballroom bustle for the rest of the reception. The lace applique in the bodice made it both sexy and classic all at the same time – I could go on and on!” It has to tick all the boxes! 

Wearing her L’amour wedding dress as a bride was nothing if not a dreamy experience for Brittany. “The compliment I kept receiving all day was that the dress “looked like it was made for me”. That’s exactly how it made me feel: Beautiful, elegant, and one of a kind!”

Venue

Brittany and Lisa exchanged vows on January 11th, 2020 at the historical Chateau Bellevue located in downtown Austin. The brides-to-be fell in love with the venue! It “screams elegance and romance with its French Romanesque arches and architecture, stained glass windows and hand-carved wooden doors.” They didn’t even look at any other options. “Fun Fact: the building is preserved and operated by the Austin Woman’s Club. Our wedding was their FIRST lesbian wedding, but surely not their last.”

For Brittany, one of the most vivid moments of their wedding was seeing her soon to be wife waiting for her at the end of the aisle. “But I think she’d agree that our absolute favorite moment of the night was when we surprised our guests with a drag performance by @misstoniandrews. She opened her Lady Gaga medley with “La Vie En Rose” to keep with the venue’s French theme and closed with “Born This Way”.

It was incredible seeing all of our family and friends rush the dance floor towards the end of her performance. It was our plan to transition from our formal sit down dinner to the dance party! This was truly one of the most fun and happiest moments of the night for everyone.” Sounds like an amazing party!

Congratulations to our L’amour Bride, Brittany!

Credit:

Photographer: Travis – Tank Goodness Photo 

Venue: Chateau Bellevue in downtown Austin, TX. 

Videography: Witte Idea 

In order to make room for newer styles, we need to discontinue some older styles from time to time and unfortunately Kyla has now been discontinued. Similar Style is Agatha 123118.

Miranda Hekimian in Taylor LA8111 

Miranda and Jared met at work. It was Miranda’s first job after moving back home to Seattle as a college graduate. They both worked for the largest pickleball company in the US. She worked in customer service while he was in the warehouse doing order fulfillment. It was “completely random but meant to be!”

Jared proposed to Miranda at her favorite French restaurant in Seattle, Maximillien, on Christmas Eve. She took French in high school and immediately fell in love with the language, the culture, the food, everything! The two of them had gone to this restaurant for her birthday the year before and had a wonderful experience. That’s why they decided to go back for their traditional Christmas Eve dinner. Everything about the evening was perfect – they had even purchased new outfits for the occasion. The food was amazing, the wine was flowing, the service was spot on, they had a view of Seattle’s Great Wheel…

Toward the end of the meal, he got down on one knee and asked her to marry him! And then, as if in a fairy tale, it snowed on Christmas Eve, which was the perfect way to end a perfect evening! 

Bridal Salon

The bride-to-be bought her wedding dress at I Do Bridal in Seattle, where she had “a great experience!” She brought along her future husband which is not quite traditional. However, it was important for her that he liked the dress. The incredible and friendly staff didn’t bat an eye and made them both feel so welcome throughout the process.

Before choosing her L’amour wedding dress, Miranda tried on about 4-6 other styles. “The I Do Bridal team did a great job of showing me dresses and not letting me get overwhelmed by all the options.”

The couple eloped to Paris. However, they hadn’t made that decision until 5 months after Miranda bought her dress. They hadn’t even decided on a venue yet! At the time of the purchase, they were thinking about eloping to Sedona.

That’s why she had picked out a couple of slinky, sexier dresses that she thought would fit with what they were both envisioning. Nothing seemed to be exactly right, though… Then she saw the Taylor dress and knew she had to try it on!

Dream Dress

“How can you NOT fall in love with all the SPARKLE on that dress?!” Other features Miranda loves about her wedding dress are “It also has pockets, which is an amazing feature and I used way more than I honestly expected to.

I was completely drawn to the ballgown style and all the sparkle, as well as the deep V front. It has such a big, dramatic skirt with just the right amount of train. I love the dress so much that I wore it again for our 1 year anniversary. We took a mini getaway to Long Beach, WA and I wore it on the beach too.” 

When Miranda finally put on her wedding dress on the day of, she “actually felt like a bride! It’s probably super cliche, but it’s the truth. I could see myself wearing that dress the day we got married. Thus, I didn’t want to take it off!” The team at I Do Bridal had also told her that they had just gotten that dress in and she was the first bride to order it. That was also a fun part of the experience. Made it even more unique.

Venue

As for the journey of traveling with a wedding dress to a different country, here’s Miranda’s take on things. “I’d also like to say that flying with my dress was not nearly as challenging as I had expected. We got to the gate early. And as soon as the gate agent arrived, we told them that we had my wedding dress. The gate agent in Seattle immediately told me that I could hang it in the captain’s closet. Then, the next gate agent in Paris told me that she’d hang it in first-class when I boarded. I didn’t have any issues with customs either. My skirt was BIG and it amazed me every time that it consolidated so well into the dress bag!” 

“We may not have known when we bought my dress that we would be eloping in Paris, but the dress was absolutely perfect for it. I couldn’t have asked for a more gorgeous dress!”

The couple didn’t have what many people would consider a traditional wedding. They had a small legal wedding in Spokane in front of their families and a small group of friends on March 23, 2019, and then eloped in front of the Eiffel Tower on April 2nd, and spent 9 days in Paris, the City of Lights.

Their elopement took place at the Trocadéro Gardens. Among the cherry blossoms with the Eiffel Tower in the background, during sunrise.

French Elopement

“It was literally magical.” They hired a French officiant who does weddings like theirs for a living. She did their ceremony partially in French, partially in English. The officiant also tailored the script to them based on the answers they gave to her questions.

There were neither family nor friends in attendance, just their “AMAZING photographer” and Miranda’s hair/makeup team who flew to Paris just to help them accomplish “this crazy dream of ours!”

They had originally booked Caitlyn Nikula to photograph the local wedding they had planned. However, when the couple revealed their new plans to her, Miranda honestly thinks Caitlyn was more excited about the idea than they both were! “She was AMAZING and so accommodating. We will forever cherish the photos she took of us at our dream Parisian elopement.

Her girlfriends that came with her were also my hair and makeup artists. All 3 of them were at our hotel room at 5 AM that morning to get us ready to tie the knot.”

Favorite Moment

Miranda’s favorite memory of her wedding would have to be… You guessed it, the whole thing! Honestly, their best memory was probably their “honeymoon within a honeymoon” when the newlyweds flew to Nice from Paris for the day.

They both woke up at 4 AM the day after the elopement and caught the 6 AM flight from Paris to Nice. Miranda and Jared spent the day by the Côte d’Azur drinking rosé and eating the biggest oysters she’d ever seen, salade niçoise, frog legs, and les gaufres. Simply – waffles, which French people eat as a dessert topped with Nutella, coconut, banana, etc. They got back to Paris at 11 PM after a flight delay. However, that wonderful day will forever be one of Miranda’s best memories.

After the ceremony at Spokane, they “also packed me in the dress into our car, and Jared and I drove to the hospital to see his dad. He had to have emergency surgery a day or two before the wedding. That’s why he couldn’t be there. We showed up in full attire, walked through the hospital (and received a whole chorus of “congrats!” while doing so), and shared the moment with him there. That’s also a special memory for us.” 

Congratulations to our L’amour Bride, Miranda!

Credit:

Bridal Salon:  I Do Bridal 

Alterations (bustle): La Belle Elaine’s Bridal 

Photographer: Caitlyn Nikula 

Makeup: Hannah Bush 

Hair: Latecia Farrell 

Officiant: Laura Montorio 

Venue: Eiffel Tower 

Hotel in Paris: Hôtel San Régis 

In order to make room for newer styles, we need to discontinue some older styles from time to time and unfortunately Taylor has now been discontinued. Similar Style is Rylan LA21234.

Katie Gates in Tatum LA8223

Katie and her husband met on Bumble! After exchanging messages for a few days and then moving to texts and phone calls, they had their first date at “the cutest little wine bar.”

About a week after Katie finished grad school, her then-boyfriend wanted to go for a casual date night to get out of the house. She was completely unaware of what was going to happen.

Therefore, she decided to be comfy and just wear workout clothes, thinking the two of them would be going for a walk or to get takeout. They drove up to the wine bar where they had our first date. However, Katie still didn’t suspect anything. Right before they left, he got down on one knee and popped the question!

Lesson learned for Katie, who has a word of advice for all our future brides: “ALWAYS CHANGE CLOTHES BEFORE GOING OUT. You never know when it’ll happen!”

Bridal Salon

It was at Charlotte’s Weddings in Portland, Oregon that Katie found her dream wedding dress.

Tatum was the second or third dress Katie tried on. “Deep down I knew it was perfect, but just to be sure, I tried on maybe 10 more before going back and saying “yes!”.”

Her L’amour wedding dress was exactly was she had envisioned. She knew she wanted something with a bit of fun but that was also classic and elegant. The layered skirt with the long train and simple top were exactly what Katie was looking for!

The details that made her fall in love with the Tatum dress were the layers and the train! “Oh my word, that train is amazing!” 

Venue

Finally being able to put on her wedding dress on her special day was, for Katie, “the best feeling ever! After waiting so long to wear it, and with all the uncertainty due to COVID, it was so special to finally put it on and live the day I had been dreaming about for so long.”

Their wedding took place on July 18, 2020. The pandemic forced them to change their plans completely, including their venue. They got married on a friend’s property, which turned out to be the perfect plan B to their originally planned wedding! 

Katie loved how intimate their wedding turned out to be since they only had their families and a few close friends sharing the moment with them. “Saying our vows in front of the people who have helped us become who we are today is something I will never forget! Also, the property owner’s dog crashed the ceremony.” Surprise! 

Congratulations to our L’amour Bride, Katie! 

 

Photographer: Andrea Zajonc Photography 

Makeup and Hair: Raechel Geisler 

Bridal Store: Charlotte’s Weddings 

Flowers: Table Tops, Etc.

 

Ange in Krysta LA8229

Adam and Ange met on the dating app Bumble, of all places. They were both “casually” dating and didn’t want anything serious. Fast forward to 4 years later here they are now! A married couple!

Adam proposed at their favorite “happy hour” spot. It’s a quaint farm to table restaurant in the town of Skillman with a beautiful lake in the back and a lot of outside seating.

Ange thought they were going in for a drink, instead, he told her to close her eyes and brought her out back to the lake, and got down on one knee. He was so nervous, he forgot to take the ring out of his back pocket so he had to stand up again! 

Bridal Salon

It was at Sposabella, a beautiful little boutique wedding gown shop in Newtown, PA, where Ange said “Yes” to her Krysta dress.

Going wedding dress shopping is an extreme sport. It takes dedication, commitment, and going for your heart. Ange knows this, which is why she tried on somewhere around 50 wedding dresses in total! However, her wedding dress was actually the 2nd one she tried on.

She kept thinking about it over and over again. That’s how she knew Krysta was the one!

Choosing this wedding dress, in particular, was a bit of a surprise for Ange. She’d always pictured herself in a dress made with a lot of lace and some beading. When she tried on more simple dresses like Krysta she knew in her heart oh hearts she wanted something simple but elegant. That’s why this dress was perfect for her!

What made her fall in love with Krysta was the bodice and neckline. “The bodice styles on Calla Blanche dresses are some of the most beautiful I have ever seen.”  

Putting on her wedding dress on the day of her wedding was “Amazing!” for Ange. She had been so anxious the whole day, but once she put it on she really felt beautiful and completely at ease.

Venue

Unfortunately, their big wedding was postponed due to Covid until September 2021, but they had a very small and intimate ceremony under a gazebo in a beautiful local garden. The weather was gorgeous and it was such a beautiful day! 

Ange said her absolute favorite moment was at the “first look” when Adam first turned around to see her for the very first time. He looked so incredibly happy! “I can’t quite put it into words….but it was single-handedly the happiest and most reassuring moment of my life.”

Congratulations to our L’amour bride Ange!

 

Bridal Store: Sposabella

Photographer: Gia Scozzari Photography

In order to make room for newer styles, we need to discontinue some older styles from time to time and unfortunately Krysta has now been discontinued. Similar Style is Noah LP2213.

Katie Hamilton in Jackie LA8230

Katie and her now-husband met through an adult sports league in Nashville, TN., while playing on the same kickball team.

He proposed at a big formal event in her hometown. He took her outside to pop the question and when they came back inside everybody was cheering for them and the band played a song for them to dance to along with her parents. How cute!

Bridal Salon

Katie found her perfect wedding dress at My Best Friend Jenna. 

Out of the 10 wedding dresses she tried on, Jackie was the first, and it made her feel butterflies! 

Even though she tried on other styles, she went back to that first L’amour dress. 

Turns out, when picturing her wedding dress, Jackie was exactly what Katie had envisioned: a boho style dress with beautiful lace and a type of sleeve that had a flow to it.  

For her it was not only the look that made her fall in love with the Jackie dress, it was a feeling. “When I put the dress on, it just felt like me. It’s hard to put that into words besides I just knew it was the dress when I tried it on for the first time.”. When you know, you know!

Being able to put on her wedding dress before heading down the aisle was just how Katie had imagined it! It was exciting to finally see everything come together with the wedding dress and her bridal hair and makeup. As soon as it was on, she was ready to get married and enjoy the whole day! 

Venue

The couple tied the knot on October 12, 2019, at her parent’s farm in Medina, TN.

Choosing one favorite memory is hard for Katie because the whole day felt perfect. “I would say there were two. One was my dad being able to walk me down the aisle, and the other would be that we were pretty much on the dance floor the whole reception with our friends and family having a great time.” 

Congratulations to our L’amour bride Katie!

 

Photography – Cody & Allison Photography 

Event Planning – Southern Sparkle Weddings 

Floral Design – J Kent Freeman 

Mini Pies – Eventful by Tim 

Cake – L. Elizabeth Pastries 

Coffee Bar – The Coffee Shop

Live Music – Blue Tone Music Group

Videography – Lynn Productions

Invitation Design and Printing – KSM Designs & Printco 

Makeup Artist – Pop of Beauty by Randilee Fields

Hair Styling – South of New York Salon by Shara Lynn Clark

Wedding Dress Shop – My Best Friend Jenna 

Bridal Accessories – Moo Country

Bridesmaids’ Apparel – Show Me Your Mumu

Groom’s Apparel – Street Tuxedo

Rings – Brasfield’s Jewelry

Rentals – Clayton Productions & Rentals & Eric’s Rentals

In order to make room for newer styles, we need to discontinue some older styles from time to time and unfortunately Jackie has now been discontinued. Similar Style is Hollis LP2218.

Julianne Laskowski in Paige LA8233

Brice and Julianne met through mutual friends. She had just started teaching at a new school and Brice was best friends with her teaching partner’s husband. They ended up messaging back and forth on Instagram for some time before meeting up! Julianne’s sister called him her “Instagram BF”!

Brice popped the question on the 4th of July in Hilton Head Island, SC. They usually spend a lot of time with her family at her parents’ home in Hilton Head. Julianne’s sister and her boyfriend flew in from Austin, TX, her brother, and his family was there, along with their close family friends.

She just thought they were going to the fireworks, as they always do. In the middle of the fireworks show, Brice asked her to stand up with him. Julianne immediately said no!

There were people sitting down behind them watching the show. He insisted and she finally agreed. That’s when Brice got down on one knee and proposed during the firework display! Her family knew the whole time, so their friends were videoing the whole thing.

They had actually been taping the two of them the whole day, but she had no idea why! After the fireworks, they all went home, and her parents had decorated the house so they could celebrate together!

Bridal Salon

Julianne got her wedding dress from Ivory and Beau in Savannah, GA. Her sister was in Hilton Head with them when they got engaged and she was going to be in town for the next week. She asked if they could go look at wedding dresses before she headed back to Texas.

Julianne made appointments at two places. She was sure she had found the one at the first appointment, but they went to lunch and then to her other appointment at Ivory and Beau. Being a curvy woman, the bride-to-be was very nervous about this day. She loved almost every dress she put on! It was such a great experience for her. 

Julianne tried on a lot of dresses before choosing Paige! She was having so much fun, and she didn’t want to stop trying on dresses. Julianne had envisioned herself in a spaghetti strap, v-neck dress. She tried on many v-neck dresses, and they were all so pretty. The consultant and the shop brought out the Paige dress and asked her to please try it on.

She said it was her favorite dress and she always wants people to get it. It was more of a scoop neck, but fit other aspects she was looking for such as being a-line, with a little sparkle, and she absolutely loved the material. 

Dream Dress

Julianne felt so beautiful in the dress. She struggled at first because it was not the style that she had pictured, but she couldn’t stop thinking about the dress. She went back a week later, and that’s when they purchased it! The one wedding dress that made her feel like the most beautiful bride.

When she started her wedding planning journey, she was so nervous about trying on dresses, but she’d never felt more beautiful than the day she wore the Paige dress! “It was so surreal to be wearing this beautiful dress!”

Venue

Julianne and Brice’s wedding took place on June 20, 2020, at The Avenue in Greenville, SC. They encountered a lot of twists and turns planning a wedding during Covid, but they ultimately felt that any day they could have to marry each other would be the best day.

The venue took many safety precautions and they lowered their guest count. Their indoor ceremony became an outdoor ceremony. But the day was filled with love and was more than they could have both imagined!

Julianne admits “Oh gosh! I don’t even know how to pick a favorite memory! There were so many! I did not expect to be so emotional, but I was happy crying all day, during the first look with my dad, and walking down the aisle seeing Brice for the first time. I think one of our favorite moments was after taking pictures, we went to the bridal suite.

Our planner had drinks and appetizers there for us and we were just alone together for the first time. It was really special. I also really enjoyed Brice’s mother and son dance that he shared with my mom, his mother in law. They danced to “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” and it was so heartwarming to see their love for each other, too!” 

Congratulations to our L’amour bride Julianne!

 

Credit:

Venue: The Avenue.

Bridal Store:  Ivory and Beau in Savannah, GA.

In order to make room for newer styles, we need to discontinue some older styles from time to time and unfortunately Paige has now been discontinued. Similar Style is Bailey LA21229.

Ivy Woods in Drew LA8237

Ivy and Dylan met through mutual friends on Quadra Island during a camping trip in 2009. They both had big plans at the time, he was attending fire-fighting school in Texas while Ivy was going to Costa Rica on a volunteer trip. She had no idea that later in the summer they would be dating each other and falling in love!

They were back in Campbell River going on their routine walk along the sea walk on their way to get coffee. Dylan detoured out onto the beach and they found a spot on some driftwood to finish their drinks. Ivy had a feeling something was about to happen. Suddenly he spun around on one knee and told her “you’re my best friend in the whole world, will you marry me?” To which she obviously answered “Yes!”.

Bridal Salon

It was at The Bridal Gallery in Vancouver where Ivy said yes to her L’amour wedding dress. “My consultant, Cassandra, was incredible. She actually had pulled the dress for me.” 

This was the third bridal store she had visited and had tried on about 15 other dresses before she found our Drew gown. 

Her dress was so much better than what Ivy had envisioned. She knew she want​ed a romantic gown with a dramatic train, but this one still felt like it was her style despite not having those characteristics. She had initially wanted a long sleeve lace dress, but the dress she ended up with was way comfier and fit so much more with the vision she had of her wedding day.

Dream Dress

What made Ivy fall in love with her wedding dress was that it had an incredible train but still felt “so nice and light”. She also loved the flowy material! “I felt so comfortable in it, and I could easily picture myself celebrating my wedding day in it, dancing with Dylan, being able to enjoy the day and not be in something stiff. The dress was amazing, but it really was more about how amazing I felt in it.” That’s what matters at the end of the day! Feeling as amazing as you look in your wedding dress! 

When she put her Drew wedding dress on her wedding day, that was probably the point in the day where Ivy got the most excited. It made her realize it was actually happening despite all of the setbacks of changing plans and rescheduling due to the pandemic. “And I couldn’t wait for Dylan to see me in it.” 

Venue

Dylan and Ivy’s original plan was to have over 100 guests in Campbell River at Painter’s Lodge Resort in July over the summer. Of course, with COVID-19 Ivy started to realize that this was going to have to change.

“It was really hard to do, but we ultimately decided to cancel and kind of left our plans at a pause until we knew more about how we could safely have a wedding. With him being a firefighter and me an emergency nurse, being on the front lines we were both pretty realistic about the fact that it would be a really long time to safely have a large celebration.

I knew in my heart the wedding didn’t matter as much to me as being married to Dylan did. Even though it made me so sad knowing my friends and everyone couldn’t be there, I didn’t want to wait. To me getting married wasn’t so much about the wedding, it was more about just being married. I did have a couple of things I really wanted to include; I knew I wanted our families there and for him to see me in my dress.” 

Covid-19

As the province of BC slowly began to open back up, the couple started looking at elopement options. Since they were going to be staying on Vancouver Island for a while during their time off in July, they decided Tofino would be the perfect place to tie the knot. They got married on their original date, July 18th, 2020, at the beautiful Middle Beach Lodge Resort. Everything sort of just fell into place! The sun was out, and they were married right outside on the beach with their family. What they originally thought of as a “Plan B” wedding turned out to be “an absolute dream!”

Favorite Moment

​Ivy has a couple of favorite memories of her wedding day. The first one was her mom walking her down the beach during the ceremony when she looked at Dylan and their gazes met. “Seeing him standing up there waiting for me was one of the best things I’ve ever seen.”

Her other favorite memory was the dinner after the ceremony. The wedding coordinator had set up tables and decor for them right on the beach, where they all had dinner with an ocean view. “It was incredible and so nice to get to just relax and enjoy the night with all our family. Afterward, we had a nice beach fire.” 

Congratulations to our L’amour Bride, Ivy!

 

Photographer: Nikki Hollett Photography 

Venue: Middle Beach Lodge in Tofino, BC 

Bridal Store: The Bridal Gallery 

In order to make room for newer styles, we need to discontinue some older styles from time to time and unfortunately Drew has now been discontinued. Similar Style is Bethany 121118.

Laura Maddox in Mirai LA8240

Laura met Jay while they were both working in college.

Jay’s proposal was nothing if not thoughtful. It was actually on Christmas Day that Jay told Laura they were taking a slight detour because they were super early to their families’ Christmas dinner while the rest of them were running behind.

He said they were going to stop at Piedmont Park since it was on the way and Laura was totally on board, she wasn’t suspicious at all about the real reason he was taking her there.

“There is a particular spot at the park where there is a lake, and the cityscape is just on the other side from where you are standing, and he said to turn around for a picture. When I turned back around, he was down on one knee!”

Bridal Salon

Laura found her perfect wedding dress at Wedding Angels Bridal Boutique in Roswell, GA.

She tried on somewhere around 15 dresses before getting to the Mirai dress. She immediately fell in love with the L’amour wedding dress!  

When she started wedding dress shopping, Laura knew she wanted something fitted with a deep v neck. She tried on a few dresses with that style and nothing compared to the L’amour by Calla Blanche dress that she chose.

When talking about her Mirai dress, Laura absolutely loved the design and the fabric with the sparkle. “Of course, also how it made me feel in it!”

Putting on her dress on her wedding day was such a surreal moment for her because that’s when she really felt like a bride. “I felt confident and beautiful!”

Venue

Jay and Laura got married on Eastern Green at Rosemary Beach, Florida.

Laura’s favorite memory of her wedding, other than the ceremony of the two of them officially becoming husband and wife, was that their band was amazing and the best part was dancing the night away with their friends and family!

Congratulations to our L’amour bride Laura!

 

Photographer: Josh Durham @josh.durham

Bridal Store: Wedding Angels Bridal Boutique in Roswell, GA @weddingangelsbridal

Venue:  Eastern Green at Rosemary Beach, Florida @rosemarybeachweddings

Catherine Dunlop in Caitlyn LA8241

Catherine and her husband Matt met while traveling abroad in Ecuador through Augustana College in the summer of 2011. Even though they both attended the same college, they hadn’t met until then. The two of them instantly became friends in Ecuador and continued their friendship once they returned to Augustana in the fall. The couple began dating in the spring of 2012 and have been together ever since. Catherine and Matt currently live in the Chicagoland suburbs with their beloved dog, Luna. 

It was in March 2019, while on a walk with Luna, that Matt proposed to Catherine. “Luna was wearing her doggy backpack, which carries her treats, and Matt asked me to grab one for her. The ring box was in her backpack. It was so sweet and what I love most was that it was just our little family present.” How cute is that?!  

Venue

Their wedding was originally scheduled for May 30, 2020, which was almost 9 years to the day they met.

Unfortunately, their plans were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and their dream venue was closed on May 30, 2020. Not wanting to wait any longer to be married, their wonderful florist and photographer curated a beautiful landscape for their Plan B wedding. Vendors to the rescue!

The legal ceremony took place at St. James Forest Preserve in Warrenville, IL. While it was not the grand event that they had planned, it was a beautifully romantic day. The couple got married among an alley of trees, under a gorgeous copper arch covered in flowers with their beautiful pup, Luna, by their side wearing the same backpack that Matt used for the proposal.

Following the ceremony, they took pictures in tall grasses, danced during the golden hour, and shared cake and champagne to celebrate!

“After the ceremony and pictures, Matt and I realized we were stuck at the forest preserve; Matt’s brother had accidentally left with Matt’s keys. While we were waiting for someone to “save” us, Matt and I finished a bottle of champagne, with no glasses. It was just us, a bottle of champagne, and a flood of emotions that we were married. It was my favorite part of the day!”

Dream Dress

Catherine is “100% obsessed” with her L’Amour wedding dress. She went to three salons in the Chicagoland area, but nothing felt “right”. It took close to 15 gowns before she finally found her dream wedding dress. Catherine had a strategy for finding the perfect dress from the very beginning. “Shortly after getting engaged, I started saving pictures of dresses I liked from The Knot’s website.

One morning, I casually asked Matt to scroll through the images to see which ones he liked best. He chose the Caitlyn gown. The dress was everything I wanted, too. I knew I wanted lace, a plunging neckline, and a full skirt, but not too full.

However, if the skirt was going to be tulle, I wanted it to have the horsehair trim. I wanted floral lace. I wanted just a little bit of bling. Caitlyn was everything I wanted in a wedding dress, and it was the one I always kept coming back to on The Knot’s website, even before Matt “picked it out”. It was so fun to tell Matt that he was an integral part of my dress decision on our wedding day. 

Bridal Salon

Finding the Caitlyn gown was harder than Catherine expected though! She called every bridal salon in northern Illinois that carried L’Amour by Calla Blanche, looking for the Caitlyn gown. She couldn’t find it anywhere. I finally found Caitlyn at a small bridal salon in the suburbs of Milwaukee.

On a Sunday morning, she made the trek with her mom and two best friends to Amelishan Bridal in Hubertus, Wisconsin to try it on. The staff was incredible. They had the L’amour wedding dress waiting for her in the fitting room, and Catherine instantly knew it was her gown.

“I love the details of the dress. The belt going across my back, the little bit of bling that outlined the plunging neckline and on the straps, and the horsehair trimmed skirt. Caitlyn is perfect.” 

“Matt and I are renewing our vows and having our regularly scheduled reception on May 30, 2021, and I cannot wait to wear Caitlyn again.” 

Congratulations to our L’amour Bride, Catherine!

 

Photographer: Lindsey Kay Photography 

Florist: Lisa Enoch owner of Gatherings Design

Hair: Color by Matteo Vazquez  Style by Kelley Alvarez 

Gown:  Amelishan Bridal in Hubertus, Wisconsin

In order to make room for newer styles, we need to discontinue some older styles from time to time and unfortunately Caitlyn has now been discontinued. Similar Style is Sia LA21221.

Nicole Bratko in Whitley LA9105

Nicole is one of the lucky women who have found love on a dating app! She met her now-husband on Tinder of all apps! The future bride hadn’t been on a date in 5 years and her sister convinced her to get back out there and try online dating. She helped her set up a profile on Tinder “just for fun and to swipe at all the guys” A fun experience for the girls.

They had a blast! The two of them would just sit, drink wine, swipe, and laugh and scream at every match. Nicole figured she’d test Tinder until she was comfortable to move onto a more “reputable” or “respectable” online dating site.

At one point Kris, her perfect match, popped up and Nicole’s brother-in-law said he recognized him from a first aid class he once taught. “Small world I thought, and I swiped right.” As it turns out, they matched and began sending a few messages back and forth for a while. They finally decided to meet up at a Starbucks and had their first date which lasted a whopping 5 hours! The two of them have been inseparable ever since.

Proposal

The proposal took place in Mexico, where the lovely couple went on a sunny vacation with Nicole’s parents. Kris loves the Patriots and he wanted to watch the Chiefs vs. Patriots NFC Championship game. After the game, which according to Kris was “a real back and forth nail biter”,  they met up on the beach to watch the super wolf blood moon that was happening that evening. The two of them were mesmerized by the amazing view of the red moon, and stared at it for a long time, with Nicole saying how beautiful it was.

The beach was so quiet and it felt like they were the only ones out there. After a few minutes had gone by, when they got up to head back to their room, Kris pulled Nicole back and said “I’m so happy to be here, I love you so much… So much so…” And he got down on one knee, pulled out a little ring box from his pocket, and said, “will you marry me?”.

She just stared at the ring in awe and tears poured down her face and she kept saying “what….what…are you sure?? What…. Is this real??!” All while Kris was still on one knee. Nicole was just so surprised and shocked! He said “you can say yes anytime now…” She said “yes!” and asked if that was all happening because the Patriots had won.  

Bridal Salon

Nicole said her second “yes”, this time to her L’amour by Calla Blanche wedding dress, at Pure Bridal in Edmonton, Alberta. Making an appointment at that particular bridal store was a no brainer for Nicole because her two sisters also bought their wedding dresses there!

Our Whitley wedding dress was the 2nd gown she tried on, and she knew right away it was the one! She had seen the dress in the bridal store’s window about 6 months before she actually went shopping, and it got imprinted in her mind! “ I think I knew even then that it was the one for me.“

Nicole had always known she wanted a wedding dress that was a bit different and a tad off of the traditional but still looked like a wedding dress. She wanted to feel like a bride on her special day. As for the style, she had no specific idea of what she wanted or what would look good on her.

When she found out that the Whitley LA9105 came in “grey” (which according to her was more of a light lavender hue) she “flipped out!”. For Nicole “it was so beautiful and just that touch of different I was looking for. I couldn’t believe how beautiful I looked in it!”

Dream Dress

Before starting her journey to find the perfect wedding dress, the bride-to-be was very nervous and self-conscious. Like many of us women, Nicole worried nothing would look good on her body.

“I am a bit overweight and was really concerned I’d feel pressure to lose weight to fit into a dress, which I didn’t want to do. The stress of having a deadline really freaked me out. When I tried on the L’Amour gown, I couldn’t believe how flattering it was on me! It hid all my unflattering spots and enhanced what I love about my body. I was so happy this super cool dress also made me feel beautiful. The skin illusion was a perfect touch to the revealing parts. I loved the sparkle and the long train. Just gorgeous!” 

When her wedding day finally arrived, Nicole was overwhelmed with pure joy. “I remember looking in the mirror and not believing it was me! I’ve never looked so beautiful and my smile couldn’t be erased from my face.” The length of her Whitley wedding dress was perfect and the train was just stunning. “I’m so happy I chose my L’Amour gown!”

Venue

Nicole and Kris tied the knot on June 20, 2020, at a little flower shop in Edmonton Alberta called FaBLOOMosity, in an intimate ceremony with 22 of their closest family and friends in attendance.

Marrying during the pandemic was touch and go for a while. The couple almost had to postpone or cancel, so being able to exchange vows during this time was a tad challenging. The bride’s favorite memory from their wedding day was having their surprise first dance. The newlyweds decided to do an upbeat song for their first dance, Paramore’s “Still Into You” and hired a local choreographer 6 months prior to their wedding to teach them a choreography.

“We went to his dance studio every few weeks and kept it a surprise to our guests. It was a challenge for us and we practiced for hours. We pulled it off and it was so much fun! My dress looked so sparkly and flowy while dancing and turning. I was so proud of us for keeping it a secret, doing a great job at the dance, and having a blast! It was also a perfect way for everyone else to get up and start dancing too.” Sounds like a treat for both guests and newlyweds!

Congratulations to our L’amour Bride, Nicole!

Credit:

Photography: Carlos Vicente Photography 

Location: FaBLOOMosity in Edmonton, Alberta

Bridal Store: Pure Bridal

Makeup & Hair: Rehabhairapy 

In order to make room for newer styles, we need to discontinue some older styles from time to time and unfortunately Whitley has now been discontinued. Similar Style is Tinir LA22230.

Liza B. in Anika LA9118

Liza and her one and only met, in true 21st-century fashion: online.

When he proposed, he planned a scavenger hunt in their apartment with all their friends in attendance. The last item was a wedding album with the first picture of him, wait for it… down on one knee with the ring! 

Bridal Salon

Wedding dress shopping for Liza took place at Champagne & Lace. She tried on 8 dresses before saying “Yes” to the Anika dress! It was a similar style to what she had in mind. However, wearing a blush dress at her wedding was something she had never imagined! 

What made her fall in love with her L’amour wedding dress was mostly the color and the way the fabric shimmered. She knew it would look so pretty in the sunlight! It also fits her amazingly and was super comfortable and lightweight. “It was just the perfect combination of a beach wedding dress but also something that’s a little more elegant.”

Finally putting on her wedding dress the day of was for Liza “One of the best moments ever. I never felt so pretty in my life!”

Venue

The happy couple tied the knot in January 2020 in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico at the Grand Palladium Vallarta Resort & Spa.

The whole day, and the whole week with their friends and family, was amazing! But the bride’s favorite part of her wedding day was saying “I do” with the gorgeous ocean as a backdrop! Talk about picture perfect! 

Congratulations to our L’amour Bride, Liza!

 

Venue: Grand Palladium Vallarta Resort & Spa 

Bridal Store: Champagne & Lace 

Photographer: Joleen Sandvar

In order to make room for newer styles, we need to discontinue some older styles from time to time and unfortunately Whitley has now been discontinued. Similar Style is Taya LA22122.

Casey Greene in Noelle LA9122

Our bride Casey and her significant other met on the dating app, Jswipe. One date was all it took for them to know it was meant to be.

When Scott proposed, he did so in the most unexpected way… “I was hoping he would pop the question soon and would get dressed up every chance I could get. But he asked me to marry him while I was napping! He threw a tennis ball on the bed and our dog, Lulu jumped on me with a sign around her neck reading “Mommy, will you marry Daddy?” You really never know when he’s going to pop the question.

Bridal Salon

Casey said “yes!” to the dress at Wedding Angels Boutique in Roswell, Georgia. 

It was her first wedding dress shopping experience when she found the one! Casey tried on about 6 dresses before putting on the Noelle LA9122 and falling completely in love!

Casey had been preparing for the moment since she was a little girl, so she always knew she wanted a fitted dress that was either a fit and flare or mermaid silhouette. Exactly the same style as Noelle! 

Her L’amour by Calla Blanche wedding dress was so beautiful and had such stunning details. “I loved the sweetheart neckline that cut all the way down, making it just sexy enough but not over the top. I also loved the fit that hugged my body in all the right places. It showed just enough skin and was absolutely beautiful.” 

When Casey put on her wedding dress the day of, she felt at peace. “It felt so right and was exactly what I envisioned I would be wearing on my special day.”

Venue

Casey and Scott tied the knot on December 21, 2019, at King Plow Arts Center in Atlanta, Georgia. 

Casey’s favorite memory from their wedding was having all of their friends and family together. “It was so nice having our favorite people celebrating with us.”

Congratulations to our L’amour Bride, Casey!

 

Photography: Ember Studio 

Videography: Rustic Films 

Day of Wedding Planner: Golden Pineapple Wedding’s & Events 

Venue: King Plow Arts Center

Bridal Store: Wedding Angels 

Bride’s shoes: Badgley Mischka

In order to make room for newer styles, we need to discontinue some older styles from time to time and unfortunately Noelle has now been discontinued. Similar Style is Miku 122236.

Chantelle Mifsud in Poppy LA9123

Chantelle met her now-husband at a club in Malta when they were both 16 years old. 

The two of them have been together for 11 years now. One can say they grew up together. Three years ago, for Chantelle’s 24th birthday, they were staying at a hotel, and in the evening Dylan organized a dinner at a restaurant. She had a feeling that he was going to propose and when it came time for dessert, the waiter came next to them with a plate, and on it, she found the words “WILL YOU MARRY ME?” along with the ring. She obviously said, “Yes!” and a few months later they started to plan their dream wedding.  

Bridal Salon

BOur bride Chantelle found her modern wedding dress at Eva Mariee Bridal Salon in Malta. 

She fell in love with the first wedding dress she tried on! She then tried on 2 more dresses but she just kept thinking and picturing herself in the Poppy dress, so without any regrets she said, “YES to the dress!”.

Her wedding dress was definitely everything she had envisioned. When she walked into Eva Mariee Bridal, James Xuereb asked her what style she pictured herself wearing, and he immediately found 3 dresses to show her. She fell in love with the Poppy wedding dress right away! 

She was i love with her L’amour dress because it was an A-line gown with a very unique lace pattern: in the shape of the poppy flower. The statement illusion bodice with intricate beadwork is exquisite, and it had a fine organza skirt to contrast the texture. What’s not to love? 

Chantelle’s wedding was a dream come true. The previous day she wanted to try it on again and pictured herself walking down the aisle, but nothing compares to “the feeling of wearing it on your wedding day! I was very happy, emotional, and excited to go and marry him. I actually arrived at the church early!”

Covid-19

Their first wedding date was June 28th, 2020, but due to Covid-19, only 3 months before the wedding, they made the decision to postpone it until December. When the couple saw that things were settling down and that weddings were back on, they took the opportunity and in just 1 month put everything in motion for July 18th, 2020. It was the perfect time because at that point no new cases of Covid-19 were in Malta.

Venue

They married on their beautiful island of Malta, with the ceremony taking place at Saint Anne Church at Zebbiegh, Mgarr, and the reception at Villa Mdina, Naxxar.

There is not just one part of her wedding that Chantelle loves the most. She has too many memories of that wonderful day, but according to her, her two favorite memories would have to be: walking down the aisle with both her parents and seeing the look on her husband’s face as soon as he saw her; and the second favorite memory is that after the ceremony, they went to a garden with only their talented photographer and videographer, where they captured some amazing shots of their first alone time being as husband and wife. 

Congratulations to our L’amour bride Chantelle!

 

Bridal Store: Eva Mariee Bridal Salon

Hair: Karl Brincau hair salon

Makeup: Gabrielle Zammit Grungo 

Groom and male wedding party attire: Bortex

Wedding Planner: Jurgen Briffa 

Photographer on the wedding day: Clive Xuereb 

Photographer post-wedding: Carlo Tonna De Lorenzo 

Videographer: Ernest Vella 

Invitations: invites for you-Polidano press limited 

Decorations: Commander Jay Events and Entertainment 

Venue: Villa Mdina Naxxar – Busy Bee 

Florist: Flowers by Anna Zammit 

In order to make room for newer styles, we need to discontinue some older styles from time to time and unfortunately Poppy has now been discontinued. Similar Style is Pollyanna 122243.

Yasmine Vega in McCall LA9242

Yasmine and her husband met at a state-run mental hospital for the criminally insane. They were both psychiatric technicians there.

The couple was taking a mini road trip to Big Sur, CA while sightseeing all the beautiful vista points. They walked down to one viewpoint that was so intimate and private it made them feel like they were the only humans in existence. Yasmine took a picture of her then-boyfriend overlooking a cliff ocean view, then it was his turn to take a panoramic picture of her. She had her back turned to him and when she turned back around, he was down on one knee!

Bridal Salon

She said yes to the dress at A Heart’s Desires Bridal in San Luis Obispo.

The McCall was the 7th wedding dress she tried on! 

Yasmine wished for a dress that made her feel like a fairy and that is exactly what the McCall dress did for her. It was elegant and had the most beautiful detailing. She knew it was perfect the moment she tried it on. “It just said “YASMINE” all over it!”

When she finally put on her wedding dress the day she would be walking down the aisle, she was relieved. Planning a wedding during a pandemic and having so many things be uncertain during the process was difficult. Yasmine had never felt such relief for a day to finally arrive and she couldn’t be happier to get to marry her best friend.

Venue

Their wedding took place on August 22, 2020, in Templeton, CA. Only ten miles from where they both grew up.

Yasmine’s favorite memory was her younger sister making the cutest speech, telling her how happy she was that she’d found a good guy and how gorgeous she looked. Who knew 7-year-olds could get so in-depth with their emotions!

Congratulations to our L’amour bride Yasmine!

 

Flowers: Flourish Event & Floral Design  

Dress: A Heart’s Desires Bridal in San Luis Obispo 

Hair: GYH.HAIR

MUA: Makeup by Anna Grimes 

Photographer: Asia Croson Photography 

Shoes: Bella Belle Shoes 

 

Paige Kindopp in Isabella LA9246

Paige met her significant another while in Middle school, in Lloydminster, Alberta, CA

The couple was on vacation in Seattle when he proposed at the top of the Space Needle!

Bridal Salon

Paige bought her Isabella dress at The Bridal and Tuxedo House in Edmonton, AB Canada. It was the very first dress she tried on. She must’ve tried on probably 30 other styles after, but nothing compared to her perfect wedding dress.

It was even more amazing than what she had envisioned! Her dress was much more lightweight than she had imagined, and the color was different too!

She fell in love with everything about her wedding dress. It had the perfect amount of glitz and glamour. The fabric pattern was so unique, and it fits like a glove. It barely needed any alterations! 

On the day of her wedding, Paige was so excited it was finally here! She couldn’t wait to see her dad’s reaction and her husband’s reaction to seeing her in the dress. “I’m still in love with the design, pattern, fit, and sparkle of the dress.”

Venue

Due to Covid Paige and her fiancé had a change of plans. Their ceremony was held at Rolling Green Fairways just outside of Lloydminster. Their reception took place in their backyard. They decorated a 20×40 white tent and it was so beautiful!

Paige has so many fond memories of her wedding day! “Walking down the aisle, spending time with only our immediate family and wedding party. It was such an intimate wedding, so it was easy to visit and enjoy our day with everyone.”

Congratulations to our L’amour bride Paige!

 

Photographer: Sarah Thorpe Photography 

Venue: Rolling Green Fairways 

Hair: Candice Willets

Flowers: Flowers On The Fly by Audina

Purchased:  The Bridal and Tuxedo House 

In order to make room for newer styles, we need to discontinue some older styles from time to time and unfortunately Isabella has now been discontinued. Similar Style is Juno LP2203.

Rachel Allen in Venus LA9256

“Aaron and I have an interesting story, and the only explanation is God’s perfect timing. We should have met multiple times since 2010… however, God clearly didn’t think either of us was ready yet. So we will start there in 2010!”

How It Started

Rachel was a sophomore in high school and was attending a Bible Study with friends in a little house off of Butler Street in Prairie Grove. They were always there every weekend, hanging out and riding ATVs in the field next door. Little did she know that the next-door neighbor, who was always out mowing the lawn and would see us at that house, was her future husband. “Yep, Aaron lived right next door, but God did not think we needed to meet yet.”

Fast forward a few years into Rachel’s sophomore year of college, where she rushed a sorority and their semi-annual formal was coming up. “Guess who was at that formal also…? You guessed it! God did not think we needed to meet yet.” 

College

“Now in college, you seem to see the same people out and about all the time so even though you may not know or have met them, you know who they are and become familiar with everyone. Well, apparently Aaron had seen me on different occasions and I did not know it but he had already followed me on social media. So needless to say he knew who I was, but since I hadn’t seen him before nor did I know he followed me on social media- I did not know who he was.” 

After college, Rachel moved to Dallas, TX. Aaron found out on social media, so he thought there were no chances of ever meeting her.

“I came back to Arkansas for my birthday celebration at a restaurant on Dickson street where my friends had planned a dinner. After dinner we stayed out for a little bit, however, Maddy and I were lagging behind on keeping up with everyone. Her husband was at a place down the street already where he bumped into Aaron as Aaron was leaving and they talked for a bit since they apparently already knew each other. Seconds after Aaron told Trent goodbye Maddy and I walked in. God did not think we needed to meet yet.” 

This is where it gets interesting!

“Aaron works at Superior Buick GMC which some of our good friends from high school’s family owns. While I was living in Dallas, my dad called up Michael, whose family owns the business, and Michael referred Dad to call Aaron since he knew Aaron would take good care of Dad and he was his top salesman.

Needless to say, Dad ended up buying his Yukon from Aaron and Aaron still has no idea who Dad is and keeps up with him all year just making sure everything is going well and after-sale stuff. (Dad really likes Aaron). One day the family was going to drive to Dallas to visit me in their new car. Right before they left, the navigation was not working on the Yukon, so Dad called Aaron and Aaron went to meet Dad to fix it. Dad told Aaron where they were going and Aaron then started to put the pieces of the puzzle together as to who Dad’s daughter is.”

Move Back to Arkansas

“I then announce a year later that I am moving back to Arkansas and Aaron sees that, so he casually starts chatting to one of his managers who he is like a little brother to, and says he is finally going to ask me on a date. Jeb told Aaron that it was awesome, but to be careful because he is asking out a customer’s daughter. Aaron said “I know, I know. But I am going to marry this girl” in an optimistic way.” He already knew!

“When Aaron had contacted me to introduce himself I was in Kansas City at a concert. I did not see the message until I found out I had to rush home for a family emergency involving our dog. On the drive home I saw the message and ignored it. Then I got bored on the drive and decided it couldn’t hurt to reply.

What I thought was just me being nice and replying turned into the longest messages back and forth finding out all the things we had in common and all the same friends we had- still being shocked we had never met. This guy seemed too good to be true. He then asked me on a date the next night. I said yes but that I lived with my parents since I had just moved back.

First Date

He said “that’s great! I know your dad and brother already, it would be great to see them and meet your mom!” I was thinking… “uh that’s a little much to meet the fam on the first date”.” Rachel was also getting cold feet at this point and called her best friend Maddy to tell her “I am going to bail this is stupid”.

Maddy then told her that she had to go on the first date because you never know. She listened to her advice, Aaron came over and talked to her family for an HOUR before they left.

“Then we went on our date finally. He was so cute and so nice and I had never felt so special before. He opened all my car doors and was such a gentleman (still is and still does all of that!). His intentions were pure from the start and I felt so safe and comfortable immediately. I had never met a man like this in my life, much less wondered why he was single and why he likes ME?? I was thinking he was too good to be true and texting Maddy all about him saying “OMG I am in love” jokingly when he would go to the bathroom and I had a sec to give updates to her. “

Happy Ending

Needless to say, the two of them have barely spent a day apart from each other since that first date and they knew right away that each other were who God had planned for them, it just needed to be the right timing. When it came time to pop the question, Aaron had everything perfectly planned out.

Proposal

“Aaron absolutely loves golf and it was around LPGA time that he decided to propose. My parents usually attend the monthly golf banquet at Pinnacle Country Club and they had mentioned to us that they were unable to go to one coming up because of “an event” they had to attend, so they asked if Aaron and I wanted to go. I was complaining the whole way to the event not wanting to go…oops!

When it’s LPGA time at the country club, they put decorations in all of the ponds around the course so Aaron was insistent that we go look at the one behind the club.

Keep in mind we are “running late” so I am annoyed that Aaron wants to go look at this pond rather than go into the country club for the event. As I am complaining and saying “Why are we going back here?! We are late and I am going to twist an ankle!” we come up from behind this massive light-up sign that says “Will You Marry Me”.

As soon as I saw the sign I burst into tears as I have never cried before. While he is on one knee, all of our closest friends and family are on the patio watching and cheering as soon as I said a very teary yes. It was the absolute best day ever (besides July 31st) and I couldn’t imagine a better, more thoughtful, and precious surprise!”

Bridal Salon

Finding her perfect wedding dress was not as tricky for Rachel as it was for her and Aaron to finally meet. It was at Low’s Bridal in Brinkley, AR that Rachel found her match.

“I tried on about 10 dresses and they all were so pretty but not “me” and was getting discouraged. Then, just as I almost gave up, both of my Maids of Honor found the “Venus” dress and were like “Rach, we REALLY think this is the type you have been looking for please just try one more on” so I did.. and immediately knew that was it! Also, so many other bride’s moms in the store were trying to get me to take it off so their daughters could try it on, but we bought it off the rack because it simply fit like a glove!” When you know, you know. 

Dream Dress

Venus was everything Rachel had envisioned! I had a picture of a dress extremely similar to this one coming in. So I was dead set on that dress and finding it. When my MOHs found this dress, it was exactly that style. However, it had even more beauty to it than the dress I was trying to get! We also added a tack-on train for just the ceremony so it was the perfect dress and a two-for-one!” Customization is key! 

What she loved most about it was how it showed off her curves so nicely and had a tasteful plunging neckline. Rachel also wanted something that was lace and had sparkle, but still lightweight, and this was “perfect because it had the lace all the way to the bottom, and the lining underneath gave the perfect amount of sparkle and it was so light and not heavy at all!” 

When she finally put the dress on it was the happiest moment. She felt 100% sure that was it and on their wedding day. “I have never felt more beautiful in my entire life and I wish I could wear it again, I never had regrets or doubts whether that was my dress… I just knew! And Aaron was blown away and he said it was beyond what he had imagined. He said there couldn’t have been a more beautiful dress for me!” They’re a match made in heaven! 

Venue

The couple tied the knot at their third attempt, due to Covid, on July 31st, 2020. It all took place at Osage House in Cave Springs, Arkansas.

“Hands down my favorite memory of the wedding was the last dance with Aaron. No one was in the room except us. We danced to “Love You Like I Used To” by Russell Dickerson and it was SO DANG MAGICAL! I didn’t realize how special that moment was going to be till we were in it. We both were just so happy.

We did the whole wedding day and having each other at the end, all by ourselves was the sweetest most intimate moment. I wish I could live that moment all over again. The second-place moment is definitely when my dad saw me for the first time in my dress. I have never cried so much nor ever seen my dad cry. It was so sweet.”

Congratulations to our L’amour Bride, Rachel!

 

Photographer: Lela & Lyla 

Hair: Greta Jasper 

MU: Adriann Duncan 

Bridal Store: Low’s Bridal & Formal 

In order to make room for newer styles, we need to discontinue some older styles from time to time and unfortunately Venus has now been discontinued. Similar Style is Abigail 122231.

Chelsey Jones in Brogan LA20123

Brandon and Chelsey have known each other for 10 years. She met his sister, Beth, in college and the two became instant friends. Over the years, Beth would joke about Chelsey marrying her brother. She would laugh it off (thinking no way), and go about her life. Fast forward to a few years later Brandon and Chelsey ended up living in the same city. They would grab dinner together and hang out, and quickly became good friends.

One good day after 3 years of friendship, Brandon called her randomly and said, “I like you more than a friend and want to take you on a date.” She laughed and said, “uh, like a date-date?”

Turns out he had liked Chelsey for 3 years and she was absolutely clueless! From that first date, he quickly went from being her best friend’s dorky younger brother to become the love of her life. She gained a husband and a sister and life simply couldn’t be sweeter.

Proposal

Chelsey is your classic type-A personality and doesn’t surprise easily. She and Brandon had talked about engagement in Spring of 2020, and we all know how that went. The whole world shut down! He had told her it was impossible to get a ring. Thus, they would have to wait until at least the winter. Chelsey was sad but understood in light of everything. She works for her parents, and they had asked her to plan a team bonding party (social distance style).

Chelsey had spent months planning this: getting budgets, giving updates in meetings, communicating with people, etc. She showed up at the party and soon realized it was not what she had been planning! Brandon had two wedding dresses waiting for her, her mom and sister and a water view suite to get ready.

After getting ready, she walked outside to the waterfront and saw him and all her close family and friends. He popped the question, and everyone burst into tears! After saying “yes” there was a jet ski waiting for them! Chelsey kicked off her heels, and the newly engaged couple cruised around the lake in their nice outfits. It was a dream!

Bridal Salon

Wedding dress shopping took place at I Do Bridal in Seattle! The Brogan dress was actually the 3rd wedding dress she tried on! As soon as she had it on, Chelsey knew it was the one. It captured all things timeless and sophisticated. 

When she started looking for a wedding dress, she knew she wanted it to be fitted. However, she ended up going much more traditional than she had originally thought. Life sure is full of surprises!

The first couple of dresses she tried on were much more young and flirty. Once she put on the L’amour dress, she felt empowered and classic. “I loved the elegant look and the fact that I will still love this dress in 80 years. When I will look back at photos, I will be happy that I went with a more classic look.”

Putting her beautiful dress on the day of her wedding was surreal. Chelsey had never felt more beautiful or happier in life! At that moment, all her prayers were answered and her heart’s desires were fulfilled. “That was the dress that made me a bride and for that I am thankful…”

Venue

The couple married in her parents’ backyard on September 4th, 2020.

For Chelsey, there are so many special moments from their wedding. She will never forget walking down the aisle and how, for a moment, it felt like nobody else existed. She locked eyes with Brandon and everything and everyone else grew dim.

“Seeing Brandon and the end of the aisle felt like the end of Chelsey, and the beginning of Chelsey & Brandon. At that moment, it was no longer me but us. I could feel the shift of becoming a wife and I will treasure that forever.”

Congratulations to our L’amour bride Chelsey!

 

Photographer: Beth Solano Photography 

Makeup and Hair: Anne Timss 

Bridal Store: I Do Bridal

Florals: Teressa Johnson

In order to make room for newer styles, we need to discontinue some older styles from time to time and unfortunately Brogan has now been discontinued. Similar Style is Renata LA22123.

 

If you would love to explore more wedding dresses, please visit our store locator.

 

Header Image Credit: @nathanpenglish