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December 1, 2012

Photography: Graham Chappell Photography Maui, HI

Even though her team did not make it to the Super Bowl in 2009, Philadelphia Eagles cheerleader Krystle Campbell and friends headed to Tampa for the festivities anyway. In a random encounter at a party, the women met a group of men who were also from Philadelphia. Krystle hit it off with one of them and they talked all evening. At the end of the night, Ryan Howard, first baseman for the Philadelphia Phillies, asked for her number.

“He was in Florida and I was teaching second grade in Philadelphia, so our schedules did not mesh,” explains Krystle, “but we kept in touch by phone and text for months.” When Ryan came back up north, they began dating.

Spending time with Ryan meant Krystle was flying from city to city to be with him. On one trip to Florida, he asked her to dinner at a new restaurant to thank her for her efforts. She was puzzled by the route he was taking and thoroughly surprised when they arrived at the oceanfront lot where he planned to build a home one day. She spied a tent surrounded by tiki torches, rose petals everywhere, music from a playlist Ryan created, and a table with dinner for two. “He said that I meant the world to him, and wanted to start a life together. Then he dropped to one knee and proposed,” remembers Krystle, who answered, “Yes.”

While vacationing in Maui, the couple fell in love with the island and began planning their destination wedding right then. They decided if guests had to travel, it should be away from their daily routines in a place where everyone could enjoy each other.

The late afternoon ceremony and cocktail hour at The Sugarman Estate overlooking the water, was accompanied by a string quartet and framed by the sun slipping down the horizon. The couple mixed traditional vows with their own words on love and marriage, creating a memorable moment. “When we were standing there facing each other, it felt like it was just us in this together,” says Krystle.

For her reception, the bride knew she wanted a “magical experience,” and got that at the Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea. “Floating chandeliers” lit the oceanfront lawn, hundreds of little lights twinkled in the night, and orchids and white roses softened the dinner décor. Surrounded by the people who were special in their lives, the couple was serenaded by R&B singer-songwriter Brian McKnight.

After dinner, guests moved to the ballroom. “We did our mother/daughter and father/son dance, and then Ryan said he had one last surprise for me,” says Krystle, “and he asked me to dance.” The song that began to play was the story of Krystle and Ryan from the beginning. He had written the words for her and then had them professionally produced and recorded. A late night nod to their hometown, in the form of mini Philly cheesesteaks passed around by the waiters, helped wrap up the night.

The couple flew to Bora Bora for their honeymoon at the Four Seasons where they stayed in a bungalow. Water sports kept them busy kayaking, jet skiing, snorkeling, paddleboarding and swimming with sharks and stingrays. “One of the best things we ever did,” says Krystle, “was to leave our cell phones behind, so we could concentrate on each other without distractions.”

> Written by Francine Kaplan

Ceremony Location: Sugarman Estate Makena, Maui, HI; Reception Location, Caterer, Cake and Event Planner: Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea Wailea, Maui, HI; Floral Design: Asa Flowers Wailuku, Maui, HI; Rentals and Lighting: Pacific Isle Rentals Wailuku, Maui, HI; Wedding Dress: Pnina Tornai exclusively at Kleinfeld New York, NY; Bride’s Shoes: Christian Louboutin; Bride’s Jewelry: Baron & Leeds Hawaii; Groom’s Tuxedo: Giorgio Armani and Domenico Giovanni; Entertainment: Brian McKnight and DJ Premier; Photography: Graham Chappell Photography Maui, HI

June 18, 2013

Photography: Jules Photography Tuscany, Italy

Before they got to know each other, Mary Ta, an All-American, strong-willed, business owner and Lars Oliver Hypko, a European architect with Old World manners, suffered from culture clash. A mutual friend first introduced them at the Milan Furniture Fair. Lars, who lived in Italy, was so taken with Mary that he wrangled an invitation to her Los Angeles birthday celebration. When Mary went to pay the restaurant bill, she found that he had already taken care of it. “Now, I know he was just being sweet and gentlemanly, but I’m very independent and it made me feel obligated,” says Mary.

However, when she signed up for Facebook, Lars was one of the first to issue her a friend request and she accepted. He was headed off on a six-week-long Mediterranean sailing trip and began to document his travels to her in private messages. Mary was swept away with him on a virtual trip. In those communications, he asked her thoughtfully comprehensive questions and she began to see his “dimensionality.” He was the antithesis of her previous relationships. “I was partial to skinny rocker dudes,” says Mary, “and here was this solid, masculine, but sensitive guy.”

The two continued to learn about each other on Facebook from June through September, when they decided to meet at the International Furniture Fair in Valencia, Spain. Mary was nervous, but when she saw Lars she says, “I felt like I was coming home.”

Before long, Lars made the decision to move to Los Angeles to be with Mary. “One night, I came home and all the lights were off. He was in a black suit, there were Christmas lights twinkling all over the house and he had cooked dinner,” says Mary. Lars proposed on one knee and presented Mary with a ring, a kitty to replace her deceased beloved pet and a matching tiny ring for the cat. “He gave me love and life,” says Mary.

On a trip to Italy, they found a wedding venue that would help them share their love of that country with family and friends spread across several continents. The only catch being that the available date was just three months away. Mary provided many of the conceptual ideas, and Lars, with his command of Italian, handled the execution.

To be inclusive and make it possible to have a true friends and family event, fourteen children were invited. Fifty-three guests joined the couple three days before the ceremony for celebratory meals and to explore Villa Gamberaia and all that the surrounding countryside had to offer.

The ceremony was held in an intimate grotto that resembled a secret garden. Unfortunately, one hundred degree heat and one hundred percent humidity turned Mary’s Vera Wang gown, consisting of nine layers of frothy fabric, into her own personal sauna. “But,” she says, “the day was still beautiful, wonderful and so special.”

Mary’s father had died when she was young, and she was brought up in a matriarchy to be the strong one. “Other men I had chosen had been needy, but in my vows to Lars I declared that I would never be disappointed in a man again,” she says. “With him I feel complete.”

As the sun went down, candelabras were lit on a lush lawn overlooking the village below. Guests sat at a single long table. Dinner featured Italian specialties including oysters, veal, a champagne tower and semifreddo ice cream cake. Toward the end of the evening, guests wrote their wishes on strips of paper and attached them to paper lanterns that were released to float skyward sending those wishes into the universe.

Instead of registering for gifts, the couple opted to have guests and family contribute to the purchase of his and hers versions of the iconic classic Italian car, the Cinquecento.

For the first week of their honeymoon, the couple invited many of their friends and family members to join them and travel to some of their favorite places in Italy. The following week, after guests departed, Mary and Lars headed to Sicily to embrace the beginning of their time as husband and wife.

> Written by Francine Kaplan

Location and Caterer: Villa Gamberaia Settignano, Italy; Cake: Galateo Ricevimenti Florence, Italy; Floral Design and Linen: La Rosa Canina Florence, Italy; Rentals: Preludio Noleggi Florence, Italy; Lighting and Entertainment: Alma Project Florence, Italy; Stationery: 2 Hearts B 1 Designs; Wedding Dress: Vera Wang; Bride’s Shoes: Prada; Bride’s Accessories: Mimi So; Groom’s Tuxedo: Paul Smith; Wedding Bands: Tiffany & Co.; Photography: Jules Photography Tuscany, Italy.

Photography: Ron Manville

Dinner at your reception may not be coming out of your own backyard, but it is closer to home than you think. With the number of couples interested in hosting eco-friendly weddings on the rise, caterers are more conscious about the green movement than ever before.

Aside from making their food presentations aesthetically pleasing, one of the most important goals among caterers this season is to incorporate organic and locally-grown and harvested food. From cultivating anything in the realm of oysters to watermelon at area farms, to their use of organic greens, more menus are paying homage to the origins of their local, often insular, proteins and produce.

Couples are proud to not only have an elegant affair complete with raw bars, artful passed hors d’oeuvres, savory entrées and decadent desserts, but to also be able to boast their support of regional agriculturists. Whether you are hosting your wedding at a prestigious hotel like Boston’s Mandarin Oriental, or you opt for an off-site venue and team up with a renown caterer—like The Catered Affair just outside of the Boston metroplex or Newport’s Russell Morin Fine Catering or Blackstone Caterers—creating an eclectic mix of environmentally-aware cuisine can be a facile task and will be sure to excite your guests’ palates.

November 3, 2012

Photography: Wind Productions Studio City, CA

When Eric Dhall walked into Sasha Alikhan’s Business Negotiations and Conflict Resolution class her junior year at UC Berkeley, she was immediately intrigued. “Suit, cowboy boots and long hair—I knew he would be interesting,” Sasha explains, “but when he spoke, I was blown away by his intelligence and it was love.”

After a few Facebook exchanges and dinner (“a little wabi-sabi place, followed by a roller coaster car ride,” says Eric of their first real date. “I loved her when I observed the wild glint of fire in her chestnut eyes.”), the two were a couple but would soon be a long-distance one. Eric was headed to his PhD program at UCLA and Sasha had one more year in Berkeley before moving to New York City to attend Columbia. While she was on a visit home to California in July 2011, Eric took Sasha on a five-hour hike. When they made their way to the bottom of a waterfall on Mount San Jacinto, he got down on one knee. “He cried but I was too excited about the ring and proposal!” says Sasha.

Initially overwhelmed by the planning process, the couple didn’t set a date but when they finally decided to make it happen they only gave themselves two-and-a-half months to plan. “It was hectic, but between my very creative mother,” Sasha explains, “and talented wedding planners, we were able to plan an awesome week.”

The wedding festivities kicked off with a sangeet ceremony hosted by Sasha’s aunt and uncle. The day after was a haldi ceremony. A bridal shower at the SLS Hotel Beverly Hills included a visit by a comedian to roast the bride and groom. A mehndi party, designed by wedding planner and close family friend of the bride, Nikki Khan, was held at the Hyatt Westlake Plaza in Thousand Oaks. And the nikkah, the Muslim wedding ceremony, was held at the home of Sasha’s parents. “I always wanted my nikkah at my parents’ home. Although 250 people was a tight fit,” says the bride, “it was very important to me to be in the home I grew up in. It was very emotional. My whole family and I cried both during the ceremony and as Eric carried me out.”

The following day, 450 guests attended the nondenominational ceremony in the Crystal Garden at The Beverly Hills Hotel. “The wonderful thing about having known my wedding planner my whole life,” Sasha says, “was that I wasn’t worried at all. I knew she was going to pull it all together flawlessly.”

After the whirlwind week, the couple embarked on a three-week “Wild West Roadtrip” honeymoon, stopping in such places as Zion National Park, Sedona and Santa Fe. Because of the time the couple spent apart, Sasha says the two are “truly just cherishing the fact that we get to spend so much time together.” “Marriage is a space rocket,” adds Eric. “Exhilarating, taking the soul to places never before experienced—yet at the same time dangerous. Enjoy the ride!”

> Written by April C. Miller

Location and Caterer: The Beverly Hills Hotel Beverly Hills, CA; Cake: Rosebud Cakes Beverly Hills, CA; Event Design and Planner: Exquisite Events Los Angeles, CA; Floral Design: The Hidden Garden Floral Design Los Angeles, CA; Rentals: Reflections Event Rentals Los Angeles, CA; Lighting: Ambiance AV Los Angeles, CA; Ceremony Dress: Carolina Herrera; Veil: Amal of Beverly Hills Beverly Hills, CA; Ceremony Shoes: Miu Miu; Reception Dress: Rohit Bal; Reception Shoes: Christian Louboutin; Groom’s Tuxedo: Giorgio Armani Black Label; Photography: Wind Productions Studio City, CA

July 13, 2013

Photography: BluDoor Studios Southlake, TX

A distinguished young man in a black tuxedo went house-to-house announcing the wedding of Miss Kelsie McCoy Guthrie and Mr. Brian Bennett Geister and hand-delivering elegant custom-designed wedding invitations. Fifteen months earlier, the couple met on a blind date in Oklahoma. They were soon engaged on a magnificent mountain top in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

The wedding party included more than 20 siblings and friends, and 10 children served as flower and banner girls and bell-ringer boys. A surprise guest was Captain Tyler Reed, the bride’s brother-in-law, who had just returned from Afghanistan.

The Christian wedding ceremony was held in the Century Ballroom of the Adolphus Hotel. The mirrored walls reflected hundreds of candles, and the stage was flanked by lush floral bouquets in giant urns. The main aisle was draped with multiple pearl swags, flowers and a custom fabric runner hand-painted with Ecclesiastes 4:12.

The ceremony was lead by Dr. Jeff Williams of First Baptist Denton, and the bride and groom exchanged personalized vows and pledges of love. The music included a string quartet, trumpeter, pianist and several professional vocalists.

The wedding was followed by a festive cocktail hour in the Grand Hallway. As guests mingled, they placed personalized messages of love and encouragement on Wishing Trees.

Guests were treated to a delicious dinner that was comprised of all the couple’s favorite foods. The multi-tiered bride’s cake had thick pearl strands and floral decorations. The groom’s cake, shaped to form the University of Oklahoma logo, was filled with red velvet cake balls. Following the formal meal, guests enjoyed dancing to Emerald City’s ‘Downtown Fever’. The entertaining 15-member band was a huge hit. It was a very energetic party and reception!

As the evening drew to a close, guests waved ribbon wands and cheered as the couple made their way to their horse-drawn Cinderella carriage. The bride and groom rode off under the summer moon with the lights of the downtown Dallas skyline as a backdrop.

Location and Caterer: The Adolphus Hotel Dallas, TX; Cake: Fancy Cakes by Lauren Dallas, TX; Event Design and Planner: Molly Rasmussen Creative Services Dallas, TX; Floral Design: The Wildflower Floral Design Dallas, TX; Rentals: Celebration Event Rental Fort Worth, TX and BBJ Table Fashions Dallas, TX; Lighting: LeForce Entertainment Dallas, TX: Entertainment: Downtown Fever Band Dallas, TX; Stationery: Belletrist Design Loft; Cinematography: Michael Mohan Dallas, TX; Photography: BluDoor Studios Southlake, TX

Classic Winston Fancy Pink Diamond Diamond Ring with Tapered Baguettes Set in Platinum.

February 27, 2013

Photography: Robert Evans Studios Los Angeles, CA

Carl Kamb had spent many years thinking that love was mostly a marketing ploy touted by the media but his thoughts soon changed when he met Greg Griffin. “I knew by the first weekend that this was it,” says Carl. “There was just an instant knowing, comfort and love.”

Set up by mutual friends, the two had their first date in San Francisco where Greg—stylist and founder of the Barber Lounge—was living. After spending most of the weekend together, Carl, an orthopedic surgeon, headed back home to Los Angeles and called Greg to invite him down the very next weekend. “The first night in LA he asked if I would be his boyfriend,” recalls Greg. “I blurted it out,” Carl adds noting how out of character it was for him. “I was so full of emotion and happiness. I felt like a teenager again!” The next night at a Morrissey concert both professed their mutual love for one another.

Weekend visits sustained the two as they courted long distance for more than a year before Carl made the move to the City by the Bay. After several years of dating it was on a trip to Hawaii to celebrate Greg’s birthday where the two exchanged rings as a precursor to their vows later in the month. While the rings weren’t a surprise, what each had chosen to engrave on his ring was. “CK+GG=Kismet” adorns Carl’s and “9•26•2007 L.O.M.L” is engraved on Greg’s to represent the date they met and their shared nickname, “love of my life.”

“We had our little blue boxes, a backpack, a nice bottle of wine and found the perfect quiet spot on the beach at sunset,” says Greg. “The Four Seasons on the Big Island is a gorgeous property and there happened to be three turtles on the beach right where we exchanged rings.”

Back in San Francisco, they turned to Heather Cassady of Exclusive Elopement to plan a small, private and romantic staycation for their wedding weekend. The couple, along with their pair of French bulldogs, Louie and Vito, love to explore the Bay area and wanted to be tourists in the city they love. Maps with dog-friendly cafes and restaurants along with cookies and pillows for the adorable pups everywhere they went ensured their prominent placement in the festivities.

On Saturday, Heather arranged a cake tasting with Top Chef Just Desserts winner Yigit Pura at his new Tout Sweet Pâtisserie. The following day the gentlemen headed to Barber Lounge for hot shaves, haircuts and mani/pedis. An ode to their shared musical interests and the many mixedtapes they made for each other while living apart, they listened to Morrissey, Elton John, The Smiths and more as they prepared to exchange vows at the Mystic Hotel. While Louie and Vito were the only guests at the ceremony, the couple says a reception is to come: “Once we can really make it official we would love to plan a big party for friends and family.”

> Written by April C. Miller

Location: Mystic Hotel by Charlie Palmer San Francisco, CA; Cake: Tout Sweet Pâtisserie San Francisco, CA; Event Planner: Exclusive Elopement San Francisco, CA; Floral and Event Design: Wish Social Events San Francisco, CA; Stationery: Tru Invites San Mateo, CA; Tuxedo: Artful Gentleman San Francisco, CA; Jewelry: Cartier; Photography: Robert Evans Studios Los Angeles, CA

December 7, 2012

Photography: Ray Santana Photography Miami, FL

When Vidal Cadena professed his love to Annick Durango in September 2011, she was stunned. The two had been the best of friends for seven years and Annick was unsure how she felt about his declaration. Separated shortly after by her trip overseas, Vidal did his best via email to convince her a relationship as more than friends was worth the try. She admits she was easily swayed.

“We moved very quickly from best friends to a couple,” she says.  “I realized I knew him so well and it was just a matter of seeing him in a different way. It always felt right.”

Eight months later in May, while in Florida with family and friends, Vidal surprised Annick again, this time with a romantic proposal in Key West.

“He wanted to marry quickly so I could move to Miami and we could begin our lives together before the Christmas holidays,” she recalls.

Though still living in her homeland of Ecuador, the two began planning their event for the first weekend of December. From the very beginning, the bride-to-be envisioned a white-on-white wedding theme—a clean, elegant affair.

Annick confides she was particularly nervous before she made her bridal debut at the Church of the Little Flower, a magnificent sanctuary located in the historic district of Coral Gables. But, as soon as she began her walk down the aisle, she says all her worries left her. Vidal cried as she made her way toward him. A traditional wedding ceremony commenced while Catholic rituals followed.

“It was truly the most important part of our day,” recalls Annick.

After Mass, the couple hosted their first party as husband and wife for their four hundred guests at the Mandarin Oriental, Miami, a sophisticated luxury hotel overlooking Brickell Key. The ballroom was appointed to perfection.

Tall centerpieces overflowing with white and pale pink buds and blossoms adorned the tables and large crystal chandeliers softly illuminated the space along with the glow of over one thousand flickering candles. Action stations featuring seafood, sushi, carved meats and Italian fare were sprinkled throughout the salon and encouraged guests to eat throughout the evening. Cozy lounge furniture was interspersed so guests could hang out.

“People from Ecuador like to party,” Annick laughs. “It was important to us to throw a big celebration.”

Among the highlights of the evening was a performance by Juan Luis Guerra, a Grammy-award winning musician from the Dominican Republic, a surprise gift the bride still can’t quite fathom. “I grew up with his music,” she says. “And, he is loved by my parents’ generation as well.”

The evening continued with a live band that played well into the next day.

“Everything was perfect,” says Annick. “It was an incredible beginning to the rest of our lives.”

Accustomed to world travel, Annick and Vidal opted to spend twelve days traveling across the United States for their honeymoon including stops in South Carolina, California and Nevada.

> Written by Dina Cortez

Location and Caterer: Mandarin Oriental, Miami Miami, FL; Cake: Ana Paz Cakes Miami, FL; Event Design and Planner: CCC Event Planning Miami, FL; Floral Design, Rentals and Lighting: Always Flowers & Events Miami, FL; Linen: Nüage Designs Miami, FL; Stationery: Lourdes Izurieta Lima, Peru; Wedding Dress and Veil: Pnina Tornai exclusively at Kleinfeld New York, NY; Bride’s Shoes: Prada; Groom’s Tuxedo: Kiton; Wedding Bands: Graff Diamonds; Photography: Ray Santana Photography Miami, FL

September 7, 2012

Photography: Carasco Photography Chicago, IL

Raed Khawaja and Shireen Khan are truly children of the world, but when it came time to get married, they reached back to the traditions of their shared Pakistani heritage.

Many couples say they were born to be together, but for Raed and Shireen it’s more true than for most. Raed spent his formative years in the U.S. while Shireen grew up in Hong Kong, but they were born seven days apart and within twenty miles of each other in Chicago. “We joke that Shireen traveled around the world trying to get away from me and we ended up together eighteen years later,” said Raed with a laugh.

They met under just about the most casual circumstances imaginable—a night out with mutual friends at Pizza Hut. During dinner the conversation turned to romance, and Raed posed a question about how long it takes to know that you’ve met the right person—a query ostensibly addressed to the whole group, but made with his eyes locked firmly on Shireen. She quickly gave a reply: “Right away.”

“I knew my answer was what he was looking for,” she said.

Despite the initial sparks, their relationship blossomed slowly.

“I would have married him even then, but we were so young and we said that if we want our parents to take us seriously, let’s be patient,” she said.

So, Raed waited until after the two graduated college and he had a job offer in hand before proposing. Actually, the couple went to their parents first, who then got together to discuss the relative merits of an engagement in a traditional Pakistani ritual known as the baat pakki—which literally means “to seal the deal.”

Once the parents approved, Raed was left with the quandary of wanting to do the classic American-style proposal while already knowing Shireen’s answer. The day after the baat pakki, he took her to a favorite scenic bridge, where the two reminisced about their six years together before Raed got down on one knee and offered a diamond engagement ring to Shireen.

“I appreciated that he took the time to do that, but for me the real proposal was that day in Pizza Hut,” said Shireen. “From that day forward, I knew what we were working toward, and I had no doubt that we were going to be together.”

If the proposal was a tad anticlimactic, the engagement party was anything but. Attended by one hundred of their closest family and friends, it was a bash topped only by the three-day wedding festivities that followed months later, beginning with the traditional mehndi.

This huge party, attended by more than three hundred people, saw Shireen adorned in henna tattoos and the couple celebrated with a series of traditional dances prepared and practiced by their family, friends, and coworkers—accompanied by everything from Bollywood songs to Michael Jackson and PSY tunes. “That was my favorite part of the wedding,” said Raed.

The second day was devoted to the actual nuptials, with an imam presiding over the nikkah ceremony during a dinner party at the InterContinental Chicago. On the final day, the groom’s family hosted the walima, a formal dinner signifying that the couple is now officially husband and wife.

Like their guests, the couple left the penultimate nikkah in a welter of emotion. “We waited so long for that moment, and finally the day had come when we could be together,” Shireen recalled. The tears were eased only by an unplanned limo stop—in full traditional wedding costume—at a local Pinkberry for frozen yogurt. That short interlude was the most memorable part of the whole experience for Shireen. “It was back to being about us,” she explained simply.

The couple enjoyed a relaxing honeymoon on the Amalfi Coast.

> Written by Bob Curley

Location and Linen: InterContinental Chicago Magnificent Mile Chicago, IL; Caterer: Shahi Nihari Villa Park, IL; Cake: Bittersweet Chicago, IL; Event and Floral Design, Planner, Rentals and Lighting: Oliveairé Artisan Events and Meetings Schaumburg, IL; Invitations: J.Invites Milwaukee, WI; Wedding Dress and Veil: DR Haroon Pakistan; Shoes: Alisa Bangkok, Thailand; Groom’s Attire: Sohaib Ahmed Pakistan; Engagement and Wedding Rings: Tacori; Photography: Carasco Photography Chicago, IL

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October 21, 2012

Photography: Scarlett&Stephen Jacksonville, FL

In the beginning, Jennifer Johnson didn’t foresee marrying Steve Powers and potentially ruining the amazing friendship they had going. Steve had other ideas; in his wedding vows he said that even when they were just friends he knew that they’d get married one day.

“We would joke around that ‘the best relationships start from a friendship,’ until one day we weren’t joking anymore,” Jennifer says. “We realized we had developed a deep love, trust, and bond for each other that couldn’t be denied.”

Knowing that Jennifer loves Hawaii, Steve, a DJ, invited her along when he was asked to play a private event on the island. When they arrived at the resort,
Jennifer went to freshen up. But when she was done, she couldn’t find Steve anywhere in the suite.

“I finally noticed that the balcony door was open,” she says. “As I walked out the door, I noticed Steve was down on one knee! Overlooking the ocean in beautiful Hawaii, Steve asked me to marry him. I immediately burst into tears.”

As huge fans of travel, the ocean, sand and sun, the New York City-based couple knew they wanted to host their wedding by the beach. Miami had always been a favorite getaway spot, and the Versace Mansion, now known as The Villa by Barton G., held special appeal.

On vacations they would stroll by the mansion, staring in awe at the natural beauty of the majestic villa on the beach. When their friends got married there they finally got the chance to step inside and see all the beauty behind the closed gates.

Envisioning a high-fashion, rock n’ roll wedding, they knew they’d found the ideal spot in the former mansion of a fashion icon.

Not the type of bride to want a frilly wedding, Jennifer wore a black sash and leather gloves. Her Vera Wang dress, Tiffany jewelry and black birdcage veil accented with a Chanel brooch (a special gift from her mother) completed the glamour-with-an-edge vibe.

Perhaps the most fashionable gift was a surprise from the bride to her groom on their wedding day. “Steve’s dream car has always been the Entourage car—a 1966 Lincoln Continental convertible with suicide doors,” she says. “I thought to myself, what better gift to get my groom on our wedding day than his dream car!”

It took months of searching, but when Jennifer found the Continental for sale in Texas, she knew she was destined to sign on the dotted line. Steve was so shocked when he saw the car that it took a while for him to believe that it was really his.

A couple months after the wedding, Steve and Jennifer took off for a month-long honeymoon.  They started with a two-week safari in Botswana (the bride’s choice) followed by “the most relaxing two weeks of our lives” in the Maldives (the groom’s choice).

“Since our relationship was built on the foundation of a friendship, Steve and I remain best friends,” Jennifer says. “We’re extremely close, understand one another, and love with everything we have; now that we’re married we know we will be together forever.”

> Written by Allyson Reedy

Location, Caterer, Event Design, Planner, Floral Design, Linen, Rentals and Lighting: The Villa by Barton G. Miami Beach, FL; Cake: Ana Paz Cakes Miami, FL; Stationery: EAST SIX New York, NY; Wedding Dress: Vera Wang; Headpiece: Christie Lauren Headpieces, Veils & Jewelry Manhasset, NY; Bride’s Jewelry: Tiffany & Co. and Chanel; Bride’s Shoes: Christian Louboutin; Rings: Harry Winston; Groom’s Tuxedo: Dolce&Gabbana; Entertainment: DJ Reach New York, NY and AAMusicians Bal Harbour, FL; Favors: Tiffany & Co.; Photography: Scarlett&Stephen Jacksonville, FL

May 25, 2013

Photography: VUE Photography Atlanta, GA

Erik and I met in college at Colorado State University. We went to high schools that were only 15 minutes apart and met through mutual friends. We started dating our junior year of college. Erik decided to take his time in college, but I was on the fast track in the fashion merchandising program so I could move to New York to pursue my dreams. After I moved, we continued to date, but distance and timing were not on our side.

We broke up and spent two and a half years apart. Neither of us dated anyone else during that time, and we eventually decided to give it another try. Coming back together after spending so long apart, we knew we were meant to be together. Erik proposed in Rome, Italy on the Spanish Steps in June 2012, and the rest is history.

Location: Carillon Weddings at Carillon Beach Panama City Beach, FL; Catering: Townsend Catering Company Santa Rosa Beach, FL; Cake: Confections on the Coast Emerald Coast, FL; Floral Design: Myrtie Blue Fort Walton Beach, FL; Wedding Dress: Elizabeth Fillmore; Photography: VUE Photography Atlanta, GA

September 25, 2013

Photography: Nikos P. Gogas Santorini, Greece

Paul and I went to school together and have known each other for 20 years. Paul is best friends with my brother, Leon. We never paid too much attention to each other throughout high school. In 2008, when we were much older, love blossomed, and we quickly realized that we couldn’t be apart. This was a happy surprise to both families!

We love to travel and had always dreamed of visiting the Greek Islands, particularly Santorini. After Paul proposed on Matamanoa Island in Fiji in December 2012, we decided on a destination wedding to combine our marriage with a vacation. The only guests were two Australian friends who undertook witness duties.

For us an intimate civil ceremony with a beautiful view was perfect. Privacy was the most important thing to us. After speaking with Stella, our planner, and looking at fabulous properties, we took her suggestion and decided to have the wedding and honeymoon at Kirini Suites. It was the best decision we ever made. The pictures speak for themselves really. The wedding took place just before sunset, the harpist was an amazing special touch, and the dinner was beyond words.

Location, Caterer, Linen and Rentals: Kirini Suites & Spa Oia, Santorini, Greece; Event Design and Planner, Lighting: Stella and Moscha Fira, Santorini, Greece; Floral Design: Santorini’s Flowers Santorini, Greece; Photography: Nikos P. Gogas Santorini, Greece