Congratulations to Featured Real Wedding couple Shannon & Matthew Albright who were married on September 17, 2011 at David Girard Vineyards.

Click here to read their story, see their slideshow of photos from The Studio, meet their wedding dream team and more!

Blog post by Real Weddings Magazine’s Editor/Publisher Wendy Sipple.

Photos courtesy of The Studio.

Check out the Real Weddings Contest Page! Great bridal loot for real Sacramento-area brides!

Subscribe to the Real Weddings Magazine Blog!

Congratulations to Featured Real Wedding couple Theresa & Jean Pierre Cabalette who were married on August 6, 2011 at St. John the Baptist Parish with a reception to follow at Lake Natoma Inn.

Click here to read their story, see their slideshow of photos from Meagan Lucy, Christopher Kight Photographers, meet their wedding dream team and more!

Blog post by Real Weddings Magazine’s Editor/Publisher Wendy Sipple.

Photos courtesy of Christopher Kight Photographers.

Check out the Real Weddings Contest Page! Great bridal loot for real Sacramento-area brides!

Subscribe to the Real Weddings Magazine Blog!

First up….Congratulations to Featured Real Wedding couple Kelly & James McNeil who were married on September 24, 2011 at Newcastle Weddings Gardens & Historic Red Horse Barn with a reception to follow at the Holiday Inn.

Click here to read their story, see their slideshow of photos from Grandeur Photography, meet their wedding dream team and more!

Blog post by Real Weddings Magazine’s Editor/Publisher Wendy Sipple.

Photos courtesy of Grandeur Photography.

Check out the Real Weddings Contest Page! Great bridal loot for real Sacramento-area brides!

Subscribe to the Real Weddings Magazine Blog!

The Couple:  Parmis and Kevin Freels

Wedding Date:  June 11, 2011

Photography by Sharpe Photographers

Tell us a little about you and your beloved:  Kevin and Parmis first met in May of 2005 at her 29th birthday party. Kevin, enamored with Parmis, contacted her within days of the party under the guise of meeting to discuss a potential real estate project. Throughout their meetings Kevin struggled with a way to convey his true intentions. Unbeknown to him, his true purpose had already become apparent to Parmis. Fortunately for Kevin, the feeling was mutual.

Over the coming weeks and then months, the initial spark between them began to grow into a flame. Kevin and Parmis found that they shared many of the same values, interests, loves and joys. First and foremost, they shared a love and deep dedication to their family and friends. They also found that they shared a love of new experiences, new people, places and especially food. A fundamentally deep appreciation of the value and joy of life!

After two years of dating, Kevin and Parmis took a vacation to the beautiful country of Greece. It was there, on the island of Santorini, with a glorious sunset as a backdrop, in one of the most spectacular places on Earth, Kevin proposed to Parmis. Kevin recalls that the sunset seemed to last forever as he waited to hear the big “YES,” but instead heard the words “OF COURSE.” He remained, on bended knee, until he asked, “Does “OF COURSE” mean YES???” To the cheers of the entire restaurant, Parmis spoke the word Kevin had been waiting to hear, “YES.” Thank goodness because Kevin’s knee was really starting to hurt.

Upon their return, Parmis and Kevin decided to build their dream home together. After years of work, which included demolition, construction, design and finishes, they finally moved into their beautiful home in 2010. When discussing their plans for marriage, they concluded that there would be no better place to hold their most cherished day than at the home they had worked so hard to build together. Kevin and Parmis are looking forward to an exciting future together, filled with love, joy, adventure, and friends and family for many years to come. Oh, and the addition of some little ones (likely curly-headed…), to raise and share in the joys of life.

What was the most amazing part of your day?  Having my dad walk me down the aisle and having my loved ones all together.

What else would you like to share about your big day?  Everything turned out above and beyond our expectations in our home that we had just built.

Ceremony & Reception Site:  Our newly built home, over our pool in the backyard

Photographer:  Sharpe Photographers

Videographer:  Phillip Alan Films

Wedding Planner:  Fearon May Events

Caterer & Cake & Favors:  Beth Sogaard Catering. Our cake was three towers of cheese!!! We love cheese! Our favors were custom boxes made to take home sweets from Beth Sogaard’s dessert bar.

Flowers:  Scarlett & Grace

Linens:  Mimi & Co.

Wedding Dress:  Ines Di Santo in San Diego

Hair:  Adreanna Cross

Makeup:  Melissa Smith

Invitations:  Honey Paperie (formerly Stephanie J Designs)

Honeymoon location:  One month in Eastern Europe (Croatia, Hungry, Czech republic, Austria)

Any other of your wedding vendor(s) you’d like to call out?  Lighting and stage over pool from Stage 1, Inc.

First Dance Song:  ”Making Memories of us” by Keith Urban

Any advice you’d give to our readers who are planning their weddings right now?  Get started early and enjoy the whole process. It goes by quick so make sure you have a photographer and videographer to capture your special day.

Anything that you would have done differently if you were given the chance?  Ignoring the pre-wedding rule (bride/groom not seeing each-other before the wedding). We needed more time to take pictures and if I could do it over again I would take more pictures ahead of time (together) so that we had more time with our guests.

Photos courtesy of Sharpe Photographers.

Check out the Real Weddings Contest Page! Great bridal loot for real Sacramento-area brides!

Subscribe to the Real Weddings Magazine Blog!

This uber-cool event, presented by Fearon May Events and Arden Hills Resort Club & Spa in association with Real Weddings Magazine, is designed to showcase some of the best wedding professionals in the area through themed vignette rooms with sumptuous table top designs and decor, all to inspire the lavish and fabulous in you! And, the event certainly lived up to its name…we’ve got the pictures to prove it!

So without further ado, we present the first of seven in our Real Weddings Eye Candy Blog series highlighting Lavish & Fabulous! Ooh la la!

Vignette: A Walk Down the Aisle

Participating Vendors:

Creative Designer and Canopy: Fearon May Events

Chairs: Celebrations! Event Rentals & Tents

Chair Pads: La Tavola Fine Linen Rental

Floral: Accents By Sage

Harpist: Motoshi Kosako provided by Hip Entertainment

Photographed by: Greener Visuals Wedding Photography

Inspired by what you see Real Weddings brides? Mark your calendars for the 2012 Lavish & Fabulous event happening on October 25, 2012. Stay tuned for more details to come!

Photos courtesy of Greener Visuals Wedding Photography/Lavish & Fabulous.

Check out the Real Weddings Contest Page! Great bridal loot for real Sacramento-area brides!

Subscribe to the Real Weddings Magazine Blog!

Ok, Real Weddings Brides…time to mark your calendars for some great upcoming bridal events! At these events, you’ll be able to get a complimentary copy of Real Weddings Magazine and at select events, you’ll be able to get a complimentary copy of our wedding planning resource guide called The Bride’s Guide, get some cool Real Weddings Magazine swag — like our nifty re-usable bags and our handy pens — and be able to register for our great giveaways at these events! Hope to see you at these events!

Arden Hills Resort Club & Spa Bridal Open House
May 20, 2012 from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m., June 24, 2012 from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m., July 22, 2012,10 a.m. – 1 p.m., August 12, 2012,10 a.m.-1 p.m., September 16, 2012,10 a.m.-1 p.m., October 17, 2012, 5:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m.
Arden Hills Resort Club & Spa in Sacramento
Enjoy hors d’oeuvres and refreshments and tour the resort.
Free Admission
For more information, log on to ardenhills.net

Flawless Fairytale Bridal Show
June 2, 2012, 12-4 p.m.
Lake Tahoe Golf Course in Lake Tahoe
Come discover the breathtaking Lake Tahoe Golf Course. Enjoy a bridal fashion show, network with local vendors, tasting samples of our hors d’oeuvres and enjoying our beautiful views.
Free Admission
For more information, log on to laketahoegc.com

The 4th Annual Bridal D’Elegance Open House at the Delta King
June 3, 2012 from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
The Delta King in Old Sacramento
Come experience Delta King’s charm while enjoying hors d’oeuvres, champagne, vendor giveaways, a fashion show, entertainment, bridal workshops and more. Admission is free but please call their sales office to reserve your tickets: 916-379-5006.
For more information, log on to deltaking.com

Bridal Gala – Once Upon a Time…A Wedding Affair at Helwig Vineyards & Winery
June 15, 2012, 6 – 9 p.m.
Helwig Winery in Plymouth
Come see 2012 top trends displayed in an extravagant setting. Enjoy a rockin’ fashion show organized by the fabulous Allen Arnold, live music, interactive vendor demos, a “grooms’ corner” complete with cigar rolling, and taste some fabulous appetizers, desserts and of course award-winning Helwig wine! Experience Sacramento region’s newest venue just 45 minutes away in the heart of Amador’s wine country. Cocktail attire requested.
$45 per person for those who pre-register online, or $50 per person at the door.
For more information, log on to helwigwinery.com

The Bridal Expo
July 8, 2012, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Rancho Murieta Country Club in Rancho Murieta
Fun, exhibits, samples, prizes, fashions and more.
$20 Admission or $15 if you register online in advance.
For more information, log on to bridal-expos.com

Wedding & Event Faire at Carvalho Family Winery at Old Sugar Mill
July 12, 2012, 6 – 9 p.m.
Carvalho Family Winery at Old Sugar Mill in Clarksburg
Enjoy over 40 wedding & special event vendors. Food, wine tasting, music, florists, photographers and special promotions.
$10 admission or join the VIP list by emailing Marnie@carvalhofamilywinery.com. Tell her the Real Weddings Magazine sent you.
For more information, log on to, carvalhofamilywinery.com

An Evening of Elegance Bridal Expo
July 18, 2012, 5 – 9 p.m.
Elite Event Centre’s Vizcaya Pavilion & Mansion in Sacramento
Fun, exhibits, samples, prizes, fashions and more.
$20 Admission or $15 if you register online in advance.
For more information, log on to bridal-expos.com

The Folsom Bridal Show
August 26, 2012, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Lake Natoma Inn in Folsom
An intimate bridal show featuring top wedding professionals.
$10 admission or free if you register online in advance.
For more information, log on to folsombridalshow.com

The Elk Grove Bridal Show
September 20, 2012 at Elk Grove Event Center, Elk Grove. 3 – 6 p.m., admission is free, and be sure to pre-register for free pre-printed labels! Start planning your stress free wedding at “the best little bridal show.”
For more information, log on to elkgrovebridalshow.com.

Lavish & Fabulous: A Couture Bridal Event
October 25, 2012, 7-10 p.m.
Arden Hills Resort Club & Spa in Sacramento
Presented by Fearon May Events and Arden Hills Resort Club & Spa in association with Real Weddings Magazine, this event is one not to be missed! Enjoy fashion, food and fabulous vendors.
$15 Admission.
For more information, log on to lavishandfabulous.com

Brides, don’t forget to bring your labels so it’s easier for you to enter all the great giveaways, and don’t forget to tell the event producer when you register that you’re a Real Weddings Bride! See you at these events!

Do you have the new Real Weddings Magazine iPhone and iPad App?

Check out the Real Weddings Contest Page! Great bridal loot for real Sacramento-area brides!

Subscribe to the Real Weddings Magazine Blog!

Here’s the scoop!

Pink Power Hour:  May 18, 2012 from 9-11 a.m. – Attend the Pink Power Hour Event and be among the first brides in the Sacramento area to browse through more than 1,000 exquisite name brand and designer wedding gowns! Purchasing a $20 Pink Power Hour ticket gives you access to browse and purchase the dresses for two hours ahead of the general admission!

Charity Wedding Gown Dress Dash General Admission:  May 18, 2012 from 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.

Location:  Lyons Gate Hotel, 3410 Westover Street in Sacramento (McClellan)

For more information and to register, click here!

Photo courtesy of Brides Against Breast Cancer.

Check out the Real Weddings Contest Page! Great bridal loot for real Sacramento-area brides!

Subscribe to the Real Weddings Magazine Blog!

The Couple:  Patricia and Daniel Anderson

Wedding Date:  September 10, 2011, which was exactly four years since we started dating.

Photography by Justin Buettner Photography

Tell us a little about you and your beloved:  We were both born and raised in Grass Valley. We met at the Nevada County Fair through mutual friends. We went on a few dates and have been inseparable ever since. We enjoy spending time outside, having BBQs, going to the movies or just cuddling up on the couch.

What was the most amazing part of your day?  The whole day was amazing, but seeing all of our great family and friends cutting a rug on the dance floor was very memorable.

What else would you like to share about your big day?  It was just as we had pictured and we had a blast. After the big day, a lot of our friends and family told us that our wedding was one of the most fun weddings they had ever attended.

Ceremony & Reception Site:  Kissler Ranch

Photographer:  Justin Buettner Photography

Videographer:  Our photographer was nice enough to make a little video for us, but we didn’t have a videographer.

Caterer:  Emily’s Catering and Cakes

Cake:  The bride’s Aunt Becky made a yummy spice cake as well as a white cake with raspberry filling, both had cream cheese frosting. It was a warm day, so the cake started leaning, but thank goodness, didn’t fall over before we all could enjoy it.

Flowers:  Grass Valley Florist

Wedding Dress & Bridesmaid Dresses:  David’s Bridal

Hair:  Sarah Manoguerra from Forever Vivid Salon

Makeup:  Jaclyn Murray, Bridesmaid

Invitations:  SRC Party Center

DJ:  Mountain Event Productions

Honeymoon location:  Riviera Maya, Mexico at an all exclusive resort.

Any other of your wedding vendor(s) you’d like to call out?  No vendors per se, but to our wonderful families for helping setting up our wedding, e.g. tables, chairs, centerpieces. As well as cleaning up afterward, so we didn’t have to worry about it.

First Dance Song:  ”You & Me” by Lifehouse

Any advice you’d give to our readers who are planning their weddings right now?  Try not to stress out while planning your wedding. Ask for help, because you will be surprised by how many family members and friends would love to be part of your big day.

Anything that you would have done differently if you were given the chance?  The whole day and night went perfectly, but it would have been nice to have a photo booth.

Photos courtesy of Justin Buettner Photography.

Check out the Real Weddings Contest Page! Great bridal loot for real Sacramento-area brides!

Subscribe to the Real Weddings Magazine Blog!

Mark Badgley and James Mischka submitted a sketch of a classic, vintage-inspired gown (left) to PEOPLE magazine. “[Something] like this would be perfect for Angelina,” they say. “Its beaded bodice would give her just the right amount of sparkle, and the fitted tulle skirt with godets makes it elegant and totally glamorous.”

The ever-romantic Monique Lhuillier had a different vision, sketching a Chantilly lace gown with a beautiful V-neckline, low back and high slit (center). “Angie has style,” she tells PEOPLE. “She takes a classic look and adds a sultry, sexy edge and makes it her own.”

Perhaps that classic look is what Reem Acra went for, then; the Lebanese designer says she envisions Jolie in a body-skimming ivory satin gown complete with a dramatic embellishment at the shoulder (right).

Very interesting predictions. I’m going out on a limb and forecasting a non-white or ivory dress…maybe a deep red or even black. Angelina’s never been one to be traditional in her choices. What do you think she’s wear to exchange vows with Brad? Let us know in your comments.

Blog post by Always a Bridesmaid Columnist Darren Elms.

Photos Courtesy: Badgley Mischka; Monique Lhuillier; Reem Acra; Inset: AP.

Do you have the new Real Weddings Magazine iPhone and iPad App?

Check out the Real Weddings Contest Page! Great bridal loot for real Sacramento-area brides!

Subscribe to the Real Weddings Magazine Blog!

The Couple:  Jennifer and Christopher Tredennick

Wedding Date:  October 29, 2011

Photography by Lexigraphics Photography

Tell us a little about you and your beloved:  Christopher is a computer engineer working for Hewlett Packard and I (Jennifer) am a freelance court reporter. We dated for a year and a half before we got engaged, and we are proud to say we planned our wedding in five months.

The story about how we met is pretty fun. Jennifer’s younger sister, Heather White, went to University of the Pacific in Stockton with Christopher. Heather had become friends with several people in Christopher’s fraternity at UOP and eventually befriended Christopher as well. Heather went to visit Christopher at his home in Santa Clara one weekend while she was driving through town where he treated her to – apparently – an absolutely memorable dinner where he prepared cheese meatballs. Heather visited her sister Jennifer a week later and reported with enthusiasm, “Jennifer, I have someone I really would like to introduce you to. He makes amazing meatballs.” Eventually, an introduction was arranged with a gathering of mutual friends, and Christopher and Jennifer were attached from that moment forward. Heather’s inclination was spot-on while trusting her match-making intuition.

What was the most amazing part of your day?  Well, of course, it was spectacular to get to marry a man that I admire, love and respect so much. But one of my favorite and most memorable parts of the wedding was when it came time to feed cake to each other. My husband cut a bite out of the slice we had cut together, and looked at me, and without hesitation, gulped down the piece of cake without a second thought. Christopher is a huge cake enthusiast and actually picked out the flavors for the wedding cake, so it was completely appropriate that he would get so caught up in his enthusiasm about eating cake that he’d forget to feed it to his bride first. When discussed later, Chris exclaimed, “You practice every other part of the wedding, but we never practiced feeding cake to each other. We hardly even talked about it. You can’t really blame me, right?”

What else would you like to share about your big day?  Our mantra for planning our wedding and wedding day was the following:  We have two goals for this wedding: We want to get married and have a really fun party.

We abandoned the goals of perfection for our day and encouraged everyone in our family and bridal party to abandon it also. As long as we ended up married at the end of the day amongst all those we love and adore, that’s all we could hope for. I am so grateful we adopted this attitude and would give every bride and groom the same advice.

Remember that the day is about celebrating the commitment and vows you’re making public, it’s not about the pomp and circumstance, and it will not be perfect. We put our faith and trust into great vendors and a wonderful venue; we delegated our wishes out to friends and family; and our wedding came together so wonderfully and we had SUCH A BLAST! Hold on loosely to the details and perfections, what is important at the end of the day is that you’re married to the love of your life.

I was also so humbled by all the amazing people who were eager to offer up their talents and gifts to help us with our amazing wedding. My mom, Charlene White, and “second mom” Heidi Leveroni spent hours planning and putting together a beautiful candy buffet as a gift to us; two women who have been doing my hair since I was a young girl insisted on offering up their skills for my special day and helped make me and all my loved ones look stunning. A long-time family friend — who works for Renfro’s bridal shop in Placerville and has been doing alterations on all my special-occasion dresses since my eighth grade graduation — did an absolutely spectacular bustling alteration and dress alteration to help me feel beautiful on my perfect day. Christopher’s parents threw an absolutely generous and amazing Texas-style rehearsal dinner for all the bridal and extended families, which ended up being about 100 people in total. The groomsmen and bridesmaids were so supportive and loving, they were drama-free and couldn’t have been more helpful. We are so grateful and humbled about how much love was showered on us, and we are so grateful for everyone’s contributions.

Ceremony & Reception Site, & Caterer:  Lake Natoma Inn. We selected the Lake Natoma Inn in Old Folsom. It was so convenient and we were very happy with our choice. We had about 2/3 of our guests coming from out of town or out of state, so we chose a location where no one would have to drive anywhere for anything. They could stay at the hotel and walk to anything we needed. Old Folsom had a lot of fun fall activities going on during the weekend, and the ambiance of the town, restaurants and shopping was great for everyone. It was so convenient, and no one had to worry about driving anywhere if they didn’t want to. The staff at Lake Natoma Inn were great, and we can’t say enough about how easy they made everything and how reasonably priced they were.

Photographer:  Lexigraphics Photography. We loved working with them. A dear friend of ours recommended them to us, and it was a great recommendation. The fact that they’re a husband-and-wife team made it so easy to work with them because they could divide up on the day of the wedding and work with the groomsmen and bridesmaids. You hardly noticed they were there unless you wanted to talk to them. They were so sweet and supportive, I can’t say enough about them.

Cake:  Cakes by Angie. Our cake was made by Angie Cain, and we got raving reviews about how it was the best cake that people had had at a wedding. It was very moist and so yummy. Our flavors were chocolate chip cake with peanut butter butter cream filling, and white cake with Oreo butter cream filling.

Flowers:  Camino Flower Shop. Dottie was so fun to work with, and you can really see her enthusiasm and artistic abilities shine through her beautiful flower arrangements. I would highly recommend her.

Favors:  I dipped Oreos in chocolate as party favors for my guests. This was a surprisingly uncomplicated process and I really had a lot of fun doing it. It was a very inexpensive way to send party favors with our guests, and it was nice that it had a personal touch to it. We also had a candy bar.

Wedding Dress:  Renfro’s Bridal. All the dresses were so reasonably priced compared to all the other dress shops we’d gone to, and the service was so much better. I did all of my other shopping in Bay Area bridal shops, and the service I got at Renfro’s was so much more genuine and enjoyable.

Bridesmaid Dresses:  David’s Bridal

Hair:  My dear family friends, Lynda Frandsen and Eileen Skates-Gervasi, who are very gifted and talented hair stylists who did a magnificent job on my hair.

Makeup:  My gifted and talented, Whitney Egbert, (we’ve been friends since kindergarten) flew all the way from New York to help me with my makeup, and I had NO CLUE she was coming until I was getting my hair done on my wedding day. I was facing a wall while Lynda was doing my hair and all of a sudden I felt a pair of arms wrap around me and turned around to find my friend had flown in from New York for 48 hours to be at my wedding, and my husband was the only other person that knew about it. It was one of the most amazing surprises that day.

Invitations:  DIY from Vistaprint

DJ/Entertainment/Band:  Function 45. I cannot say enough about our experience with our DJ Steve Schon. We had more people comment on our DJ and how amazing he was than about almost any other part of our wedding. His selections in music were great, and he really took a decent amount of time to get to know Chris and me before our wedding, and he played a huge role in getting the guests up and grooving. He helped make it so much fun, and we are so grateful for what he did for us. Our first dance was literally magical with the creative touch he adds. He had Chris and me record audio messages about our feelings about each other, and then fused the messages throughout the song we chose for our first dance, I was in tears because they were some of the most tender words I’ve ever heard Chris say to me was during that recording. Steve was absolutely professional, and I am happily recommending him out anywhere and everywhere I can. He was worth every penny!

Honeymoon location:  Chris actually planned the whole honeymoon, and we spent a week on an island in Belize. Chris told me what to pack and how long to pack for, and I didn’t find out where our final destination was until we landed in Atlanta for our connecting flight to Belize. We stayed at an all-inclusive island in a thatch hut over the warm water, and we had a spectacular time. We got to snorkel four times, we went on a really fun river cruise, we toured the Mayan ruins, and the food and staff was amazing! The price was extremely reasonable as well.

First Dance Song:  ”When You Got A Good Thing” by Lady Antebellum

Anything that you would have done differently if you were given the chance?  We wish we would have had one more hour to dance. We tried to save money by having everything go from 5:30 – 10:00, and Chris and I hardly got to dance at all because we were talking with our guests so much.

Photos courtesy of Lexigraphics Photography.

Check out the Real Weddings Contest Page! Great bridal loot for real Sacramento-area brides!

Subscribe to the Real Weddings Magazine Blog!