Posts Tagged ‘Inspiration Board’

The Couple:  Heather & TJ DeGrace

Wedding Date:  May 29, 2011

Photography by Grandeur Photography

Tell us a little about you and your beloved:  TJ and I are best friends! We got together in August of 2002. We were both 14 years old and in high school, and have been together ever since…high school sweethearts to be exact!

We both say we knew right from the beginning that we were meant for one another. We were “so in love!” We had big dreams. Who would have thought that nine years later we’d actually be married? It is the best feeling ever!

To have and to hold, to cherish and to love your best friend and boyfriend/girlfriend since you were young is something that not many people get to say now days. We feel so blessed to have one another, and we are beyond excited for the many wonderful years to come!

What was the most amazing part of your day?  The entire day was wonderful! We could not really say any moment was any better than another, but it was truly amazing to be able to share such a meaningful and special event with all of the people who have loved and supported us since day one.

The smiles and tears of joy meant so much to us! Seeing each other, and seeing our friends and family, having a great time was just breathtaking! We will never forget that feeling. We have some of the best friends and family anyone could ever wish for!

What else would you like to share about your big day?  The entire day was just beautiful! It was everything we had ever dreamed of and more! Thanks Mom! Love you! xoxo

Ceremony & Reception Site:  The Dante Club

Photographer:  Grandeur Photography

Cake:  Rick’s Dessert Diner-Yum! The best cake we have ever had (besides my mom’s). We had four different flavors because it too hard to choose!

Flowers:  The Blossom Shop. Our flowers were just beautiful! Everyone loved them and still talk about how gorgeous they were. That says a lot!

Favors:  We had a candy table theme “Love is Sweet” with bags that said “All You Need is Love…And Candy”

Wedding Dress:  David’s Bridal

Bridesmaid Dresses:  David’s Bridal

Hair & Makeup:  Bri from the Atrium Salon in Granite Bay. She did a fabulous job and has a ton of experience!

Invitations:  The American Wedding Album

DJ/Entertainment/Band:  Music & More Entertainment. Bryan was awesome and totally had it covered. We did not have to say a word!

Photo Booth:  Annie’s Photo Booth. It came with a scrapbook and all. Loved it!

Honeymoon location:  Maui. We had a blast! I would recommend this as a honeymoon spot to anyone!

Any other of your wedding vendor(s) you’d like to call out?  We had “Save-the-Date” magnets made and they were great! We ordered them from Magnet Queen.

First Dance Song:  “I Thought I Loved You Then” by Brad Paisley

Any advice you’d give to our readers who are planning their weddings right now?  Don’t sweat the small stuff! Assign large tasks to only a couple of close friends or relatives who will work together with you to get the job done the way you would like.

Also, be up front and let your vendors know exactly what you want and how you want things to be done. Always remember it is your one big day, but at the same time stay true to who you are and don’t get caught in the “Bridezilla” shoes! Smile and don’t look down when you walk down the aisle. This will be the best day of your life!!!

Anything that you would have done differently if you were given the chance?  If I could have done anything differently, I would have shortened the length of the songs for the one-on-one dances. They are very important and a wonderful tradition, but you can only watch someone dance for so long. If we would have done this, we would have had more time for dancing, celebrating and partying with our guests. That’s it!

Photos courtesy of Grandeur Photography.

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The Couple:  Megan Schieberl and Tyler Franklin

Wedding Date:   July 31, 2010

Photography by:  Capture Photography

Tell us a little about you and your beloved:  Tyler and I have known each other for about 10 years. We first met when I was in high school, and he was going to college at Sonoma State. He had started working for my dad’s company, and we became friends and went on a few dates. Because of our three-year age difference we were in very different places in our lives and a relationship would not have worked. However, we remained friends over the years and would hang out occasionally. Then about three years ago we began talking on the phone often, and Tyler came to Santa Rosa and surprised me with a romantic dinner. After that I spent a weekend with him at his house in Roseville, and we have been together ever since.

A few months after we started dating Tyler decided to move to Santa Rosa so we could live together and about 18 months later on September 30, 2009, Tyler surprised me with a stretch limo and Dom Perignon champagne. We went to the executive terminal at San Francisco airport and took a private helicopter ride all through San Francisco and even under the Golden Gate Bridge! He proposed right as the helicopter was lifting off the ground! It was so cute and well thought out. He was so nervous, he couldn’t get the ring out of the little black bag. It was the most perfect day.

We began planning our wedding right away and got married nine months later on July 31, 2010, at Vintners Inn in Santa Rosa.

What was the most amazing part of your day?  The special moment that our photographer Shellie set up for us was to see each other for the first time. We wanted to take a lot of our photos before the wedding so we could be a part of our cocktail hour, but we still wanted it to be a special moment. She set it up so Tyler was at the end of this path right in front of the vineyards with his hands over his eyes, and I walked down the path and said his name when I was right in front of him. When he took his hand off of his eyes and we saw each other for the first time it was so special. We then were able to have a moment alone and walk along the path. It was so nice I wouldn’t do it any differently and the photos turned out beautifully.

What else would you like to share about your big day? We both really wanted to write our own vows as well as say the traditional vows. It was great to be able to tell each other how we felt about each other in our own words in front of everyone we love. We also added a rose ceremony to our wedding ceremony which made it more personal. And, we were lucky enough to have my uncle marry us which made the ceremony that much more special.

Ceremony Site and Reception Venue:  Vintners Inn

Photographer:  Capture Photography

Videographer:  Well Spun Wedding Films

Wedding Planner:  Tyler and I planned most of it with help from my mom and sister. But I did have a day of coordinator, Patty Forget.

Caterer:  Vintners Inn

Cake:  Patisserie Angelica

Flowers:  Patty Cakes Catering

Favors:  DIY

Wedding Dress:  AIRE Barcelona from Diamond Bridal Gallery

Bridesmaids Dresses: Alfred Angelo from Brides ‘n Maids

Hair and Make-up: Lauthr Salon

Invitations: DIY

DJ/Entertainment:  AMS Entertainment

Honeymoon Location:  Playa Del Carmen Mexico

First Dance Song: “The Best is Yet to Come” By Frank Sinatra

Any advice you’d give to our readers who are planning their weddings right now? Don’t sweat the small stuff and enjoy every minute especially the day of because it really does go by so fast. Also I would really recommend seeing each other before [the ceremony]. It took away a lot of the stress and made it so that we could enjoy our cocktail and get all of the great photos that we wanted.

Anything that you would have done differently if you were given the chance?  The only thing I would do differently is I would have spent more time going over things with our DJ. We did a slide show, and he ended up messing up two of the songs, but in the end only Tyler and I noticed. All in all it really was the perfect day!!

Photo courtesy of Capture Photography.

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The Couple:  Vanessa and Greg 

Wedding Date:  October 17, 2010 

Photography by:  Shepard Photography 

Tell us a little about you and your beloved:  The truth is…we met in jail :) What a great story to tell our kids, right?! Greg and I both worked at the same location and had a shift together for no more than an hour. The first time we hung out was for a celebration for him and two others who got new jobs. That night, we hit it off and have been together ever since. We make an amazing team! I joke that it was “love at first sight” whhen we first found out we both had annual passes to Disneyland. 

For Valentine’s Day 2010 we decided to keep it low key. We really needed to organize our garage so we had planned to do that all weekend. Greg and I were planning a trip to the snow the following weekend, and we had completed the purchase of my snow outfit on Saturday. He wanted me to try everything on to make sure I didn’t need anything else. So, I rolled out of bed, put on my snow pants, my new snow boots and headed downstairs to try on the rest. Greg and I went in to the garage to find my snow gloves and to try on my gaiters. I put on my snow gloves which prompted Greg to ask, “What are those?” I said “my gloves” and then I took them off. Greg said “then what are these?” as he pointed to another pair of gloves. I had no idea who they belonged to but he was insistent that I try them on! So I put the right hand on and said they fit. Greg asked me to put the left hand on, and I couldn’t figure out why he was being so difficult about these gloves. Well, I put my left hand in and my finger touched something… “A BUG!!!!” I shouted while removing the glove and shaking it vigorously so the “bug” fell out. Let me tell you, it was a VERY shiny bug. I dug through the box it landed in and realized it wasn’t a bug; it was a beautiful engagement ring! If I would have paid any attention I would have realized Greg was on one knee the entire time. He asked me to marry him, I said yes, and the rest is history! 

What was the most amazing part of your day?  Being surrounded by our closest friends and family. It rained that day and our venue did the most amazing job moving us inside, and it couldn’t have worked out better. The atmosphere was so intimate and we could feel the love, excitement and joy of our guests. 

What else would you like to share about your big day?  Greg and I have a lot of personality, and it was important to us that we had humor as a part of our day. From the jokes during the ceremony, to the granny panties wrapped around the garter, to the “Just Married” Disneyland buttons we wore during the reception…it was a blast! 

Ceremony and Reception Site:  The Grand Island Mansion 

Photographer: Chris Shepard, Shepard Photography 

Caterer:  on-site and absolutely delicious! It was the first wedding I’ve attended where everyone was too busy eating and not chatting with the bride and groom. We were able to eat a full meal and visit with each other while people went back for seconds and thirds. The guests were extremely pleased with the food and the cake. 

Cake:  On site and fabulous! 

Flowers:  Party Petals 

Wedding Dress:  Alfred Angelo 

Bridesmaid Dresses:  David’s Bridal 

Hair:  Kitty Coppin, Shear Magic 

Makeup:  Morgan Macek, Chiara Bella 

Invitations:  Wedding Paper Divas 

DJ/Entertainment/Band:  Lakeside Sounds 

Honeymoon location:  Princess Cruise – 10 day Eastern Caribbean 

Any other of your wedding vendor(s) you’d like to call out?  Our officiant (Lori Levisen with Loving Celebrations) was absolutely amazing!!! We have to mention her! She reminded us of the fairy godmother from Cinderella. All of our guests commented on how wonderful she was!  

First Dance Song:  “You’re my Everything” Nat King Cole 

Any advice you’d give to our readers who are planning their weddings right now?   Make sure your day reflects you and your fiancee because these memories will last a lifetime. We connected with all of our vendors and we couldn’t have asked for a better crew. It is so important to have a rapport with them because they are what set the tone for your day. Planning a wedding can be very stressful but if you are in this together you can make the most out of it. Have date nights with your fiancee and do not speak of the wedding…it’s important to keep your sanity and romance through such a hectic process. 

Anything that you would have done differently if you were given the chance?  Not a thing :) 

Photo courtesy of Shepard Photography.  

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The Couple:  Alicia and Tyler Thomson

Wedding Date:  October 17, 2009

Photography by Jodi Yorston Photography

Tell us a little about you and your beloved:  My husband and I went to high school together but never hung out. We started hanging out through a mutual friend after high school and things just started going from there.

I went away to school for a year but came back after not liking the school. Our relationship started to get stronger from there, and we dated for about  five and a half years. Long story short, he asked me to marry him, and we got married a year later!

We have been together for about seven years now, and I couldn’t imagine my life any different. I found my best friend, my soul mate, the person who completely understands me and loves me for me, and I love him for him. We can be completely goofy or out of control together and feel like we don’t have a care in the world. Life is good.

What was the most amazing part of your day?  I would say the most amazing part of the day was just seeing all the people who came out to celebrate our wedding. It was so great seeing people that we haven’t seen for a while and quickly catching up and dancing the night away with all of our family and friends. Of course it was awesome when we said “I do” as well.

What else would you like to share about your big day?  A funny thing happened during our ceremony. My husband and I were going through all the typical ceremony things and in the middle of it all, he leaned over and kissed me, before we were pronounced husband and wife.

I replied with “You’re not supposed to kiss me yet!” to which he replied “I don’t care!” It had everyone laughing and it eased my nerves as we were standing there in front of everyone going through the rest of the ceremony. I will never forget that!

Ceremony Site:  The Old Sugar Mill

Reception Venue:  The Old Sugar Mill

Photographer: Jodi Yorston Photography

Videographer:  My family

Cake:  We had a chocolate fountain that we coordinated through our caterer in lieu of a cake.

Flowers:  The Right Touch Florist

Favors:  We had frosted Chinese take out boxes empty with a candy bar for people to fill them with whichever candy they desired.

Wedding Dress:  PW Jitters

Bridesmaid Dresses:  PW Jitters

Hair:  Image Provocateur

Makeup:  Image Provocateur

Invitations:  DIY

DJ/Entertainment:  Sound Image Entertainment

Honeymoon location:  We went to Disneyland to just relax after the wedding, but we are planning our real honeymoon now which is a three week trip to Europe.

First Dance Song:  “Then” by Brad Paisley

Any advice you’d give to our readers who are planning their weddings right now?  I would say to not sweat the small stuff. You think it is so important when you are in the moment trying to get everything done, but, really, no one notices. Everyone is just so happy to be celebrating your day, no one cares (or knows) that the napkins are one shade lighter than you wanted them to be.

Anything that you would have done differently if you were given the chance?  I would probably have gotten a professional videographer. Don’t get me wrong, my family did an awesome job capturing the moments for us, but I still have not put them all together to have an actual DVD of the day. They are just clips sitting on my computer. I just wish it was all done for me already.

Photos courtesy of  Jodi Yorston Photography

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The Couple:  Maureen and John Ball

Wedding Date:   August 6, 2010

Photography by Fiorillo Photography

Tell us a little about you and your beloved:  Hmmmm, where to start……many say our love is meant to be, and we couldn’t agree more!

We met about twelve years ago and not too long after we fell in love and never stopped. We went our separate ways for a few years but stayed friends.

Shortly after getting back together, John proposed. There were a few scenarios on how it was going to happen. But with all the excitement after picking up the ring it happened sooner than planned. We came home Saturday night on December 12, and as we were getting ready for bed John started looking in his drawer and acting suspicious. I thought it was kind of weird given that we talked about marriage and agreed to wait a year or two so I didn’t expect a ring. I wanted to think that it was going to happen but instead thought that he was giving me my Christmas present early since I told him about a pair of Tiffany’s earrings I wanted. As he turned around from his drawer, an open box with the ring in hand, he said “will you marry me?” The only answer I had was of course “YES” and my eyes filled up with tears. From that day on it’s been even more wonderful.

We both knew that we were the only ones for each other because of the strong bond that we’ve shared no matter what, and we only imagined spending the rest of our lives together. So the saying that goes “if you love something, let it go, and if it comes back to you it’s meant to be.” We are a perfect example that this saying is true.

What was the most amazing part of your day?   It goes without saying that the best part of the day was when we finally got to see each other at the altar, and when we both said I Do. We didn’t see each other or speak all day which made it that much more exciting.

What else would you like to share about your big day?   We were really excited about our venue because of the balcony where we had our first dance. It was an exciting part of our reception and something we felt that set our wedding apart from others. Having our first dance on the balcony also surprised most of our guest because only a few people knew about it. So when we were announced everyone was expecting us to come out after the bridal party on the floor until the spot light shined on us on the balcony and the DJ told everyone to look up. It was an amazing first dance!

Ceremony and Reception Site:  Corinthian Grand Ballroom

Photographer:  Fiorillo Photography

Videographer:  Major Diamond Productions

Caterer:  Corinthian Grand Ballroom 

Cake:  Cake Expressions

Flowers:  Citti’s Florist

Favors:  CD’s (DIY by the Bride)

Wedding Dress:  Maggie Sottero

Bridesmaid Dresses:  David’s Bridal

Hair:  Kalani Style

Makeup:  Kalani Style 

Invitations:  By the Bride (I purchased the boxed invitations from Michael’s and added some of my own changes)

DJ:  DJ Erubei with Sounds in Motion

Any other of your wedding vendor(s) you’d like to call out?  Our Officiant – Bride’s Uncle

We were honored to have my Uncle Jesse perform our ceremony. He is one who I admire in the way he lives his life as an individual, a husband and a father. Having people like him and my aunt to look up to when it comes to how a marriage and family is nurtured helped me in knowing exactly what I wanted in my marriage.

First Dance Song:  “These Are the Moments” by Edwin McCain

Any advice you’d give to our readers who are planning their weddings right now?   While it’s a good idea to take the opinions of those important people in your life, it’s more important to plan and have the wedding that the bride and groom want. Both John and I had the wedding we wanted, we did it our way and would do it all over again the same way.

The two most important things to us in our wedding was our photographer and videographer. They are the two vendors who can take us back to our special day. We’ve been very happy and thankful to have found both to share our day with. So splurge as much as you can on the things that are most important to you.

Anything that you would have done differently if you were given the chance?  We would’ve set aside more time for pictures during the day with family members, the bridal party and special people.

Photos courtesy of Fiorillo Photography.

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