Real Bride Friday | Sarah and Ryan

Wedding Date: June 6, 2025

Gown Designer: Martina Liana

Venue: The Schuman Residence, Algonac, MI

Photographer: Melody Carmody

Menswear: Men’s Warehouse Suit, Custom Topographic Tie: Kind Design

Florist/Venue Landscaping: Diane Schuman, Mother of the Groom & Mike Schuman, Father of the Groom

Makeup: Bride + Help from Maid of Honor and Sister in Law

Catering: Hero or Villain Food Truck, Michigan

Tailor: Jenna Gonzales Smith (Maid of Honor), Weta Workshop, New Zealand

Favorite part of your gown: “The corset bodice, the sparkles, and the delicate lace. I also asked my Maid of Honor to add Forget-Me-Not flowers into the back of my dress to represent Alaska and their significance of eternal love, fidelity, and remembrance.”

Why did you pick your dress: “I chose my gown because this is the one I felt most like a bride in and felt the most beautiful. “

The best part of the venue: “My husband’s parents spent over a year landscaping their property in preparation for our wedding, and the results were amazing! Now they get to spend their retired moments sipping their morning coffee under the pavilion we were married under.”

Why did you pick your venue: “When I first visited his family in Michigan, I actually pictured how nice it would be to have a small, elegant, but laid-back garden wedding at his parents' house. This occurred about 4 years before we got engaged, but my dream came true!”

Three words to describe your day: “Thoughtful, heartfelt, and relaxing”

Your inspiration for the wedding: “Bright, Colorful, Bridgerton Garden”

How you met: “Tinder, followed by 3.5 years of distance dating.”

How they proposed: “Ryan proposed in Belize on an island beach day. Right after I accepted and we started fishing, he caught three large fish immediately. We took it as a sign of nature’s approval.”

Real Bride Friday | Haley and Derek

Wedding Date: July 15th, 2023

Gown Designer: Stella York Bridal

Venue: Hamilton Farms

Photographer: Connor David Photography

DJ: 907 Entertainment

Menswear: Men’s Warehouse

Florist: The Teal Door

Makeup: Doll Face Lash and Beauty

Catering: Tacos Cancun

Tailor: Aggie’s Sewing Shop

Favorite part of your gown: “My gown was so comfortable, and I loved the long train and detail.”

Why did you pick your dress: “I chose my gown because I felt beautiful and comfortable. “

The best part of the venue: “I loved the bridal suit!”

Why did you pick your venue: “There was a lot of room for our large family to have a good time.”

Three words to describe your day: “Rainy, beautiful, and fun.”

Your inspiration for the wedding: “Classic and simple”

How you met: “Tinder”

How they proposed: “Derek proposed while we were camping on a four-wheeler trip. We were on top of a mountain with a beautiful view.”

Real Bride Friday | Caten and Hunter

Wedding Date: July 22nd, 2023

Gown Designer: Essense of Australia

Veil Designer: Bel Aire Bridal

Venue: Blue Lantern Lodge

Photographer/Videographer: The Wild and Beloved

DJ: DJ George

Hair and Makeup: Kyli Vay

Cake: AK Sugar Mama

Tailor: Aggie’s Sewing Shop

Favorite part of your gown: “The buttons down the back and the lace train”

Why did you pick your dress: “It flattered my figure like no other dress I tried on. And the buttons, of course!”

The best part of the venue: “Being right on the lake was incredible and so beautiful on the sunny summer day we had. Also, the large windows on the house made for some amazing pictures.”

Why did you pick your venue: “When I was a little girl, my grandma lived on Big Lake and I spent every weekend with her, making it a very special place to me. So, when we were looking for venues, I knew I wanted something on a lake. Little did I know I would find such a beautiful venue right on the lake I grew up on.”

Three words to describe your day: "Sunny, Pinterest perfect, FUN!”

How you met: “Hunter and I met through a mutual friend. We were all having lunch together and I was sharing that I had just bought new windshield wipers but was having trouble getting my old ones off. Right then and there, he offered to help me change my wipers in the parking lot. We ended up exchanging numbers and talking every day after that.”

How they proposed: “Hunter and I love snowboarding together. He took me to Alyeska for a day of riding, and popped the question at the top of the mountain. The cherry on top of it all was that he flew my best friend in from Washington to be there and photograph it.”

Any other fun memories / moments from the day: “Our exit was running down the dock and jumping into the lake. Our entire wedding party, a ton of guests, our DJ, and even our photographers jumped in after us! It was SO much fun!”

Real Bride Friday | Alicia and Richie

Wedding Date: August 12th, 2023

Gown Designer: Martina Liana

Veil Designer: Bel Aire Bridal

Venue: Hamilton Farms

Photographer: Lisa May

Wedding Planner/Coordinator: Kaylee Hartley

DJ: DJ Balque

Hair and Makeup: Glam by Cathy

Cake: Cake Studio

Favorite part of your gown: “Everything! It was everything I was looking for.”

Why did you pick your dress: "I had a vision in mind. This dress was the one that made me really see myself walking down the aisle.”

The best part of the venue: “The staff!”

Why did you pick your venue: “I really wanted a barn type venue. It was the first place we looked at and we fell in love with the owners and everything they represented.”

Three words to describe your day: “Amazing. Beautiful. Fun.”

Your inspiration for the wedding: “I was looking more for a rustic feel.”

How you met: “Tinder!”

How they proposed: “He proposed in booty country…. he put a ring in a shoe and made me try it on.”

Any other fun memories / moments from the day: “My son walked me down the aisle.”

Real Bride Friday | Kirsten and Kevin

Wedding Date: July 29th, 2023

Gown Designer: Martina Liana

Venue: Miller’s Landing

Photographer: Madelynn Mae Photography

Wedding Planner/Coordinator: Brindle Events

Band: Nervis Rex

Menswear: Studio Suits

Florist: Bloomsbury Blooms

Hair: Hoxie Hair

Makeup: Breon Denae Artistry

Catering: Motley Moo Creamery and Serrano's Mexican Grill

Tailor: The Wedding Seamstress (Colorado)

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Favorite part of your gown: “This was my party dress, so I loved that I cut it short!”

Why did you pick your dress: “It mirrored my ceremony dress, and I knew it would be so flirty and fun cut short.”

The best part of the venue: “The views”

Why did you pick your venue: “We wanted somewhere truly Alaskan and with the perfect outdoor views so we wouldn't need to decorate!”

Three words to describe your day: “Fun, Elegant, Intentional”

Your inspiration for the wedding: “Alaska”

How you met: “We met on Hinge and our first date at Westchester Lagoon.”

How they proposed: “Kevin proposed while on a hike with my best friend and our old dog, she was "taking a picture of us" when he popped the question.”

Any other fun memories/moments from the day: “Our kiddo was the life of the party, and Hank the Moose made an appearance.”

Real Bride Friday | Maria and Chris

Wedding Date: February 18th, 2023

Gown Designer: Private Label from Bateau Bridal Boutique

Venue: Church of the Holy Family and the National Infantry Museum in Georgia

Photographer/Videographer: Zach Veatch

Wedding Planner/Coordinator: Elle Dane with Belle Leroux

Band: Sweet Auburn String Band

Florist: Gloria Carson

Catering/Cake: How Sweet It Is

Tailor: TK Bridal and Alterations

Favorite part of your gown: “The lace and long sleeves”

Why did you pick your dress: “I imagined my husband seeing me in it for the first time and I knew once he did, he would be in awe.”

The best part of the venue: “For the church, it is a beautiful building but also represents what we aspire to be. For the venue, we loved cocktail hour outside.”

Why did you pick your venue: “It was a one stop shop for many things we wanted.”

Words to describe your day: “The best day of my life. I want to relive it.”

Your inspiration for the wedding: “Antique, warm, minimal”

How you met: “Through the Army in hot Arizona.”

How they proposed: “On a trip to Alaska, he took me and my parents to my favorite outlook cabin and proposed overlooking Hatcher Pass. My dad grabbed my phone before Chris proposed, and I thought that was odd because he never volunteers to take pictures. Then Chris asked me a very important question and that’s when I knew. Both my parents had tears in their eyes, they had never experienced or seen a modern proposal before us.”

Real Bride Friday | Delaney and Brandon

Wedding Date: June 17th, 2023

Gown Designer: Martina Liana

Veil Designer: Bel Aire Bridal

Bridesmaids Gowns: Sorella Vita from Bateau Bridal

Venue: AK Diamond J Ranch

Photographer: Joshua Veldstra

Videographer: Haley Jay Media

Wedding Planner/Coordinator: Dacia Cunningham

DJ: Fractal Theory Productions

Menswear: Men’s Warehouse, Generation Tux, and Bateau Bridal Boutique for the ties

Florist: Tundra Rose Designs

Hair: Sage Hair Co (Cara Gibbons)

Makeup: Jenna Bakk

Catering: Promethean Cuisine

Cake: Sugar Mountain Cupcakes

Tailor: Bella and Beyond

Favorite part of your gown: “The train!”

Why did you pick your dress: “I put it on and instantly felt like it was the one. I felt beautiful wearing it.”

The best part of the venue: “The beautiful scenery.”

Why did you pick your venue: “I loved how magical it felt.”

Three words to describe your day: “Romantic. Whimsical. Elegant”

Your inspiration for the wedding: “I loved muted pink and cream tones and went from there. I wanted a romantic feeling about everything.”

How you met: “We met in 8th grade!”

How they proposed: “He proposed with a golden Easter egg that my daughter found, but the surprise was for me.”

Any other fun memories/moments from the day: “Spending the night dancing with our closest friends from near and far.”

Real Bride Friday | Carolina and Jason

Vow Renewal Date: August 8th, 2023

Gown Designer: Stella York Bridal

Venue: Hawaiian Beach

Photographer: Tetiana Me Photography

Favorite part of your gown: “The complete surprise in my Husband’s eyes.”

Why did you pick your dress: “Long story long… our ceremony was a renewal of vows; 25 years of marriage. At first I purchased a casual champagne dress, something casual and simple. In my mind we had already had our wedding day years ago… however my husband had more special plans. The day before traveling to Hawaii for our family vacation and vow renewal my husband asked about my wedding dress. And to my surprise he was very disappointed that I hadn’t purchase a full wedding gown. In a scramble to surprise my husband to show him how special our vow renewal truly was to me I called Tara in a panic. What a beautiful experience it turned out to be because with in a few hours she had me at her shop trying on dresses. It was surreal to find a dress in such a rush. It fit me perfectly… it was stunning. But the truly heart stopping moment was when I walked down the beach and my husband did a double take. He was shocked to see at after all I did have a truly stunning wedding gown that match the sentiment of our special vow renewal day.”

The best part of the venue: “Open beautiful skies; with a gentle breeze. Best sunset in the big island.”

Three words to describe your day: “25 years of Love.”

Your inspiration for the wedding: “Hawaii is our home away from home. It’s where we hope to some day retire. The beach, the sunsets and the breeze… we wanted a Hawaiian ceremony that would encompass all those things.”

How you met: “We met in September of 1997 at the Lucky Wishbone. We soon started dating and before the year was over we were married with a very intimate small wedding with family and friends. This year we celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary and to mark the occasion we renewed our vows by the sea as a family. Hawaii holds a special place in our hearts and we wanted to have our children be part of our commitment of love; not just to one another but to our family.”

Any other fun memories / moments from the day: “My most heart felt memory is how our children reacted. Emma is 10 years old and in mid ceremony she was sobbing. Really big tears. I reached for her and she tells me: mom don’t worry these are happy tears. Really happy tears. Then I look at our son Nicholas who is 13 years old and he too had tears down his face. In a much more serious way he wiped his face and says: I may or may not be crying. In that moment I knew that both our kids were true witnesses to our love and our life together. And they understood what our vow renewal truly meant.”

Real Bride Friday | Raegan and John

Wedding Date: June 2nd, 2023

Gown Designer: Private Label from Bateau Bridal Boutique

Veil Designer: Jaclyn Jordan

Venue: Veil and Vine

Photographer: Thistle Creek Photography

Videographer: Jaron Mobley

Wedding Planner/Coordinator: Forest and Fern

DJ: APE Entertainment

Hair and Makeup: Kate Yagle

Catering/Cake: Veil and Vine

Tailor: Aggie’s Sewing Shop

Favorite part of your gown: “I loved the pockets, floral detail, and the champagne undertone that it had.”

Why did you pick your dress: “When I put it on, I felt like a princess.”

The best part of the venue: “The view!!”

Why did you pick your venue: “The view and the pavilion made this the perfect wedding venue for us!”

Three words to describe your day: “Lovely, Beautiful, Perfect.”

How you met: “John and I met at our church youth group.”

How they proposed: “John proposed at Flat Top Mountain, which is where is parents were married.”

Real Bride Friday | Rachel and Josiah

Wedding Date: August 14th, 2023

Gown Designer: Stella York Bridal

Veil and Hairpiece Designer: Bel Aire Bridal

Venue: A Local Church

Photographer: Lloyd Pikok Jr

Florist: Rachel did her own flowers

Makeup: Rachel’s Sister did her makeup

Cake: Laurie Serino

Favorite part of your gown: “I loved that the gown was simple.”

Why did you pick your dress: “This gown was everything that I had imagined for my wedding day.”

The best part of the venue: “We were married in the church that I grew up in.”

Three words to describe your day: “Loving, Memorable, Outstanding”

How you met: “Josiah and I met in school.”