I am in love with Michelle and Arby's wedding! Not only did half of it take place at the gorgeous Ceresville Mansion, but it was a day full of so much heart. Yes, of course, weddings are supposed to have a lot of love involved, but Michelle and Arby are different. They are exceptionally calming individuals with such an incredible warmth to them.  To be honest, I knew these two were going to be a dream when I read what Arby had to say about Michelle. His words to describe when he knew Michelle was THE ONE are truly poetic. It was one of those moments where it just kinda hits you like a ton of bricks, out of the blue. We were walking in Baker Park on a beautiful summer afternoon. I remember looking at her, seeing the soft glow of sunshine light up her face and hair in a way I hadn't seen before, and realizing just how lucky I was to have her in my life. At that point everything that was nebulous about my future, about who I was supposed to be and be with, crystallized and became clear. That day I saw her in a different light, both figuratively and literally, and she's been my dream girl ever since! CHILLS, right?! If that doesn't tell you that these two are magic, I don't know what will. Every element of their day was absolutely beautiful. Their ceremony at St. Katharine Drexel Catholic Church, which was...

The most important thing in any wedding is, of course, the couple. Celebrating their love and sharing it with family and friends is a fabulous gift. However, for Erin and Chris's day at Dulany's Overlook, there were two people that mattered just as much as the couple: Chris's sons, Reece and Carson. It was a truly special moment watching these four seal their bond during the ceremony, and continue to do so during the reception. There's a deep love that each of them shares with each other, and getting to witness that was the highlight of our season. Also, Reece and Carson continue to be the most respectful brothers I've seen! Before I get to the parts of the day that made me cry like a baby, I first want to talk about the hard work this bridal party put into Erin and Chris's day. This group really put time, effort, and a lot of love into making sure the wedding was sheer perfection. Of course, there was the coordinator at Dulany's Overlook who was also completely brilliant. But this collection of friends and family went above and beyond. Their hustle for the setup totally paid off, too. The decor was absolutely stunning, with burgundy and sage being their main colors. Erin said that it fits in so well with the fall season, but also has a little touch of winter to it, which I totally agree with!  The day may have been relatively chilly (the first signs of...

Hi everyone, Shawn here! As the weather warms up and wedding season commences, there is a lot of excitement for the couples beginning their life together. Most of the responsibility for a successful big day - including happy guests - falls on the shoulders of the bride and groom (and hopefully a select few who are tasked to delegate). However, in pretty much any wedding, there is an event where the loving friends and family have a chance to give back: speeches. I know that speech preparation varies from person to person, with some planning ahead and printing out several pages of amazing content, and other individuals waiting until the day of to give a more dynamic presentation (of which I am guilty). Through my personal experience giving speeches as a best man and a groom, as well as witnessing countless speeches, here are some recommendations I've gathered to make the best possible speech for a wedding. This applies to bridesmaids or groomsmen nervously preparing words, fathers or mothers expressing joy, or brides and grooms who want to politely aid (or warn) one of their upcoming speakers.   1. Set the Mood through Structure Weddings are very sentimental events, since they mark a huge point in the lives of the couple. But that doesn't mean they can't be a lot of fun, too! A wedding speech balances a fine line between the sincerity of the moment with the lighthearted fun of the celebration. Preferably, speeches capture both of these...

Guests liven up a wedding like no other. From emotions during the ceremony to wobble skills during the reception, guests add an extra layer of fun to any day. However, before the wedding, it can be a little daunting coordinating for all the attendees. There's addresses to gather, families to figure out, and seating charts to map to maximize everyone's enjoyment. I know from my own experiences that it can be exhausting, but the thing that worked for Shawn and me when taking them all on: set a cap on guests and hold strong to that number. For our wedding, Shawn and I decided that we would do a couple of things in order to keep our list manageable. Our first decision was to not invite children except for the two in the bridal party (my niece and nephew). The second thing we decided early on was to keep our family invites to parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and first cousins. Shawn has a huge family, and while we didn't want to exclude anyone, we had to think of costs and what wedding size we could manage. The last thing we did was to put the number of seats that were being held in their honor on our guests RSVP cards. We kept this to just two seats for each of our guests, and they were super respectful of our request. I've heard horror stories of people crossing out these numbers and writing in their own, but luckily, our...

When you think of wedding of traditional wedding day photos, what images come to mind? For most people, they imagine portraits of the bride and groom in a beautiful setting, wrapped up in each others arms, or the groom's reaction when he sees his bride walking down the aisle. These huge moments that deliver the feelings of the day are definitely ones that I adore, but what about all the items and features that shape the look and theme of the wedding? When a bride wears the same necklace that her mom wore to her own wedding, it represents a really great bond between two women. While the object may be small, the meaning and sentimental value is huge, and really help make a wedding special and unique for the couple. It's surprising how the smallest bits of the planning process can help deliver the biggest impact. The first thing that Shawn and I do when we arrive at a wedding is gather all of the little mementos and accessories for detail photos. Those pieces need to have their moment to shine, because without them, the day would be missing that amazing sparkle. To all my couples, I recommend organizing your personal detail items into one place by creating "getting ready bags". Taking all the important and unique items that need to be photographed and placing them together in a bag means that when the photographer arrives, they can grab the bag and get started with the shots. It...