Its easy to see the love between Susan and Mark in the photographs from Eliesa Johnson of Photogen, Inc. in today’s Real Wedding. This vivacious and bold springtime wedding, held last March in St. Paul, Minnesota, was the result of careful and creative planning on the part of both the bride and the groom, not to mention the many family members who also got involved in the process. 

The goals: Susan and Mark were determined to make the planning of their wedding fun and inclusive. They wanted to find creative ways to work on the wedding planning together and to get family involved in the process as well. Time spend working on the wedding was quality time they got to spend side-by-side, which made the whole process more enjoyable.

The look: The couple chose bright and bold colors for their wedding color palette; cobalt blue and canary yellow, with accents of chartreuse green and purple. The perfect hues for a spring celebration! Their venue, the Summit Avenue Club House, was full of dark wood, which helped to balance the bright color choices, and the papers used for programs and favors also added in more subdued tones.

The bride was radiant in a stunning dress by Vera Wang, and the groom was dashing in a tuxedo by Calvin Klein. Susan was perfectly accessorized for her big day, with a chic feathered hair piece, chandelier earrings and a glittering bracelet we can’t take our eyes off of!

The moments: Susan and Mark chose to see each other before the ceremony, and they remember that moment as one of the best parts of their day. Says Susan, “at our first look meeting, lots of people were taking pictures, but all we cared about was each other.” The same thing happened just a little while later, “after I walked down the aisle and Mark took my hands, we looked at each other for a few seconds before the officiant began. Mark looked at me with tears in his eyes and I had tears in mine. We both whispered that we loved each other before the ceremony officially began. We both think that was the most perfect moment either of us have ever experienced.”

The details: Sticking to their goal of incorporating their families into the planning of the wedding, Susan and Mark had many family members that contributed to the success and style of their day. During the ceremony, the couple chose to combine traditional and modern details. Mark’s mother played the piano, Susan’s mother read a poem about love from their family’s native Nigeria, and in place of a unity candle they took two separate floral arrangements and combined them into one. At the reception, the wedding favors were homemade chocolates and candies made by the groom’s aunt, and the invitations were designed by the groom himself. He used turn-of-the-century posters and architecture as inspiration, to coordinate with the venue’s appearance.

The end result of all their planning and careful attention to detail was an elegant, stunning day that Susan and Mark will never forget!

The pros: To learn about all of the wedding professionals that helped to make this wedding a reality, please visit our Real Weddings section.

Thank you so much for sharing your wedding day with us Susan and Mark!

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