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This Couple Chose a Parisian Elopement for Their Greatest Adventure Yet

July 31, 2017 | Junebug Weddings

Kelsey and Don had always found themselves drawn to the stress-free nature of an adventurous elopement. Once their elopement planning was in the works, it didn’t take them long to decide on traveling to the ultimate romantic destination for their nuptials: Paris, France! For their elopement, the couple traipsed around the incredibly gorgeous streets and bridges of Paris, and Vic Bonvicini Photography tagged along to document their day. After already purchasing a wedding dress, Kelsey serendipitously fell in love with a different two-piece ballgown that perfectly fit their romantic Parisian elopement, and the stars aligned so she could wear it. Kelsey and Don’s story proves that the heart wants what it wants, and in their case, the result is a stunning Parisian elopement that was full of love!

The Couple:

Kelsey and Don

The Wedding:

Paris, France

The most important part of planning our wedding was making sure that we were more worried about what made US happy, no one else. We wanted it to be a stress free day spent making memories and adventuring, rather than doing a traditional wedding where we would be planning each moment, stressing about time and food, and spending the majority of the day visiting with family and friends. We chose Paris because our whole relationship has been an adventure, and it would only be fitting for our marriage to be one too. So we decided on the city of Love.

I did a mostly classic look, other than my gown, which was my absolute favorite part. I actually bought 2 dresses. My first dress was a pretty traditional mermaid gown, but when I accidentally happened upon this second dress, I couldn’t say no. I saw an ad for StillWhite.com for this beautiful hand made two piece lace top, ball gown bottom dress and I read that the owner had only worn it for two hours, and the best part- she was my exact height and measurements. I fell in love and had to get it.

The most memorable part of this day was slow dancing with no music playing in the middle of the road down a beautiful avenue. It’s something I think we’ll both remember forever. I know I’ll always be able to replay that moment and feel the genuine, carefree love between us.

As cliché as it sounds: do what makes you happy. It’s about the two of you, and that’s IT. Not a family member, not the opinions of your social media followers, friends, etc. You’re getting ready to agree to spend the rest of your life with the love of your life, and that should be your only concern. Everything else doesn’t matter on this day. Whether it’s a courthouse, another country, in a backyard, or even the kitchen… do what makes you happy.

Vic Bonvicini made our day even better than expected. We actually hadn’t even met her until the day of and after meeting her, it felt like we had been friends for a while. We were so comfortable with her, and she had us adventuring in places we didn’t even think of going. We wouldn’t change our photographer for that day for the world!

Our wedding day menu included gelato, for two. We hadn’t eaten all day and by the end of the shoot we were so hungry that we stopped by a gelato stand and had to get some because almost all restaurants close at ten in Paris and that’s what time we finished shooting!

The Wedding Team:

Photography – Vic Bonvicini Photography
Officiant – Doug Tappan
Makeup & Hair Artist – Allison Depriestre
Wedding Dress – Still White

 

A huge congratulations to Kelsey and Don, and a special thanks to Junebug member Vic Bonvicini Photography for sharing their day with us. Want more Paris wedding inspiration? Then you’ve got to see this Parisian elopement inspiration on the Seine River!

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Elegant Black and White Phoenix Desert Wedding

July 31, 2017 | Junebug Weddings

Lauren and Kendrian channeled trendy vibes in their Phoenix desert wedding with an elegant black and white palette, edgy accents, and totally chic florals. The couple began their day with a gorgeous church ceremony, followed it up with an urban portrait shoot around Phoenix, and ended their perfect wedding day with an industrial and greenery-inspired reception at Events on Jackson. Not wanting to abandon her love for romantic ballgowns to match her wedding’s hip style, Lauren wore a stunning tulle strapless gown by Watters! Lauren and Kendrian wanted to fully showcase their love for the desert in their wedding photos, so they asked their photographer Abby Roses to join them the day after their wedding for an edgy desert photo shoot, complete with a leather jacket, a beautiful horse, and sweet sunnies.

The Couple:

Lauren and Kendrian

The Wedding:

Trinity Cathedral & Events on Jackson, Phoenix, Arizona

The most memorable part of our day was during the ceremony where we both felt so much love, and the tangible presence of God around us.

I tried on so many dresses, and really wanted to go with something really trendy – perhaps something with lace and long sleeves, and I did find some I loved, but I when it came down to it my fiancé told me to choose something that made me feel like a princess- and so I went with something a little more classy and glamorous than I imagined. I have no regrets, our wedding was “ballroom meets the desert” and I loved it. The thick tulle on my wedding dress was my favorite. Everyone else wore black and white – what a classy crew we had.

Our advice: There’s going to be a lot of things that have the potential of stressing you out – take it moment by moment, and prioritize the things that are most important, and don’t worry so much about the other little things.

The essential for us was making sure the day was saturated in joy from start to finish. We planned the whole day to be the most fun and relaxing chill wedding we could ever have. Also candles.

SHOP THIS LOOK:

 

My favorite picture is one of us in the desert the day after our wedding, there is so much joy on our faces it makes me want to cry!

The Wedding Team:

Photography – Abby Roses
Ceremony Venue – Trinity Cathedral
Reception Venue – Events on Jackson
Officiant – Murray and Deborah Hiebert
Videography – French Film Co.
Makeup Artist – Lauren Dueck
Hair Styling – Shelby King
Wedding Dress – Watters via Love & Lace Bridal Salon
Bridal Accessories – Anthropologie, BHLDN
Groom’s Apparel – Topman

 

A huge congratulations to Lauren and Kendrian, and a special thanks to Abby Roses for sharing their day with us. Love this desert wedding’s vibes? Get inspired with these 33 southwestern wedding decor ideas!

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Dusty Rose and Emerald Grand Rapids Barn Wedding

July 30, 2017 | Junebug Weddings

If impeccable style, a romantic color palette, and elegant-meets-rustic décor are on your list of wedding must-haves, this Grand Rapids barn wedding needs to be at the top of your inspiration board! Chelsea Seekell, the photographer turned bride, and her stylish hubby turned every element into a designer’s dream, mixing vintage and rustic pieces and tying it all together with a glamorous palette of dusty rose, emerald green, black, white, and gold. We don’t typically see such rich colors in summer weddings, so this unique twist was as refreshing as it was stunning! From the modern studio ceremony to the sunset portraits amid the wildflowers to the intimate barn reception, Tana Helene Photography had us falling more in love with this beautiful couple and their gorgeous wedding day with every image!

The Couple:

Chelsea and Jordan

The Wedding:

A.K. Rikks and Private Barn, Grand Rapids, Michigan

We wanted the day to feel very “us”. Jordan works in fashion, so the emerald green tuxedo was his way to spice things up. I wanted our ceremony to be more about us and less about the décor, so we went with a clean, minimal look. For our reception in the barn, we wanted to make feel a bit fancier. So we went all out with the flowers, gold flatware, and details.

SHOP THIS LOOK

 

SHOP THIS LOOK

 

Processional – “A Whole New World” by Disney (instrumental version)
Recessional – “Walking on a Dream” by Empire of the Sun

My photographer is actually my best friend. I photographed her wedding and she photographed mine!

SHOP THIS LOOK

 

Our advice is: don’t take things too seriously; 100% do a first look; make it more about the two of you and less about posing for photos, and actually ATTEND your own wedding!

The Wedding Team:

Photography – Tana Helene Photography
Event Planning and Invitation Design – Chelsea Seekell
Ceremony Venue – A.K. Rikk’s
Reception Venue – Private Barn
Floral Design – Posh Petals
DJ – Adrian Butler
Groom’s Apparel – A.K. Rikk’s

 

Congratulations to Chelsea and Jordan, and a big thanks to Tana Helene Photography for sharing this gorgeous Grand Rapids barn wedding with Junebug! Does a rich color palette speak to your design soul? You’re going to love the incredibly romantic purple, pink, and dark red palette in this moody fairy tale wedding in Southlake, Texas!

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