The right location can take an engagement session from a handful of portraits to something unforgettable. Calli and Kidd’s cool Chicago engagement session at BOKA Restaurant and Bar did exactly that. Husband and wife team BellowBlue Photography kicked things up a notch by capturing the couple’s love and style, while also creating stunning pieces of art. We love how BellowBlue worked with balancing elements of dark and light as the session went on.
Calli and Kidd are a beautiful couple, but what really took us over the edge are their adorable pups. Here at Junebug we love when the family pets get in on the wedding action, and these two dogs made for such a fun ending to the couple’s session with BellowBlue.
We can’t wait to see what this couple comes up with for their wedding day. For more cool engagement style, check out Brenda and Ryan’s outdoor engagement session in Los Angeles.
Matney and Ben are a laid-back Southern couple who love their family and homemade dessert. If that’s not a recipe for a pretty wedding, I don’t know what is. Snipes Farm Retreat provided the perfect setting for the ceremony, portraits, and reception of Matney and Ben’s relaxed Southern wedding, all beautifully captured by husband and wife team Rob + Kristen Photography. The light in these images is truly magical, and Matney and Ben’s love shines so brightly. Matney describes herself as an non-fussy bride, and we love how her low-key spirit makes the details of their wedding really stand out.
The Moments: “Our ceremony was my absolute favorite moment of the day. It was truly a family affair – because we had no wedding party, Ben’s parents walked in with him and my parents walked me down the aisle together. My sister-in-law was our officiant, my brother read a poem, Ben’s brother and my sister handed us our rings, and Ben’s sister and her boyfriend played the fiddle and banjo. At one point during our ceremony, Katie, my sister-in-law, asked us to turn and face our guests so we could see all of the people that had come to support us and celebrate our marriage. It was such a special moment and is certainly one that we will treasure for years to come. My favorite reception detail was our cake – homemade by my mom using my grandmother’s pound cake recipe (my all time favorite dessert!).”
The Inspiration: “We wanted our wedding to feel really relaxed and easy and not too formal or fussy. We tried hard to put more effort into the details that guests would remember and not to stress about the little things (I’m hoping that not too many people remember eating off of plastic plates!). Our venue, an old dairy farm, was absolutely beautiful on its own and didn’t require too much extra decor or attention. We brought in a ton of potted plants and flowers to add color and chose simple, classic table settings. We also chose good ol’ North Carolina barbeque that was sure to be a people pleaser! We also chose not to have a wedding party – no bridesmaids or groomsman, ring bearers or flower girls. It was just the two of us which felt so special and intimate. It also meant a little extra room in the budget for my dream dress!”
The Couple Recommends: “All of our vendors were exceptional and went above and beyond. They each made our wedding day feel so seamless and easy! I would highly recommend Rob + Kristen – they were so great to work with and I felt like they shared our vision for our wedding photos. Their turn around time for the photos was quick and the pictures were beautiful.”
Junebug loves a sweet Southern affair that ends with a sparkler send off! For more Southern wedding inspiration, check out Elizabeth and James’ vintage Southern garden wedding.
Nicole and Kevin’s destination wedding at the Four Seasons in Scottsdale, Arizona is full of details fit for a rustic wedding in the desert. The bride worked closely with Christy Kelman of Your Perfect Day to bring her beautiful vision to life, and Erica Velasco Photographers captured it all with these lovely photos.
The Couple: Nicole and Kevin
The Wedding: 9.28.13 – Four Seasons, Scottsdale, Arizona
The Goals: What was most important to us was to have an intimate event with our closest friends and family. We chose a destination wedding not only for the beautiful scenery, but to create a feeling of vacation, relaxation and fun for our guests.
The Look: I am very into fashion, so it was important to me to have a gown that did not feel too “wedding-dressy”. I ended up falling for a beautiful Pnina Tornai – a body hugging gown with diagonal stitching that added a bit of dimension and modernity to a crisp white fabric, a figure-eight style sweetheart neckline, a lace-up corset and intricately beaded crystal straps. The accessories were beautiful, yet simple – a vintage diamond floral bracelet, small crystal chandelier earrings, a gorgeous crystal hair pin and a simple long flowing veil. The L.K. Bennett nude sandals were also very simple, with straps that mimicked the diagonal lines in the dress. Keeping with more of the minimalist look, my bridesmaids also wore white dresses of their own choosing. I wanted to keep the overall palette neutral, with the vibrant bouquets popping against all the white. The men wore grey – not as formal as black, but still dashing and celebratory.
The Design: We had pictured a peaceful and beautiful ceremony driven by nature and the serenity of the desert landscape, a candle-lit dinner under the stars and then a fun (and crazy!) dance party for the reception indoors…and we certainly got all three! For the ceremony, I focused on nature – the greens of the cactus, tans of the desert and corals, reds and yellows of the desert flowers. My florist, Petal Pushers, brought in what were truly the most gorgeous flowers I had ever seen. These “desert bouquets” lined the aisle, were draped over the arch and were the pop of color offsetting my bridesmaids, who were all dressed in white. We got married as the sun was setting and it was dark by dinner, with lanterns and candles on the tables and bistro lights strung above. The feel was rustic, elegant and intimate.
The Moments: Truly, the day was spectacular to me. It was beautiful, intimate and incredibly fun! Standing in front of a fire pit, with water flowing and the sun setting across the desert background while being married to the man I love was unforgettable. His vows and emotion were also unforgettable. Having our family and closest friends with us made the event perfect. And, honestly, I will never forget the dance party…non-stop dancing by almost every person there, or the most amazing dance with my father, who surprised me with some serious dance moves!
The Advice: My best advice would be to get most of the big decisions made early on. Wedding planning can go on for a year or more and you don’t want it to take over your life. This day is important, but it is only a day, so make the big decisions and then don’t stress too much over the smaller things. If you have a solid vision and the right people helping you, it will all come together. I was lucky enough to have had some serious talent on my side, with an amazing wedding planner, photographer, florist and the Four Seasons’ event planner. And even if it doesn’t turn out according to plan, if you have the right guests in attendance, not much else matters. Beyond marrying Kevin, for me, having a week-long vacation with most of my closest friends and family and watching them all come together and enjoy themselves…that was the biggest success of the wedding.
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