Our hearts are absolutely melting over this vintage-inspired wedding at Rose Garden Estate! With the help of their expert planner Moments 2 Memories, these grown-up middle school classmates Abby and Mitchell created a day that belongs in a fairytale book.
With Abby’s a-line gown covered in intricate lace detailing, the sweeping lush mountain views, and a soft pastel color palette complete with gold accenting every detail was perfectly thought out. From the heartwarming first look to the party that ensued after the “I do’s,” Laura Mihae went above and beyond to make the couple feel comfortable and beautifully captured the love between the couple.
Moments 2 Memories’ Laura Seguin on the Wedding Day
“Abby and Mitchell went to middle school together—although they had some mutual friends and Mitchell had a secret crush on Abby, nothing ever happened between them. About six years later, Abby was in her junior year of college in Florida when Mitchell added her on Snapchat. Abby happily accepted his request and followed him on Instagram, where their beautiful “pen pal” relationship was born.
They reintroduced themselves that May when Abby returned home from college for summer break. They went on their first date at an adorable little coffee shop (where they ended up taking their engagement photos). They chatted for about five hours and ended up getting kicked out because it closed before they were done talking. Needless to say, they officially began dating, and the rest is history!
When Mitchell proposed to Abby, he had a romantic proposal spot set up at the beach in a cliffside cave. Abby and Mitchell are such a sweet couple and enjoy laughing every chance they get!”
I fell in love with the venue when I first walked it’s grounds—with its big sky and mountainous landscape. It showcases what I love most about where I grew up. It had a lovely cottage for the bridal party to get ready, an outdoor ceremony site with lovely full trees framing the landscape, and an indoor reception space-–they call it a barn, but it looks royal with its golden etching and detailed framework. It had already been half-decorated with uplighting and magnificent chandeliers; we just added some flowers, tables, and chairs and voila! A gorgeous reception.
The Wedding Dress
I had looked at a few dresses online before shopping. The A-line style of skirt drew me in because it wasn’t too princess-like but could still hold attention with a royal look. The dress I decided upon felt 100% right the first time I tried it on. I knew that was it. It was only the third dress I tried on. Its color was ivory, and the muted lace detail had a slight shimmer to it. It’s A-line skirt demanded attention, but also had the softness and lightness of a cloud. Its train flowed behind me as I walked, but I still felt unencumbered. Its neckline was the same muted lace, and it came up to my neck in such a lovely fashion accentuating my shoulders. Down my back was a line of small buttons that held it together. My shoes were heels with a cloud-like puff as the main detail, and my tiara, earrings, and bracelet were floral, matching the lace detail perfectly.
The Wedding Colors
My wedding colors were more of a palette. I love to paint and I’ve always hated limiting myself to one set of colors. I wanted my groom and groomsmen to be uniform in ivory and grey so that I could play with my bridesmaid colors. I chose dusty pink, deep indigo, sky blue, champagne, lilac purple, and petal green for my bridesmaids. My bouquet reflected those colors, but I wanted the main focus to be the white rose and the dusty pink rose. I wanted these colors to be offset by the amount of greenery that surrounded my wedding, my favorite hue being the eucalyptus green, which was displayed on our wedding arch and our couples table.
Our friends at BHLDN have announced a new Plus category that includes sizes 16W-26W which has us running through the fields of flowers with excitement. We are thrilled to share this news—it gets better and better.
The line launches today on their website and in 10 store locations. Lori Conley, BHLDN’s General Merchandise Manager said this about the new collection, “The great thing about love is that everyone fits. With the launch of our inclusive size collection, we are excited to celebrate every bride, at every size…Every neckline, sleeve shape, waist drop, and detail in the collection was designed with the Plus customer in mind.”
We couldn’t agree more with Lori and as for those well thought out details? They are obvious when you see these gorgeous wedding gowns and bridesmaid dresses. Ready to see more? Let the magic begin!
Sleeveless Wedding Gowns
The Ludlow Gown
The Carmel Gown
The Placid Gown
The Lawrence Gown
The Lynette Gown
Wedding Dresses with Sleeves
The Haven Gown
The Odalis Gown
The Lourdes Gown
The Heartleaf Gown
The Summer Gown
The Tenley Gown
Bridesmaid Dresses
The Adena Dress
The Aeryn Dress
The Fidelia Dress
The Bentley Velvet Dress
BHLDN’s promise to love all and serve all also means they’ve committed to never charging extra for the styles within its Plus category—yet another well thought out detail we love.
We couldn’t possibly fit all of the incredible styles on our site—really, we tried. There are even more styles available at BHLDN.com where you can shop, find which select store locations have received this line to date, and book a gown shopping appointment.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed researching covid wedding ideas, you’re not alone. The global coronavirus pandemic is affecting us all, but especially couples planning their weddings. These couples are faced with unique challenges that are—forgive us for using this term—unprecedented. Our mission at Junebug is to help take the stress out of wedding planning so you can create a celebration worthy of your love. While we don’t have a magic wand to solve these extra complications, we do want to offer some covid wedding ideas and tips for navigating this experience. Let’s take a deep breath and dive in.
Safety Measures During COVID-19
We’re wedding planning experts, not medical experts. For information on staying safe and preventing the spread of COVID-19, we recommend checking the World Health Organization (WHO)’s website for updates. Stay informed and avoid misinformation by checking in with WHO’s COVID-19 myth buster page, specifically.
It’s Okay To Be Sad
Planning a wedding is stressful enough without a global pandemic in the mix. It’s okay to grieve your original wedding plans in the event that you postpone or even cancel your wedding. Many hours, emails, decisions, and dreams went into the day you thought would be happening soon. Feeling disappointed or frustrated by the lack of control you have in the situation is normal. This is a great time to lean on your family, wedding party, and your partner as you make difficult decisions about what to do next.
Now that you’ve taken the chance to grieve your original wedding date and plan, let’s get to work. First, you’ll need to choose your new date. Here are the first people you and your partner should check in with before setting a new wedding date:
Your vendors. Get in touch with your vendors as soon as possible. If your heart is set on a certain month or season you may need to be flexible about what day of the week you tie the knot as many vendors have filled up their Saturday openings. Keep in mind that your date change may impact the seasonality of florals and foods available and you’ll want to discuss your options with your vendors as soon as possible.
The wedding party. Once you have available dates from your vendors and you know of any color or theme changes you’ll be making, check in with your wedding party as you choose your new date.
Any must-have guests. As you work to trim your guest list, don’t forget that your guests may have different levels of comfort during this time. If guests cancel, remember not to take it personally.
Communicating Your Date And Venue Changes
Once you’ve made a decision to cancel or postpone, send your guests Change the Date cards to give them all the information they need. This may include your new wedding date or a simple announcement that your plans have changed and to keep an eye out for more information.
If you haven’t already, this would be a great time to set up a wedding website where you can provide updates to guests as they happen—don’t forget to include the URL on your Change the Date cards. Most wedding websites also allow you to contact your guests all at once through your site, which is just another great reason to have one. Our friends at Minted have some helpful tips for wording your postponement cards, too.
The first step of managing your vendors is to look at your contracts. Each vendor will have different stipulations about postponing or canceling, so it’s important to read the fine print. Your venue, for example, likely has a rescheduling clause that will help you avoid the costs of canceling.
We recommend postponing your wedding date, if possible. Canceling your wedding altogether can mean losing deposits you’ve made. Due to the weight of the circumstances, some vendors are allowing date changes without an additional fee, but be aware that dates outside of the financial year you originally booked may come with additional fees or rate increases.
Wedding Vendors Are Small Businesses
Keep in mind that wedding vendors are small businesses and they have been severely impacted by COVID-19, too. Many vendors are offering flexibility and credits for a transferred date or towards other services—photo sessions, floral arrangements, etc.
We got in touch with Valentina Ring, the owner of London-based wedding planner The Stars Inside to get a little more insight into how couples can communicate with their vendors through coronavirus. She recommends asking these questions when contacting your vendors:
1. Discuss Possible Alternative Dates Right Away
Have a back-up plan ready so that you don’t need to make a decision without knowing the availability of your vendors and venue. Find out whether your deposit—or any other fees paid to date—are transferrable to a postponed wedding.
2. Ask About Cut-Off Dates
For example, check in with your florist and ask when the cut-off date is for their final order before your wedding. Your wedding vendors will work with you and be as flexible as they can, but there may be a deadline beyond which certain costs have to be recovered if the event doesn’t go forward.
The indemnity clause is the clause that covers what happens in the event of postponement or canceling is triggered as a result of the government or local authority banning social gatherings. This will also cover illness on their side. It’s okay to ask if they have any contingencies in place in the event that they cannot fulfill their obligations due to illness. They will more than likely be part of a wider network and can recommend an alternate for your date if they become ill.
Thanks to The Stars Inside, we’ve got all the steps you need to take in order to postpone your wedding.
Breathe And Remind Yourself That You Can Do This
With some patience, courage, ingenuity, and flexibility, you’ll still be able to have a magnificent and special wedding. Treat this as an opportunity to prioritize the things that mean the most to you. If you need to take some time to process, that’s okay.
Work With Your Wedding Planner
Review the list of tasks you’ve already completed and what was left to finalize with your planner. Then, start tackling the to-do list proactively together. If you’re not working with a wedding planner, our wedding planning guide can help you navigate these tasks.
Confirm The New Date With Your Vendors
Once you’ve gotten a list of possible dates and chosen the new date with your partner, confirm it with all of your vendors. Keep a clear overview of financial ramifications—whether any additional costs will be incurred or if all money paid or due is transferrable. Review the new payment schedule with them, and make sure to get agreements in writing. The goal is to disturb as little of the pre-set wedding plans as possible, and just shift the date. Be prepared to have a candid conversation with your whole wedding team about how to make that happen.
Discuss Cancelation Options With Vendors Who Can’t Make It Work
There may be some vendors who aren’t able to make your new date work. That’s okay! Make sure you’re both upfront with each other when discussing cancelation policies and then speak to your wedding insurer about covering those costs. Ask these wedding vendors or your wedding planner for recommendations for others who may be able to provide the same services.
Send The Change The Date Cards
Contact your guests to let them know of the new plan and what your revised date will be. Be open about which details you’re sure of and leave out the ones you don’t know yet. For example, if you’re certain that you’re postponing but you’re not about the new date, don’t give your guests the potential new dates. Simply communicate that you’re postponing and give them details about how they can stay up-to-date moving forward.
Review The Legal Marriage Procedures
If you have given notice, it might have expired by the time your new date comes around so you’ll need to do it again. Speak to your officiant, your local council, and your wedding planner about navigating any new deadlines that may be triggered.
Update Your Wedding Insurance
There may be a fee for updating your wedding insurance and you’ll need to discuss whether it covers postponed events. If you do not have insurance, don’t beat yourself up about it. Most people don’t think of it as a necessary expense and there is no way you could have predicted this—remember, this is unprecedented.
Now is the time to cover your new wedding date—you should be able to still do this provided your new wedding date is more than six months away. Be very careful of what policy you purchase and what you are covered for. Give these policies a thorough read and take your time getting answers to all of your questions before you sign.
Rethink Wedding Details
This new celebration can to look the same, or be totally different. If you’re celebrating at a different time of year you might opt for different colors, florals, or even food. Embracing this new seasonality can be a fun way to get excited about giving your celebration a new visual identity.
Don’t Look Back
Your experience will be more positive if you embrace the change and treat it as an opportunity to refine your plans and have an even more amazing celebration than you would otherwise have had.
Easy-To-Use Wedding Postponing Checklist
Pin this list so you don’t lose it, and refer back to it as you’re moving through the postponement process.
What Other Wedding Options Are There?
If you’ve ever considered eloping, now is the time! There are no rules when it comes to weddings and shifting your plans to an elopement can allow you to celebrate as planned without risking the safety of your loved ones.
Couples around the world are also transitioning their weddings online with a livestream of their ceremony or using Zoom or Google Hangouts to invite guests to a digital reception. Everyone can pour their own glass of champagne, hear special toasts, and enjoy an at-home dance party using the best wedding reception playlist!
If you do choose to elope, remember that you can always throw a wedding reception later when it’s safe to gather in large groups again. Planning a future reception is a good way to work with the vendors you’ve already hired as your deposit and payments can often be used towards the new event.
Wedding Planning During COVID-19
This is no easy task. It can be absolutely overwhelming, stressful, and confusing to navigate these uncharted territories. At Junebug, we’re here for you every step of the way.
Thanks again to Valentina of The Stars Inside for her insight on wedding planning during COVID-19! Do you have more questions about safely planning your wedding in the time of coronavirus? Leave a comment or join our Facebook group to get in on the discussion with Junebug, other couples, and the vendors from our directory.
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