Real Life Weddings pdf

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Elizabeth Medina
location
Every destination wedding speaks volumes
about the individuals getting married, from
their history to their style to what they hold
dear. Here, we present five couples who tied
the knot at locations close to their hearts,
including the tropical shores of Costa Rica, a
posh resort in Mexico, a winery in California,
a seaside lawn in Maui and a pink sand
beach in the Bahamas. Read on for
inspiration in planning your own
one-of-a-kind wedding.
By Annette Burden
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planning guide
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Hilary&Kevin
escape to the tropics
Sa nta Theresa, Costa Rica
photos by a brit & a blonde
of golden yellow gerberas and
something different
sunflowers. And the officiator,
and adventurous,”
Rev. Terri Zacanti of Sacred
says Hilary Magner, explaining
Ceremonies, led the service
why she flew all the way to Central
before a driftwood altar made
America from Houston to marry
for the occasion.
Guests and newlyweds mingled
Kevin Magner, the love of her life.
The couple invited 42 friends and
on the beach until the sun set
family to join them on the Pacific
over the Pacific—followed by
coast of Costa Rica.
a feast at one of the houses at
Batik. “Everyone described it
Hilary, who works in sales and
marketing for the power industry,
as magical,” Hilary says, referring
and Kevin, sales manager for a
to the garden setting. “It was
jewelry company, met in 2006
dark, and the only light came from
while working together for
candles on the tables and hanging
Neiman Marcus in Houston.
in the trees.” A children’s table
Four years later, they took their
provided pizza, markers, paint
romance to the next level and
and a babysitter to keep the little
agreed to make it “forever.” The
ones happy while their parents
idea of sealing the deal in the
dined on fish, pork, fresh veggies
tropics began when friends, who
and mini cheesecakes. For the
own one of the four rental homes
dancing, a local Latin band, Los
at Batik Costa Rica, raved about
Mapaches, “was tons of fun and
the resort and the laid-back
added a surprise element for
lifestyle of the region. “We
decided to travel down to Costa
Rica and fell in love with the place
and the people,” Hilary says. They
Guests and newlyweds
mingled on the beach
until the sun set over the Pacific.
The big day dawned with the bride and her girlfriends in yoga
Kevin’s “half complete ideas”
their guests will never forget. “Everything from the organization
of the ceremony to the band they recommended and booked
class, followed by a swim and hours of relaxed preparations.
was so well composed,” she says, adding that the team’s
At 4:30 p.m., a guitarist signaled the couple’s arrival at the
ingenuity and easygoing approach made the whole process
beach, she in a vintage-inspired gown from Anthropologie’s
a breeze.
BHLDN and he in a lavender shirt, gray slacks and sport coat
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Hilary credits Mal Pais Green
Weddings for turning her and
into an experience they and
booked Batik for a week and sent
out save-the-dates naming February 24, 2012, for their nuptials.
the guests.”
Hilary and Kevin set out to put their footprint and style into
by Q Custom Clothier. The best man dressed like Kevin, sans
the wedding while giving their guests something out of this world
sport coat. The three flower girls wore white frocks from J. Crew
to remember. And it all came together. Even so, Hilary says she’s
Crewcuts. The three bridesmaids upheld the vintage theme in
amazed that, at wedding’s end, everyone thanked them over and
individually chosen dresses from BHLDN and carried bouquets
over for including them in the adventure.
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W
e wanted to do
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jessica&mark
dreams do come true
pl aya del Ca rmen, mex ico
photos by elizabeth Medina
J
essica Hallock spent her
ate,” Jessica says. Then, at the
fourth date with Mark
resort, Amber recalls, “It was
DiPaola showing him “her”
like there was magic fairy dust
Disneyland in Anaheim, California.
sprinkled over the days; it came
Hers was a place filled with
together so smoothly”—from
childhood memories of family
the karaoke welcome buffet to
vacations and a place still brim-
soccer on the beach, the full
ming with wonder and possibilities.
day at Xplor and the formal dinner
“After that day, I knew we shared
hosted by Mark’s parents.
something exceptional,” Jessica
Finally, the wedding day arrived.
says. “I loved how his eyes
At 4 p.m. Tuesday, February 21,
sparkled…how he was eager to see
2012, Jessica—in a fantasy of a
the magic. I saw he was the perfect
dress by Rivini, fingertip veil
partner to share adventures with.”
and five-inch Prada heels and
Several trips to Disneyland later,
her attendants in deep lavender
Mark, an LA-based Internet
gowns from Twelfth Street by
entrepreneur, surprised Jessica,
Cynthia Vincent—glided up to
a silhouette artist and jewelry
the dock in a boat festooned with
designer, by popping the question
flowers. The men waited on the
in Disneyland’s Dream Suite.
lagoon-side deck—Mark in a dark
(She said yes, of course!) For the
gray Dolce & Gabbana suit and
wedding, she recalls, “Mark and
his groomsmen in John Varvatos
I saw eye to eye as usual: intimate
pinstripes, all wearing ties made
and personal. We loved the idea
by Jessica’s mom from the same
of everyone getting to know each
other in a fun environment.” They
invited 36 close friends and family
to join them at Rosewood
“i Loved how
his eyes sparkled...
how he was eager to see the magic.”
Mayakoba, a favorite resort on
The two lovebirds exchanged
vows under a chuppah draped
in lavender, green, aqua and
ivory flowers. “Friar” Joe Hartzell,
Mexico’s Caribbean coast, knowing their guests would love
father of the couple’s godson, officiated. A rousing mariachi
nearby Playa del Carmen, the Xplor theme park close by, the
recessional led to cocktails on the beach, followed by surf-and-
sunsets, “wonderful people, incredible food and resort staff that
turf, tres leches wedding cake and dancing under the stars—on an
goes above and beyond.”
LED dance floor set up on the sand.
They brought Amber Events on board to help plan and
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fabric as the bridesmaids’ dresses.
Jessica’s favorite moment? When she and Mark stole away to
manage the details. Owner Amber Gustafson and her assistant
a hidden corner and looked back at the party. Time stood still,
Nira DeLuna took care of everything, from the four-plus days in
and they realized their dream had come true. “If I can give any
Mexico to the formal reception for 150 back home the next week.
advice to a soon-to-be bride,” she says, “I would tell her to take
“Amber was the perfect balance of listening to our desires, giving
a moment away from the scene, step back and take it all in with
us guidance and feedback and being firm when it was appropri-
your sweetheart.”
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jessica&tim
leap of faith
sonom a va lley, ca liforn i a
photos by jessamyn Harris
heart gown by Marisa, while the
mean everything to Jessica
bridesmaids wore their choice of
and Timothy Rechtien. So,
styles from J. Crew—all in the color
when the wait for nuptials at their
Spice Wine. The bridal bouquet
home parish in Chicago proved
of white hydrangeas and wine-
too long—and the options for
colored dahlias included bells
an outdoor reception proved
of Ireland to honor the couple’s
“underwhelming”—they invited
Irish ancestry. Tim and his grooms-
their nearest and dearest to join
men’s dark Kenneth Cole suits
them for a wedding mass in the
hid fun argyle socks provided
wine country of northern California.
by the couple.
After the ceremony, the newly-
“I was starting to get stressed
because I hadn’t found a place that
weds rang the church’s giant bell
felt like ‘us’ in Chicago,” explains
“like crazy,” and everyone set
Jessica, a development officer for
off for cocktails on the winery’s
a Catholic health care system. Her
wooden deck with “the vineyards
fiancé Tim, an attorney, asked if
below, oak trees above and the
she’d considered California, where
rolling hills of Sonoma in the
she grew up and her parents still
distance.” A bagpiper led the
lived. The stress vanished in an
group from cocktails to dinner
instant. A scouting trip led to
in an olive grove sparkling with
Sonoma Valley’s Star of the Valley
tiny lights. Park Avenue Catering
Catholic Church for the ceremony
supplied everything from the
and the BR Cohn Winery for
shrimp-kebab and pulled-pork
the celebration.
Guests poured in for the long
weekend from 13 states, the United
Arab Republic and Ireland. All 149
Everyone set off for cocktails
on the winery’s wooden deck with
the vineyards below.
course of mahimahi or tri-tip with
chimichurri sauce. Pretty Please
Bakeshop owner Alison Okabyaski,
Jessica’s good friend since high
stayed at the Flamingo Conference
Resort & Spa, close to the winery and with a “gorgeous pool”
school, supplied the small olive tree–themed cake for cutting and
and nightspot for the after-party. Gift bags welcomed everyone
the cupcakes to go. “The tables were another highlight,” Jessica
with area brochures, bottled water, nuts, Ghirardelli chocolates
adds, “burlap runners, low centerpieces with local flowers and lots
(a local favorite) and Advil—“for the day after!” Day-before events
and lots of candlelight.”
included mani-pedis for the gals and wine tasting for the guys.
Between the feasting and dancing (to Motown ’80s and ’90s
Day-after events began with a poolside brunch hosted by Jessica’s
tunes) came the speeches. “I may be biased,” Jessica says, “but
parents and ended with a winery tour organized by maid of honor
my dad gave the best father-of-the-bride speech I’ve ever heard.
Erica Finan.
He was funny, touching and brought a tear to everyone’s eye. As
The wedding took place on Saturday, October 2, 2010, in a
church flooded with natural light. Jessica wore a classic sweet-
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wonton appetizers to the main
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he spoke, the sky turned the most amazing shade of pink. It was
truly breathtaking.”
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heir faith, friends and family
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jennifer
&michael
isl and ties that bind
l a h a ina, m aui, H awa ii
photos by anna kim photogr aphy
J
ennifer Lee Yee and Michael
officiating and 92 beaming guests.
Yee, who live in Long Beach,
A floral color scheme of pink, white
California, met on the swim
and yellow set off the bridesmaids’
team in high school. College set
yellow dresses from H&M, the
them off on separate paths, and
bride’s white linen and lace from
it was out-of-sight, out-of-mind
Pricilla of Boston and Michael
for the next 15 years. Then a
and his groomsmen’s gray linen
chance meeting re-sparked THE
suits from J. Crew—worn with
connection—which eventually
traditional maile leis and Converse
grew into a lifetime bond based
sneakers. “We wanted a fun,
on a shared passion for fun,
relaxed wedding with inspirations
friends, food, ocean sports,
of Old Hawaii,” Jennifer says.
their beagle Claude Yee and
“Nothing fancy, just simple. We
wanted the colors to be natural
all things Hawaii.
yet vibrant.”
It was two years after deciding to
The party kicked off with
wed that Jennifer, a chef who owns
the Aloha Café in Los Angeles, and
cocktails on the lawn and three
Michael, an equally busy computer
kinds of Hawaiian sashimi. “Food
programmer, found time to secure
was extremely important to us,”
the knot. After months of home
Jennifer says, “especially since I
preparations and a week of putting
am a chef. We chose dishes from
everything in place from a rented
some of our favorite vendors on
house on Maui, the big moment
Maui. People raved about the poke
came at 4 p.m. on September 20,
bar and shave ice.” Not a fan of
2012, at the island’s historic
Olowalu Plantation House.
Why a destination wedding?
“We needed a vacation,” Jennifer
“We wanted a fun, relaxed wedding with
inspirations of
old hawaii”
pies from Leoda’s Kitchen and
Pie Shop in Lahaina, sherbet from
Tasaka Guri-Guri in Kahului and
Maui’s own Rosalani-brand
says, only half kidding. And why
Maui? “It has a special place in our hearts,” she says, confiding
macadamia nut ice cream. “We wanted our guests to experience
that she and Michael came to love the island through their
the best of Maui—everything tasted amazing!”
friend, her mentor and her restaurant’s original chef, who
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wedding cake, Jennifer substituted
The only thing that would have been a deal breaker for a
hailed from the island and passed away in 2005. They held
wedding away from home was the absence of Claude, the
the wedding on Maui to include him as part of the big milestone
couple’s beloved beagle. Jennifer says that bringing a dog to
in their lives.
Their venue, a private estate, came with a vintage home and
Hawaii was costly and took six months of paperwork. “It was a
nerve-wracking process,” she admits. “But it was worth it. I’d do it
broad lawn that slopes to the sea. Jennifer and Michael ex-
all again.” Claude, dressed in black bow tie, served as one of
changed vows on the grass, framed by the ocean, towering palms,
Michael’s four best men. Like everyone else, he had the time
a white wedding canopy, trail of rose petals, her brother Anselm
of his life.
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