Calling all brides, grooms, friends, family and wedding professionals! It’s that time again! For the third time in a row, we’re looking for your sweetest, most memorable, so funny it makes you cry, emotion-packed images, video, love letters, stories and vows. We want to see what LOVE IS through your eyes. For submission information, go “LIKE” us on Facebook! Hurry! Deadline to submit is December 23! Good luck!
To see previous Tear Jerker issues, you can go here and here (it’s in the back of Issue 14)
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Update: Deadline for Tear Jerker submissions have been extended to January 11.
When I saw this couple’s first look pictures, it brought me the warm and fuzzies because it took place at the gorgeously modern Avia Hotel in downtown Long Beach, where we had our New Year Party early this year.
Andrea & Nick’s wedding day began with good friends and excellent champagne at Avia Hotel.
One of the highlights of the day was the First Look. It began as Andrea descended in the elevator to the Lobby to meet Nick in a very private spot in the Avia Hotel. It was like this spot was made for this type of moment. Nick anxiously awaited in a chic white leather couch and surrounded by sheer ivory curtains.
As Andrea approached the area, she stopped and became overwhelmed with emotions. She took a few deep breaths while the anticipation flooded her. Then she stepped out to lock eyes with him who instantly calm the storm. A big embrace, happy tears, lots of kisses later, they’re finally ready for their big day. Their photographer Ashley said, “It was an incredibly sweet moment seeing them lost without each other and at peace when in each other’s arms.”
Stay tuned for Part 2 of this couple’s big day, where we cover their wedding and reception pictures.
Today’s real wedding comes from Belgium! Brittany and Louis are an American couple that have been living in Belgium for a couple of years. Brittany was originally from Pittsburg and Louis from Cleveland, and they rarely got to see their family because they were spread across the US. So they decided to make their wedding an opportunity to spend quality time with everyone in a place they now call home - Belgium!
Their wedding was a rich blend of American traditions and Belgian influences. With historical buildings dating from the 1500s as the backdrop, this wedding feels magically regal.
Story behind the flowers: When the flowers arrived on the big day, instead of the hydrangea she ordered, they were a mix of random purple flower, peach roses, green baby’s breath and a hint of something blue that may or may not have been hydrangea. But, before Brittany could say anything negative about them, her maid of honor said, “Britt! These are fabulous!” To which there was nothing she could reply but, “Yes! Yes, they are! Don’t you love them?” Not only did no one notice the mistake, but her littlest sister-in-law, the flower girl, loved hers so much that she kept her bouquet with her at all times in her backpack for the rest of her trip (which included stops in Bruges, Brussels and three days in Paris)! Weeks later, the image of her taking the dried bouquet out of her bag is far more heartwarming than the perfect mix of flowers ever could have been.
It’s Monday and let’s take a little break from our fun programming of wedding inspiration awesomeness and crazy cool giveaways. Sometimes when we’re in the middle of wedding planning, it’s easy to have tunnel vision and be oblivious to other things going on outside of our own wedding checklists and appointments.
If you’ve been our reader for a while, you know how much we love wedding professionals who are giving back to the community. You might have also come across this article about Wish Upon A Wedding. Based on the concept that two people in love should never be denied the chance to marry their soul mate, Wish Upon a Wedding has helped dozens of couples say “I DO” since its launch in January 2010. The organization was born to celebrate the courage, determination and spirit of couples in love during their most challenging times. So today, I want to bring your attention to a couple named Douglas and Lisa.
In the fall of 1991, when Douglas and Lisa were first introduced through Lisa’s sister, his high school classmate, neither of them had any idea that their paths would cross again eight years later and they would discover a love beyond their wildest dreams.
Inseparable from that second meeting; Douglas and Lisa found themselves exploring the world as though it held only the two of them. Impromptu vacations and trips to Hearst Castle that once found them continuing on a whim to San Francisco. Theirs was a love full of adventure on, what Douglas likes to call, a “journey without a map.” In December 2001, that journey found Douglas diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, a diagnosis that they accepted thinking that life would continue as normal until he reached his 60’s. Nine short months later, he suffered a massive stroke that left him paralyzed on his entire right side at the age of 28. It wasn’t long after the stroke that Douglas was diagnosed with a rare brain disorder called Moyamoya that constricts blood flow to the brain. In a moment their lives gone from impromptu trips and planning their future, to one of relearning the basics. As time passed, they talked about getting married but found themselves faced with setbacks each time and so Douglas and Lisa decided to begin a family first. They have been blessed with a beautiful daughter and son that have provided them with a growing sense of joy, commitment and love.
Douglas and Lisa’s love and family have flourished in circumstances that would mean the end of others and thanks to Wish Upon A Wedding, they were able to have their perfect wedding day.
This Wednesday, September 21, we will be attending the Blissful Wishes Ball: a Black-Tie Royal Affaire benefiting Wish Upon a Wedding LA/OC at the Richard Nixon Library. It’s a high-profile event of dinner, dancing, entertainment and silent auctions. And this year, they are also having a Special Design Challenge of Royal-Inspired Vignettes from around the world, so there will be plenty of awesome eye candy for brides and wedding pros.
This event will also be very personal to us because Lucia and I will be awarded the 2011 Shining Star Award. The award recognizes and honors the most inspirational, motivational, and giving wedding & hospitality industry professionals in each chapter’s local area, and the valuable contributions these individuals are making in our community and hopes to encourage more people to get involved in their own communities. It is a huge honor to both Lucia and I and words cannot express how grateful we are to be in this industry of making dreams come true. We would love for you to come join us and help raise money for this extraordinary organization and help other couples make their dream day a reality. There’s still time to RSVP but don’t wait too long! It’s going to be an event packed with super star sponsors. And hey, it’s a great excuse to get all dressed up with your date ; ).
With summer coming to an end, we dream of destination weddings on faraway lands and recreating that feel in our own backyard. Issue No. 016 is dripping with inspiration for beach weddings, expert tips on planning a destination wedding, style tips for the gents, a blending of cultures, and many more. To celebrate the launch of Issue No. 016: To the Sea, we’re going to be doing some pretty awesome GIVEAWAYS in the coming weeks! So stay tuned later today for the details!
Photo by Ashley Bee Photography
