So we are going stateside for the first time on Adored Bride blog today and I am so happy that it’s with this ‘Love Birds’ inspired wedding captured by Megan Biggs Photography. When I started looking for content for the blog – Megan was the very first person I contacted having seen her work on Instagram.

I just adored the colours and the backdrop of Galveston, Texas but more than anything I love the joy that comes across in the images of Stephanie and John’s day. It’s always wonderful to see and be inspired the details of the day and the care and emotions put into that by couples. I particularly enjoy though looking at the work of photographers that seek out the emotions and little moments. I think when you are choosing a wedding photographer, that’s just everything.

So please enjoy this fabulous wedding as i hand you over to lovely Stephanie to tell you all about it;

We met when we were both in graduate school studying marine biology. We were fast friends and we even started collaborating together with our research projects. After spending so much time together, we just fell in love. John proposed to me while we were on a hiking trip to “Enchanted Rock” in Texas.

I really love nature and bird watching in particular, so we went for a kind of “ love birds ” theme for the wedding.

We were married in church at Holy Family Parish, Sacred Heart Church. This is the parish that we attend regularly, and so it was important for us to be married here. My father gave me away and we walked into the traditional ”Trumpet Voluntary” by Clarke.

I wanted to design my own ring, and I have always loved red gems, that’s why I chose the garnet ring. I did not want a traditional diamond. John chose a rose gold band to match my rose gold ring.

Stephanie’s dress is ‘Cate’ by BHLDN and is just stunning!

I loved my dress from the minute I saw it. It is unique and unlike anything I have ever seen before. It is light and whimsical, but when you dance the full skirt is really beautiful. The beadwork is so detailed, and it has a new look in every different light.

Stephanie’s got ready with hair and make up at the Spa at Hotel Galvez. She went for a natural look and wore delicate flowers in her hair;

For my hair and make up I wanted something natural and whimsical. I wanted babies breath in my hair and a large braided headband. The girls at the Spa really pulled it off beautifully!

Stephanie finished her look with earrings and bracelets from Charming Charlie and a gorgeous pair of flats by Tieks in Rose Gold Glam. I love how the teal in the Tieks ties in so well with the colours of the day;

I have never been one for wearing heels, so why suffer on my wedding day? These Tieks were amazing to wear on my wedding day, and now I can enjoy them all the time!

Stephanie’s bridesmaids wore beautiful pale teal dresses from Azazie, each choosing their own style shoes to be comfortable. They also wore pretty necklaces and earrings by Kendra Scott. John and his groomsmen wore suits, shirts and accessories from Menswear House.

Stephanie and John chose Megan Biggs Photography to capture their day;

We were fortunate to meet Megan and her husband from the marine institute where we worked. She has such a beautiful, bright personality and brought a unique personal touch to our wedding photos.

The couple enlisted the help of wedding planner Janese Maricelli with their wedding plans;

Janese did a wonderful job helping me to plan out details of the wedding months in advance, and then executing the day of duties flawlessly. We couldn’t have done it without her!

Stephanie chose a vibrant coral theme for her florals to contrast with the pale teal bridesmaids dresses;

Our local grocery store had a great floral department and they were so easy to work with. I wanted flowers with a pop of coral color, to go with our theme.
   
We also got our cake from the same local grocer. I wanted an ombre rosette style. I will admit, the color did not turn out as I wanted. (I was expecting a mint to match our colors, but it turned out too green.) Oh well, it tasted great! We also had an assortment of 4 other smaller cakes from our caterer.

My mother made homemade soaps as favours for our guests and we also purchased drink kooozies (although I cant remember the name of the store we got them from!)

We had our reception at Top Gallant Room, a Mitchell Historic Property. It’s such a beautiful historic ballroom in downtown Galveston with lots of charm. We booked one of our favorite local restaurants Olympia Grill to cater for the reception. We also booked entertainment from DJ Connection.

Stephanie and John chose ‘Still Together’ by Mac Demarco for their first dance;

We both love Mac Demarco, and used to listen to this song together while we were dating.

We had our honeymoon a month later on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. We actually rented a car and travelled all over the island, staying at Air bnb’s.

My favourite moment? Our grand exit… we came down the elevator to see all of our friends and family cheering us on as we walked through the crowd of glowsticks and lights to get on our horse and carriage. We felt like movie stars, but better!

Our advice to others is plan to have more alcohol than you think, because we ran out about an hour before it was over and had to have an emergency delivery. Other than that, I’d say it went perfectly!

Also get organized and start early! I naturally love planning but even I was scrambling to get things done (mostly DIY crafts) in the final week. Also, don’t feel like you must be extravagant in your spending. Be true to yourselves. Do what you like, and forget the rest of the fluff.

i have so enjoyed bringing you this adorable wedding and thanks so much to Stephanie and John for letting us share your beautiful July wedding, wishing you both much joy together. A really big thank you also to the talented and very lovely Megan of Megan Biggs Photography for your stunning images of their day.

I hope you’ve enjoyed our first jaunt to the States, I love the vibe of American weddings and hope this will be the first of many,

with love