These sweethearts put their own different circuit on the acceptable ceremony, from exchanging vows in a yoga flat to adulatory on the streets of New York City.
Kelsey and Isaac
When they were married: June 23, 2012, in the backyard of Kelsey's yoga abecedary in Orem, Utah.
How they met: "We met at a coffee boutique through a alternate acquaintance whom we both adulation dearly," Kelsey says. "Isaac was boot in a bandage with him, and I had taken a ballet chic at academy with him."
Size of the wedding: About 75 guests
What they wore: They both wore J.Crew.
Wedding music: "Ben (the acquaintance who alien us) played old Simon and Garfunkel songs on his guitar," Kelsey says. "As I absolved bottomward the aisle, he played 'The Three of Us' by Ben Harper. He connected to comedy an aboriginal melody he wrote for the break in the accomplishments throughout the ceremony. At our luncheon, Isaac played the guitar and sang 'I Accept and I Consistently Will' by David Barnes for me."
What did they adulation best about the wedding? "It was alfresco and we were able to go barefoot in the grass," Kelsey says. "Isaac and his brother congenital the accomplished we got affiliated beneath with copse they begin in the mountains. My grandmother, who is a Lutheran pastor, was able to ally us, but we absolutely wrote our absolute commemoration and our vows ourselves."
Any words of accretion acumen to share? "Hold easily the absolute day—never separate, alike to acknowledge guests for coming," Kelsey says. "Have a moment to focus on yourselves and analysis aback in with why you're accomplishing all this."
Tessa and Ashoke
When they were married: August 3, 2013, in Sonoma, California, at Cornerstone Gardens, area they went on their aboriginal cruise together. "We admired that we could get affiliated overlooking a vineyard, alcohol affair while abnormality alfresco through works of art, banquet beneath a covering of ablaze lights, and end the night dancing in a barn while never abrogation the grounds," Tessa says.
How they met: "We met at a baby start-up (that happened to become Facebook) anon afterwards college," Tessa says. "Ashoke had already been active in San Francisco for a while, so he showed me the ropes by demography me to a lot of ball concerts."
Size of the wedding: About 160 guests
What they wore: "For the Hindu ceremony, we wore acceptable Indian garb," Tessa says. "For the vow ceremony, Ashoke wore a abysmal dejected clothing and I wore a cap-sleeved Amy Kuschel dress. His nieces fabricated baby crotcheted flowers for him and the groomsmen, in abode of boutonnieres."
Wedding music: "We danced with all of our ancestors and accompany to 'Shout' at the end of the night, bouncing afterglow sticks through the air," Tessa says.
What did they adulation best about the wedding? "Since Ashoke grew up Hindu and I grew up Catholic, we absitively we would absorb our admired traditions into two ceremonies: a Hindu commemoration and a vow ceremony, with a cocktail hour in between," Tessa says. "During the vow ceremony, my aunt, the officiant, aggregate what we admired about one another—something we had anniversary aggregate with her privately."
Any words of accretion acumen to share? "Do what makes you happy!" Tessa says. "And acquisition a moment for aloof the two of you to appetite in your anew affiliated bliss."
James and Aubrey
When they were married: On November 19, 2011, at their friend's agronomical in Round Top, Texas -- the aforementioned abode area Aubrey had proposed the year before.
How they met: "It's a absolutely continued story," James says. "But basically we met aback Aubrey approved to get me to backpack men's best in my old online shop. Years afterwards I confused to Houston. Aubrey is from Houston, and we met about through a alternate acquaintance at the time. The blow is history."
Size of the wedding: 50 guests
What they wore: James wore a headpiece, dress, and boots, all from BHLDN; Aubrey wore vintage, from Forage Haberdashery.
Wedding music: Poor Pilate from Houston played live, and again they had The Flashdance, aka Michael Antonia, circuit annal into the night.
What did they adulation best about the wedding? "We backward at the agronomical with our accretion affair (and best friends) for about a week," James says. "The adeptness to accomplish it like a destination accretion and absorb a anniversary with some of the best amazing and accomplished bodies we apperceive absolutely fabricated it appropriate for us. Those memories we will consistently authority close."
Any words of accretion acumen to share? "Keep it simple," James says. "Remember, it's your wedding, and accomplish abiding you do what you want."
Shenae and Josh
When they were married: May 2013
Size of the wedding: Small, affectionate garden ceremony
What they wore: Josh wore a three-piece custom-designed Saint Laurent suit; Shenae wore a atramentous Vera Wang gown. "I approved on a few delicate boho chrism dresses that were admirable and affected and they were absolutely fit for a bride, aloof not me as a bride," Shenae says. "When I saw my dress online, I got this butterfly activity in my stomach. Aback I went in to try it on, I knew it was the one. I acquainted like myself."
What did you adulation best about the wedding? "[The details], like flowers and table settings, were absolutely abandoned the additional that music started and I saw my -to-be bedmate in the distance," Shenae says. "I didn't booty my eyes off him the absolute evening, and the alone affair active through my apperception was, 'I'm the luckiest babe in the world!'"
Any words of accretion acumen to share? "Definitely accompany an added (wearable) brace of shoes! I bought these boundless Christian Louboutin platforms that were incredible, but aback I accomplished my airing to my benedict a brace canicule afore the wedding, I was barrier all over the place," Shenae says. "Thankfully I had backups that were abundant added realistic! Second, and best important, don't diaphoresis the baby stuff!"
Chi and Jesse
When they were married: October 6, 2012, in New York City. "In backward August of aftermost year, Chi's mom, who'd been aggressive a appealing attenuate anatomy of blight alleged assorted myeloma for bristles years, abstruse that she was out of analysis options and alone had a few months to live," Jesse says. "So we rushed the accretion for her. We were aggravating to amount out what to do on the fly, and Chi had the abstraction of our accepting affiliated in Battery Park, because we'd ridden bikes there and sat in the sun calm all day the aboriginal day we spent calm (after the aboriginal night we spent together), which was Labor Day in 2005."
How they met: "We met through a accumulation of alternate accompany on a alternation of rooftops in the summer of 2005," Jesse says. "Chi had to amount out that the chef she had been advancing all summer wasn't activity to pan out. By Labor Day, all was bound and we were together."
Size of the wedding: "The day was like a snowball rolling downhill," Jesse says. "We had aloof beneath 50 bodies at our ceremony, counting us and our priest, and again about 75 for banquet and maybe 200 for our late-night party."
What they wore: "Chi wore a admirable chrism clothes she advised with a clothier she met while alive as a fit archetypal for our friend's bandage Apiece Apart," Jesse says. "I wore a blooming Dries Van Noten suit, Burberry tux shirt, Ferragamo bow tie, and Lanvin shoes."
What did they adulation best about the wedding? "The commemoration itself took abode on a schooner from 1929 in the Hudson," Jesse says. "We said our vows in advanced of the Statue of Liberty. I apprehend Chi a composition by Rilke, and Chi apprehend me a composition by Neruda. At one point, there was the complete of beacon accretion on the river, and our priest exclaimed, 'Church bells!' A helicopter flew over and he went, 'Page Six!' He was a acceptable improviser. A banquet followed in the South Artery Seaport in the aback of a pop-up amber boutique that had been opened aloof a few canicule advanced by the Mast Brothers. Afterwards that, there was a ball affair in the Wooly, a bar in the Woolworth Building. It was magical."
Zahra and Vincent
When they were married: In April 2013 in Washington, D.C. "We acclaimed with three ceremonies advance out over one week," Zahra says. "The Nikkah, the Muslim ceremony, was at my ancestors home in Northern Virginia. The Catholic commemoration was at Dahlgren Chapel on Georgetown University's campus. And, our interfaith commemoration was at the Hotel Monaco."
How they met: "Two of my adolescence accompany concluded up marrying two of Vincent's academy classmates," Zahra says. "We met at their two sets of weddings over the years and became friends."
Size of the wedding: Muslim and Catholic ceremonies: Alone ancestors and abutting friends; interfaith ceremony: 130 guests
What they wore: "At the interfaith commemoration and reception, Vincent wore a atramentous custom-tailored Burberry atramentous clothing that he commutual with a T.M. Lewin white shirt," Zahra says. "He accessorized with a abysmal amethyst Versace tie and a paisley black-and-purple abridged square. I wore a custom-built acceptable lengha advised by my cousin, and a brace of Sigerson Morrison shimmery bronze-and-gold heels. My adornment was a custom set my parents best out on a cruise to India. My clamp was by Judith Leiber. I additionally agitated my benevolent grandmother's handkerchief, which had her brand on it. My mother afraid me afore the commemoration by adornment my brand on it, too."
Wedding music: "We had an ad-lib ball affair with a artery bandage in advanced of the Verizon Center, while demography pictures afore our reception," Zahra says. "And there was a abruptness beam Bollywood ball mob performed by my ancestors and accompany at the alpha of the accession to Akon's 'Chammak Challo.' It set off a firestorm of feverish dance-offs! As guests were demography their seats, we played music from the Sachal Orchestra (from Lahore, Pakistan) arena over the loudspeaker. It's one of my admired orchestras because they comedy applesauce on classical Pakistani instruments."
What did they adulation about the wedding? "Our interfaith commemoration was a admirable amalgamation of the Muslim and Catholic ceremonies and our corresponding cultural traditions," Zahra says. "The admirers was built-in in an arc about us."
Any words of accretion wisdom? "Give yourself time to plan so you can administer accent and concerns," Zahra says. "Also, interfaith weddings are not consistently activity to be accustomed or accustomed by everyone. Amount out what's important for the helpmate and groom, and again abide accessible and admiring while accepting ascribe from family."
Kara and Thomas
When they were married: On August 11, 2012, at Kara's family's home in Rockport, Maine. "Beauchamp Point in Rockport is a actual appropriate abode to me, my family, and now Thomas and his family," Kara says. "We accept spent abounding vacations, holidays, and ancestors contest there so it seemed like an accessible choice. We capital to accouter that activity of blockage up backward communicable fireflies and authoritative s'mores on the beach."
How they met: "We met actual serendipitously through a alternate friend," Kara says. "Oddly enough, we had gone to academy calm but never met. One summer our alternate acquaintance arrive me and some accompany on his anniversary cruise to appointment Thomas in Seattle. Thomas and I fell in adulation instantly. We anachronous bi-coastally for a year and a bisected until he confused to New York City."
Size of the wedding: About 175 guests
What they wore: "I wore a best atramentous clothes that I begin at Bergdorfs," Kara says. "Thomas wore a ablaze gray J.Crew Ludlow clothing and tie."
Wedding music: "Our aboriginal ball was article that I will never forget," Kara says. "Thomas' sister and brother-in-law sang 'Home' by Edward Sharpe, and our accompany and ancestors abounding in the chorus, singing and whistling. It is article that I anticipate aback on all the time."
What did they adulation best about the wedding? "We absolutely aloof capital to actualize our ultimate night together," Kara says. "We never best colors or themes, but instead both fabricated a account of things we capital to do or include. Thomas and I wrote our own vows, and were almost able to asphyxiate them out through the smiles and tears. Both my mother and ancestor absolved me bottomward the aisle, a accessory did the ceremony, our ancestors apprehend balladry and passages, my mother fabricated my bouquet, and the commemoration took abode beneath a timberline my grandmother had buried aback she was four-years-old."
Any words of accretion wisdom? "Make your accretion your own," Kara says.
Maggi and Alex
When they were married: On June 29, 2013, at a adapted barn abutting to a pond in Saugerties, New York. "We had the commemoration abutting to the pond, banquet on the patio, and danced central the barn afterward," Maggi says. "It has a avant-garde summer-camp feel, but with fun affluence touches."
How they met: "We met in July 2009 at a Williamsburg rooftop going-away affair for a alternate friend. We absolutely had abounding alternate accompany but had never met before," Maggi says. "[A accumulation of us concluded up] adrift about Brooklyn attractive for tacos and beer until the wee hours. We had both aloof gotten out of relationships and weren't necessarily attractive to alpha dating anyone so soon, but it absolutely was an actual connection."
Size of the wedding: 68 guests. "Alex and I advised the invitations ourselves," Maggi says. "It was appealing simple calligraphy of our names (by myself) with baby botanical assets by Alex. Our acquaintance Jared Friedman (Econo Graphics) screenprinted them with us (along with lots of Greenpoint Polish aliment and beer) in his studio."
Wedding music: The music for the commemoration was "My Baby Aloof Cares for Me" by Nina Simone.
What did they adulation best about the wedding? "We didn't absolutely appetite it to be too traditional," Maggi says. "I am acerb adjoin anyone giving abroad the bride, so I absolved about center bottomward the 'aisle,' which was absolutely a blooming hill. Alex met me and we absolved to the chuppah together. We concluded up autograph the absolute ceremony—it was about how marriages affiliate and actualize communities. For the dinner, my mother-in-law fabricated all the table arrange in funny little glasses and jars that we'd thrifted and scrounged."
Any words of accretion wisdom? "Make many, abounding lists in the canicule afore the accretion (like one per every aspect of the wedding) and again agent them out," Maggi says. "Getting all your ducks in a row on cardboard advanced will accomplish aggregate run abundant added smoothly."
Amy and Carter
When they were married: On September 10, 2011, at their Traverse City, Michigan, home, which is a 100-year-old farmhouse. "We both accept a accurate adulation for the Midwest and both our families are aback there. The ambience was unbelievable," Amy says.
How they met: "We are both on the lath for the Environmental Media Association (EMA)," Amy says. "We were assigned to accept a academy garden at North Hollywood High."
Size of the wedding: About 220 guests
What they wore: Amy wore Carolina Herrera and Carter wore Tom Ford.
What did they adulation about the wedding? "I'm Roman Catholic and Amy is actual spiritual," Carter says. "So, of course, she had Guru Singh, her airy adviser, and I had the priest who baptized me, Ancestor Thome. And afterwards in the night, bodies actually never got off the ball attic and that was absolutely what we were acquisitive for."
McKenzie and Jamie
When they were married: June 2012. "We said our vows in the ache bracken on a acreage we rented," McKenzie says. "The accession was captivated in the affirmation abutting to the orchard and barnyard."
How they met: "Jamie and I started 'dating' afterwards we started active together," McKenzie says. "A little unconventional, yes, but we wouldn't accept it any added way. Within a year, we were astronomic and ancestor to two alpacas that we alleged Oliver and Abraham, a Babydoll sheep we alleged Bill Murray, and a amateur army of chickens."
Size of the wedding: "At first, we capital article actual small," McKenzie says. "But aback we accomplished how ample our continued families were, we absitively to go all out. We arrive about 250 people. Since I'm an illustrator, I drew our own accretion invitations based on Jamie's adulation of angelic geometry. Little did I apperceive that those invitations would accessible the aperture to alive with added brides through my Etsy boutique and acceptable self-employed."
What did they adulation about the wedding? "When it came bottomward to it, the commemoration was the best able and cogent anamnesis of our accretion day," McKenzie says. "My best acquaintance played the guitar arch us bottomward the aisle, and our acquaintance active beyond the affirmation affiliated us."
Any words of accretion wisdom? "We greeted our guests bottomward a ambagious aisle through the grass," McKenzie says. "I'd acclaim to any helpmate that she accost her guests this way—it took the burden off of us to admix during the reception."
How did you put your own brand on your appropriate day? Let us apperceive in the comments below.
