On July 10, 2011, Melanie, an event designer, and David, a math teacher, became husband and wife in a beautiful ceremony in California’s Sonoma Wine Country.
For the bride, picking the quaint and picturesque location was a simple choice. “We knew that being in Sonoma with our friends and family was very important to us and that the food would be amazing no matter where we choose,” says Melanie.
Originally Melanie picked a wedding gown that tied at the waist, which she absolutely loved, but she was about to get another surprise. She swapped her original dress out for this gorgeous Grecian inspired one-shoulder gown when she found out they were expecting a little bundle of joy.
Melanie’s pretty pearls, sparking studs, and floral peep-toe shoes complement her romantic wedding style to a tee.
It didn’t take Melanie very long to realize he was her dream guy. She recalls a trip they once took together to Oregon. “We told stories of our lives and laughed and laughed all night. I never laughed that much in my life and I knew I never wanted it to end.”
Melanie’s sweet daughter Zoe not only lent her mom a hand in planning the special day, but she also got a chance to wear a hairstyle and outfit similar to Mommy’s, too. Doesn’t she look delighted to share the spotlight with her mom?
“We recognized and said vows to Zoe, my daughter from a previous relationship,” says Melanie. “We gave her a special locket during the ceremony to symbolize our new bond as a family.”
The ring bearer shows off his pearly whites and pretty boutonniere for the camera.
Super-talented designer extraordinaire Melanie is braver than most brides. Rather than hire a florist, she designed her own floral arrangements and bouquet for her big day. How she found the time, we’ll never know, but the finished product was absolutely divine.
To keep guests informed on where to find the wedding day fun, the couple had this map designed to help everyone get around their wedding site.
Melanie painted water color hearts on the invitations, and chose a heart shape for their wedding programs to match. Carrying small elements of your theme into and throughout your big day is just one of many easy ways to make your wedding one-of-a-kind.
Melanie and David pucker up to perfection at the altar. Notice the gorgeous paper poms and streamers in back? It’s an easy way to instantly spice up your altar and add romantic pops of color.
“David’s suit was from Nordstrom,” Melanie tells us. “We wanted him to look casual and comfortable.”
Want to save on flowers? Take a cue from Melanie’s adorable DIY wedding style and make your own corsages and boutonnieres out of lace fabrics, buttons, felt, and any other crafty finds you can get your hands on in your wedding colors.
Melanie and David wanted to be sure their guests were relaxed and enjoyed the day. This slogan served as a friendly reminder.
“I love red velvet cupcakes,” Melanie says. Her dear friend Hailey with Dots and Cupcakes in Pasadena created a red velvet cupcake mix that the couple put in muslin bags for the guests. Now this is what we call a unique favor idea — we bet the couple’s guests were delighted to find out what was inside those pretty little bags.
Even the sweets got all dressed up for Melanie and David’s big day. Don’t you just love Melanie’s eye for style? She’s the creator and founder of Lucky and Lovely, an Atlanta-based event and branding design company.
Guests took a seat at these lovely king tables and snacked on little baskets of fresh berries as they waited for the meal to be served.
When Melanie and David first connected on eHarmony.com, they were surprisingly open with one another. Things felt right from the start, so rather than fight their feelings, they both agreed to just go with it. It was an excellent call. Just look where they ended up a year later.
“One of my favorite memories was waiting to go down the aisle, and the waitress at the restaurant brought me something blue,” Melanie recalls. “I was so nervous and parched and they handed me a lavender lemonade. It really quenched my thirst.”
“I loved walking down the aisle and seeing David there,” Melanie tells us. “I loved saying my vows. There wasn’t a dry eye there, and I remember looking at my daughter and seeing her cry. It was very sweet.”
“Planning together was fun,” says Melanie, who admits she took total control of their to-do-list. “David trusted all my choices and suggestions and went with it. It was very easy breezy.”
“Absolutely nothing went wrong,” Melanie says. “It was the perfect day.” Join us in congratulating the happy couple. To see more amazing photos from Melanie and David’s wedding day visit The Bride’s Cafe now.
