“I knew Hugh was The One from day one,” Shavonn shares. “I was speechless when he proposed.”
“We looked for a venue that fit our theme and we love wineries,” Shavonn explains. “We definitely wanted a place our guests could enjoy during our three-day wedding celebration. Chateau Elan Winery and Resort was a perfect fit for us because it was classic and matched our Titanic theme.”
Shavonn chose to wear her hair in a classic bun. “Easy, breezy, Cover Girl,” says Shavonn who enlisted the help of makeup artist Caroline Green to achieve her bridal glow. “I wore my hair in a classic bun. It was the easiest style to wear with my veil.” A big shout out to hair stylist Todd Edwards of Purple Door Salon for a flawless execution.
Gold slippers for a princess bride. Just lovely!
“I had a difficult time finding my gown because I wanted something original,” says Shavonn. “I was attracted to Winnie Couture because you are able to create a dress by mixing tops and bottoms.” We love what she decided on!
“I was so excited to be a groom,” Hugh reveals. We love that the photographer captured this tender moment with her camera.
“He exceeds my expectations of a man to the highest degree and embodies the traditional values of honesty, commitment and loyalty that are hard to find,” Shavonn explains.
“My bouquet was made of all white roses,” says Shavonn. “White roses are classic and we wanted a neutral colored palate to highlight the antique gold.”
We were totally in awe over the back of Shavonn’s dress. Isn’t it lovely?
“He understands me as a person and as a women and he meets all of my needs,” boasts Shavonn.
“I knew I wanted a dress consistent with my theme so I looked for an ivory, satin ball gown with pickups and a beaded top,” the bride explains. “As soon, as I put my gown on I knew it was the one. I made some additional changes including adding a dropped back and a removable shrug for coverage for the church ceremony.”
“What I love most about Hugh is that we’re kindred spirits,” says Shavonn. Her groom gave her this gorgeous ring as a token of his undying love and devotion.
“My two closest girlfriends were my bridesmaids and one of their daughters was my flower girl,” Shavonn shares. “My husband’s brother was his best man and his other groomsman was his best friend. We kept it small which made everything really easy.”
“My bridesmaids mint green dresses popped with there ivory and pink bouquets,” says the bride.
“Because of Shavonn’s loving ways and unbelievably kind spirit I chose her to be my wife,” says Hugh.
Hugh and his groomsman rocked black tuxedos custom tailored to perfection.
The happy couple made it official at the Bethlehem Methodist Church.
Hugh waits patiently for his bride to come down the aisle.
Shavonn felt at ease as she walked side by side with her father down the aisle.
No caption needed here. A train as fabulous as Shavonn’s speaks for itself. Gorgeous!
“Our ceremony decor was very simple,” Shavonn explains. “We wanted to let the natural beauty of the church shine and wanted the focus to be on exchanging our vows.”
This photo of Hugh getting ready to kiss his bride is truly unforgettable.
“I fell in love with Hugh when I saw how much empathy and sincerity he showed my grandmother as his patient,” says Shavonn of her surgeon hubby. “I thought to myself, wow, this guy is really nice.” That’s when she knew that maybe her grandmother was onto something when she kept trying to set them up on a date.
Meet Dr. and Mrs. Richardson! The couple was all smiles on their way back down the aisle and they looked absolutely fabulous in the process.
We just love a grand church exit. Don’t you? #aww
“My husband surprised me with a wedding gift like no other,” says Shavonn. “I left the wedding transportation from the ceremony up to him. As we ran out of the church, the photographer caught the true look of surprise on my face when I saw a red 1941 Plymouth as our get away car and my wedding gift. It was a great moment.”
Shavonn beamed as she caught a ride with her new husband and their wedding guests cheered them off.
The newlyweds made their way to the reception venue in style!
Shavonn and Hugh used romantic blooms and candles to decorate their elegant reception tables.
“Our entrance was unlike any other wedding entrance we’ve ever seen,” says Shavonn. “After the bridal party entered, the room was completely darkened and we just appeared on the dance floor for our first dance to Roberta Flack’s ‘First Time Ever I Saw Your Face’ as we stood under a spotlight. Everyone was just in awe.”
Gold accents add instant elegance to Shavonn and Hugh’s reception tables. “The wedding favors were gold-jeweled jewelry boxes (for the ladies) that doubled as picture frames (for the guys) imported from India,” says Shavonn. “We loved them because they were elaborate and totally blinged out. We were able to also use them as escort card holders. They looked great on the table and guests took them home at the end of the night.”
Now this is what we call winery chic!
Shavonn and Hugh pose with their stunning three-layered vanilla cake with raspberry custard. So sweet!
Captured memories on display helped to add an intimate feel to the couple’s reception space. We love the customized details.
Hugh and Shavonn had a blast checking off the classic wedding traditions like the garter belt and bouquet toss.
A toast to the happy couple! Don’t they make a lovely pair?
If you enjoyed sharing in Shavonn and Hugh’s wedding joy as much as we did, don’t forget to tell us what you loved most about their wedding weekend and leave them a little comment love below. Want to see your wedding featured in Bridal Bliss? Email us now!
