Real Couples // Two Dapper Granddads Married in Atlanta: Roderic + Shawn

/ The Trolley Barn Atlanta/
Real Couples // Two Dapper Granddads Married in Atlanta: Roderic + Shawn

The day we met, you could not have told me we were going to be married. However, two days later, I knew he was the one for me. On August 19, 2010, I got a text (yeah a text), asking if I wanted to do this dating thing exclusively, and after a quick yes, it was a done deal. There were constant confirmations that this was the one for me. I will share a few:

During our first date night conversation — that lasted five hours — he asks, "What's ya favorite song?" as he queues up his to share with me.
"Faith Evans' 'Keep the Faith'" I respond.
He gives a smile and pushes play... and yes, it was his favorite song, too.

We spent the next few years finishing each other's sentences.

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Real Couples // Engagement Photos in NYC: Jálynn + Tiffany

/ manhattan/
Real Couples // Engagement Photos in NYC: Jálynn + Tiffany

"Tiffany and I met for the first time on a January evening in New York City. It was my birthday, and I was celebrating with friends. Tiffany had been invited to the same bar by a mutual acquaintance. Tiffany recalls she was amazed by how quickly we connected, despite just meeting that night. I was taken with Tiffany’s quiet confidence, charming intellect, and sweet smile.

After discovering Tiffany and I had both attended boarding school in the Northeast, had the same major in college, and were both passionate about careers in public service, I was smitten. We closed down the bar that night, and after hanging out a few more times, we finally went out on a proper date."

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Real Couples // A Rainbow-Themed Celebration Of Love in Cancún: Ariadna + Laura

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Real Couples // A Rainbow-Themed Celebration Of Love in Cancún: Ariadna + Laura

Nuestra mayor inspiración para planear la boda fue el lugar en dónde nos conocimos y en nuestras personalidades. A las dos nos encanta la playa, el mar y la suave arena del caribe, por lo que, queríamos que todos estos elementos tuvieran un lugar importante dentro de nuestro gran día! Somos personas muy alegres y nos encanta la música, así que decidimos que la decoración y la temática serian colore alegres y llenos de vida ( verde, amarillo, fucsia y azul). Decidimos gastar una buena parte de nuestro presupuesto en los músicos! Asi que, buscamos una persona con la que nos identificáramos para que tocara en vivo durante la ceremonia nuestras canciones favoritas y con un toque especial.  El mariachi no podía faltar al salir del altar para celebrar y por último una banda de música en vivo durante la fiesta no podía faltar. La ceremonia fue oficiada por una ministro muy amiga de nosotras por lo qué, el discurso fue aún mas emotivo y personalizado.

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Real Couples // An Interracial Cuban-Chinese Wedding: Kelly + Michael

/ Ryland Inn/
Real Couples // An Interracial Cuban-Chinese Wedding: Kelly + Michael

Kelly and Michael were study partners first, then friends, and then best friends. She talked him through a breakup. He listened to her stories about dating in New York. Law school trudged on. She got a job in New Jersey, and he got a job in California. Romance seemed unlikely.

Then she visited him in California for one glorious week, and he fell in love. She remained unsure. They returned to Ann Arbor for their last year of law school and spent most of their class time talking to each other. They went together to brunches and dinners, Michigan football games and music concerts, and he fell more and more in love, while she played coy about her own growing feelings.

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Real Couples // A Storybook Wedding: James + Gloria

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Real Couples // A Storybook Wedding: James + Gloria

James and Gloria met in University in a Chinese class. They had their wedding in one of the most beautiful venues in Edmonton, the Hotel MacDonald. The ceremony room is so beautiful that it looks like a picture from a fairytale story book. It was a rainy day, but thank goodness the venue is so beautiful and we were able to take lots of formal photos indoor. The tea ceremony took place right after the ceremony in the Hotel MacDonald. Their wedding cake by Art of Cake was so gorgeous. James and Gloria were such a cute and down-to-earth couple and I feel so lucky to be part of their big day.

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Real Couples // Engagement at the Griffith Observatory in L.A.: Nancy + Will

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Real Couples // Engagement at the Griffith Observatory in L.A.: Nancy + Will

We got engaged over Christmas vacation while visiting home (Massachusetts). We were headed to have dinner with his dad when he decided to take me on a little driving tour of his hometown. Little did I know that he was just gathering up courage to pop the question. We park at a quaint little pond and take a walk to the gazebo and that is where he asked. We drive by it every time we go to his Dad's house.

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Real Families // Ethereal Boho Wedding: Mydanh + Alec

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Real Families // Ethereal Boho Wedding: Mydanh + Alec

Mydanh Nguyen Tran and Alec Baker met only a year and a half ago, and it was love at first sight. They were both newly divorced with kids in tow and decided to do a very low-key two day event at Alec's farmhouse in Upperco, Maryland, this past June with only close family members invited to the actual ceremony and close friends and other family for the reception the following day. Mydanh's daughter, Laya, and Alec's daughter, Justine, were the flower girls, while Mydanh's son, Liam, walked her down the aisle. The kids stole the show to say the least

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Real Couples // A Wintery Engagement Session on the Streets of Paris: Gisele + Luiza

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Real Couples // A Wintery Engagement Session on the Streets of Paris: Gisele + Luiza

It was fifth of August 2013 when I first saw her. We both work for the same organization, and she was giving a speech regarding a subject that I was completely aware of, so I actually had planned not to be there. When I saw her, I couldn't help but sit and watch the flawless way she spoke about something she enjoys and listen to the sound of her voice. Some days later, I found the courage to send her an e-mail (she did not have Facebook or any social media, which I found weird!) inviting her do have lunch with me. After that, we could not stop being together.

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Real Couples // An Indian American Wedding in Galveston: Jessica + Ryan

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Real Couples // An Indian American Wedding in Galveston: Jessica + Ryan

Ryan and Jessica are some of the kindest people you will ever meet. They first met in the fall of 2011 at Texas A&M University. When they met at Schuhmacher Hall, Jessica thought Ryan was super weird. They became close friends almost immediately, so Jessica was also probably a little weird in her own right. From late night studying and dinners at Sbisa to playing in the rain on campus and cheering on the fightin' Texas Aggie football team, Ryan and Jessica realized there was something special between them and eventually started dating. Ryan loved Jessica for a long time and waited patiently for her to finish nursing school before they got married.

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Real Couples // A Beautiful Garden and Ballroom Wedding: Marquis + Ruth

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Real Couples // A Beautiful Garden and Ballroom Wedding: Marquis + Ruth

Ruth is a Registered Nurse, born and raised in Haiti. She met Marquis while she was getting her nursing degree at Keiser University; he was studying criminal justice. Marquis is an army veteran who was raised in Brooklyn, New York, and served eighteen months during a tour of Iraq. 

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Real Couple // Black Tie LGBTQ City Hall Wedding: David + Michael

/ san francisco city hall/
Real Couple // Black Tie LGBTQ City Hall Wedding: David + Michael

We are David White and Michael Rawls. We met in January 2011 and were married on June 20, 2016, at San Francisco City Hall. I wanted our proposal story to be special, so we planned a trip to Las Vegas in September of 2015. We saw Celine Deon and Britney Spears in concert two nights back to back, which was pretty awesome. I surprised Michael the second afternoon with a helicopter tour from Vegas out to the Grand Canyon. Michael had never been to the Grand Canyon, and neither of us had been in a helicopter. The helicopter tour we selected was special because we didn't just fly over the canyon. We landed by the Colorado River and had a champagne lunch with the pilot and two other couples. While we were in the belly of the canyon, I asked Michael to be my husband. It was pretty great: he said yes. 

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Real Couples // Second Weddings, Merging Families, and Coparenting: Karen + Andy

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Real Couples // Second Weddings, Merging Families, and Coparenting: Karen + Andy

Andy and Karen have been through the ringer in love. They thought they both had something but both ended in divorce. What Andy thought was love was simply going through the motions. What Karen thought was love was a different kind of love. These were both hard times, yet they have healed and learned and have become stronger.

And through this, they have discovered new depths. New uncharted continents. Andy has learned to love and take care of himself. Karen has discovered new power in herself and loves Nick as a friend and co-parent. I think you both have discovered love in its fullness and depth. A greater depth and rooting....A love that won’t dissolve and fall once the season changes. Your roots are entwined and you are one tree, not two.

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Real Couples // Stylish Intimate Airbnb Desert Elopement: Kelly & Lee

/ Joshua Tree/
Real Couples // Stylish Intimate Airbnb Desert Elopement: Kelly & Lee

The one thing that really stood out at our wedding was the view! Our location was everything we wanted it to be, and the table decoration was beautiful: put together from various vintage thrift-store finds and plants we sourced from the LA flower market. During the months leading up to our wedding we collecting various vintage plates, silverware and glasses. All mix-and-match. They were all gorgeous. We flew them down in various suitcases before the event, thankfully most made it un-smashed! We also had a few items from our home including rugs and small vintage accessories. Lee hand-made some cool custom Joshua Tree matchboxes which were given out to guests and used to light all of the candles we had around.

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Real Couples // A Childhood Love Story: Ashlee + Mike

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Real Couples // A Childhood Love Story: Ashlee + Mike

We met at church; his mom was my Girl Scout troop leader. He was always trolling and dropping in on our Girl Scout meetings. We were like kindergarteners. I'm pretty sure he picked on me because he was so in love, lol. We became really close friends and remained that way through college.

He popped the question while we were on a surprise anniversary trip to Lake Tahoe. I had no clue! When we started dating Mike always loved to write poems for me. There was a poem that he wrote for me when we first started dating that he hadn't finished, and he named it "untitled." So after dinner we went back to the hotel, and he asked if I could record him reading a new poem. Come to find out it was the unfinished poem he had written, except this time it had an ending... he asked if I'd be his wife! He retitled it "Lucky Number 7" in honor of it being our 7th and final dating anniversary. Not only that, he proposed at the same time he'd asked me to be his girlfriend 7 years ago. I still have no clue how he pulled all that off.

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Real Couples // An Austrian Museum Wedding: Elissa + Ralf

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Real Couples // An Austrian Museum Wedding: Elissa + Ralf

Elissa is from the USA and Ralf is from South Africa but they met whilst living and working in London. They decided that they wanted to do something a little different for their wedding so they decided to get married in their favourite ski resort in Austria. Elissa wore her great grandmother's dress from the 1920s which Elissa used to dress up in as a little girl, although it did need quite a lot of repairs from many years of being well loved. Their reception was held at the "Museum Restaurant", a ski museum in St Anton, where guests could wander between the exhibits during courses.

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Real Couples // Intimate Same-Sex Wedding on a Boat in Hawai'i

/ Tradewind Charters/
Real Couples // Intimate Same-Sex Wedding on a Boat in Hawai'i

Kate and Jo were married on a boat just off the coast of Honolulu, Hawaii, surrounded by a small group of loved ones. After the ceremony, Kate and her sister performed slam poetry as a surprise for Jo, and there wasn't a dry eye to be found. They finished up the day with drinks and cookies at a local bar.

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Real Couples // Cathedral Wedding: Laura + Marc

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Real Couples // Cathedral Wedding: Laura + Marc

When it comes to seeing people that have storybook love, Marc and Laura take first place. After dating over three years, Marc sang a song he wrote to Laura during his proposal. The theme of prayer over their relationship hit a new level at their wedding. There were tears during the big moments, laughter in the small ones, and fun dance moves during the reception. Marc and Laura are a couple that leave you feeling complete joy.

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Real Couples // Versace Elopement: Ethan + Ricky

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Real Couples // Versace Elopement: Ethan + Ricky

It was actually really hard to write about our relationship without just saying I LOVE THE SHIT OUT OF HIM like a thousand times. (laughs)

I would love to say that we met in a bookstore on a crisp autumn day, but alas we met online—an anticlimactic beginning to the most fulfilling and deepest love of my life. I got to marry my best friend and the best person I know. He is the calm to my storm, the voice of reason to my extra-ness, and the smartest person I have ever met. We complement each other in so many ways — it’s almost hard to put into words. We just get each other and everything works. Our relationship is easy. 

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