Danielle Wearing The Ari Dress
So tell us, how did you meet the love of your life?
We met at work 10 years ago. When he started, I thought he was a giant child and was not a fan. He grew on me quickly and here we are! 10 years later and I couldn't imagine my life without him.
When did you know they were the one?
When we were "just friends" (ie dating but denying that it was anything serious) he took me to Philadelphia to meet his huge irish family. A group of some of the most amazing humans I would ever know who let me see a different side of him. I knew he was fun and funny and sweet. But through them I saw this kind, generous, caring, protective and wonderful man who loved the people in his life so hard and would give anything to make sure they were safe and happy. After that trip I knew this was more than a fling and started to see the Tim that his family knew. A few weeks later he helped me move into a new apartment and when he was able to carry my couch up a staircase over his shoulder like it was nothing, my dad said "marry that man". And I listened. LOL
Tell us the story of the proposal!
We took our old dog for a day trip to the beach. It was fall so hardly anyone around. We had been together 7 years at this point and had talked about marriage so I knew it would happen someday but there was no rush. He actually forgot the ring at home and had to go back but I had no idea this would be the day so completely missed all of the flags. We still laugh about how oblivious I was. At one point I was trying to get a picture with our dog who was kicking sand in my face. Tim knelt down to help me get the sand out of my eyes and when I looked up, he was holding the ring. The exact one I had told him I loved months before. I cried of course. It was low key, just us 3 and no fuss. Perfect in every way.
How long was your engagement? What went into deciding your wedding's date and location?
2 years. I would have eloped in mexico but with him having such a large and close family, and both of us having aging parents, we knew our wedding day wasn't just about us, but about sharing this day with them. His mom actually found the venue and two weeks after we were engaged, it was booked! I am a wedding photographer so wanted the day to be easy and carefree and didnt put much thought into tiny details. We went with October bc an irish wedding would not be tolerated in the summer sun and then booked the photographer, which was the most important thing for me, obviously :)
How would you describe your personal style? What was most important to you when you were planning your bridal look?
Laid back, carefree and comfortable. I wanted something classic and elegant but easy going. I wanted a dress that I could wear all night and drink a guinness in without wishing I could take it off. Photographing weddings I hear so many of my brides complain about how heavy and uncomfortable their dresses are. And so many others have to stress over diets and alterations just to feel comfortable in their gowns. I was not about that life. I wanted to slip on my dress, feel beautiful and then not think about it again.
How did you find Wear Your Love?
Instagram! I had followed Wear Your Love for about a year before I started shopping after seeing a fellow photographer post one of their brides in one of your styles.
When did you know you had found your perfect dress?
I went with my mom and my best friend to try on dresses a couple times just to have that experience. I found a few that I liked but there was something missing from all of them. I kept coming back to the pictures of the Ari and realized that it had everything I was looking for in the other dresses. Once I showed my ladies, they confirmed it was perfect and convinced me to just go for it.
Which dress did you choose, and did you request any custom aspects?
I chose the Ari with 7/8 sleeves. I wanted that flow train feel without feeling bogged down by it. I loved the waistline and flowy feel to the skirt and the high neck and long sleeves was in complete contrast to my usual fashion choices which made it perfect for something special on my day.
What went through your mind when the Wear Your Love box arrived at your doorstep and you tried on your dress for the first time?
The dress fit perfectly. Being in the wedding industry during one of the busiest seasons Ive ever experienced, I didnt have a lot of time to devote to doing a traditional wedding diet and fell off that wagon after long wedding days over and over again. I knew I didnt have to worry bc my dress was made to fit me but we are still made to worry about that until the dress actually comes. True to every review I'd read, the dress slipped on with ease and fit perfect. I was comfortable and felt so beautiful. I honestly didnt want to take it off.
Did your wedding have a theme or style?
Very laid back and relaxed. My husband and I cheered with Guinness at the end of our aisle, everyone we hired were family and friends and we had a taco bar and donuts. Nothing was stuffy or overdone and we had two cocktail hours so there was more than enough time to laugh and relax with our closest friends and family members. We didn't have traditional wedding party and my husband's brothers handed out cold beers as they walked down the aisle. My step dad married us with vows written by my mom and our dog slept in the aisle with flowers around her neck as we said our vows.
How involved was your partner in the wedding planning? Did your families help? Did you hire a coordinator, planner, or event stylist?
It was a fairly small event and we have a lot of close family members so did pretty much everything ourselves. My husband is a very "tell me what you need and I'll take care of it" kind of guy so while he didn't have a lot of opinions about things, he had a to-do list and worked his butt off to help pull everything together perfectly. Our families did so much to make it perfect. From day one they were involved and it wouldn't have been the same without them.
Let's show your wedding venue some love! What is the name of your venue, and why did you choose it for your special day?
Our venue is Pleasant View Farms Bed & Breakfast. It is a privately owned family farm and Inn - the next exit down from where my husband grew up. The owner and her husband are amazing and helped with everything from checklists to advice to day of coordination to make it all come together. Nancy (the owner) even makes fabulous and extravagant homemade breakfasts each morning of your wedding weekend and every inch of the property is beautifully manicured and filled with love and perfect little touches. The first time we visited it just felt right. It all kind of fell into place which is big for my husband and I. We believe that certain things are just meant to be and this was one that fell in our lap and worked out perfectly. I was actually booked to photograph another wedding at this venue next year and am so excited that Ill get to continue my relationship with Nancy and her lovely home. It holds such a special place in my heart and Im so grateful that my mother in law found it for us!
Tell us about your wedding playlist! What song did you walk down the aisle to? Did you have a first dance song that was meaningful to you?
We walked down the aisle to Bloom by The Paper Kites. At the tail end of our ceremony we played Drunken Lullabies by Flogging Molly bc that's why you do when you have an Irish wedding! Our first dance was to Dressed Up In White by CAL. We wanted something fun and upbeat as we are a fun and upbeat couple and something too slow and serious just wouldn't be our style.
What was your favorite moment of the day?
Its a toss up between the first look when I got some tears out of the hubs and the end of the night when we took a schoolbus with our guests to a local pub (in my dress of course) for cheese fries, whiskey drinks and a surprise performance by an Alice Cooper cover band. It was everything I never knew I wanted for our wedding night and so fun and memorable!
Who was involved in your special day? We would love to shout out your photographer, favorite vendors, and anyone else who made your day magical.
My photographer is literally the best. Not only is she my own photography mentor and the person responsible for cheering me on within my photography career and journey, she's just a ray of sunshine and so talented. Everyone asks me how hard it was to find a photographer being one myself and if it was hard to let go of that control but I never doubted her for one second. She is a true artist and a wonderful human and made our day and this whole journey a million times more magical. She drove 4 hours the night before, worked all day 7 MONTHS PREGNANT and her and her husband were the hit of the party. Ive only gotten a couple sneaks so far bc, hellooo busy season! but they are more than I could have imagined. Her insta handle is @lar.photog The venue is @pleasantviewfarmbb. taco bar was courtesy of @Forrestsfeedco which is my best friends husbands local BBQ joint and my bouquet was made by a friend with flowers sourced from a local flower farm @rootsflowerfarm. Hair and makeup were by vendors Ive worked with on other shoots and fell in love with. hair by @heathershavensalon and makeup by @_beauty_by_lissa.
Do you have any advice or helpful tips for others planning a wedding?
Dont sweat the small stuff. No matter how perfectly you plan, things will go wrong. Go with it. The stuff that doesn't go according to plan is always the stuff you love the most about your day 10-20 years down the road. My mom insisted on M&M party favors. This was so not my vibe. She must've had a few glasses of wine before ordering bc she ordered them all to say "Mrs & Mrs" instead of "Mr & Mrs" and they turned out to be our favorite things on our day. Go with the flow, keep smiling and enjoy being in the moment. No matter how beautiful you or the venue or how perfect the pictures, if you are stressing all day about inconsequential things, that's all you will remember when you look back on this day. So let go and enjoy the ride!
What has been the best part so far about being married?
I always ask my wedding couples if they feel any different after the wedding and most say yes but honestly, we had 10 years in before we were married and life is pretty much exactly the same as it was before! Im still getting used to calling him "husband":)
Congratulations, Danielle & Tim! Danielle is wearing The Ari with nude lining and a 12 inch train.