Interview with the sensational Liz + Justin:
HOW DID YOU MEET? A mutual friend, Kristy, introduced us when Justin was home from college…almost nine years ago…
WHAT ATTRACTED YOU THE MOST TO YOUR HUSBAND/WIFE? Justin and I are best friends. We have similar interests and cherish the time we have together (which never seems to be enough). We can be ourselves around each other – laugh and goof around, tell secrets, share dreams. Justin has a heart of gold filled with love and compassion for others. Lizzie has a fun and adventurous spirit that is unrivaled.
HOW DID HE PROPOSE? Perhaps in the most romantic and memorable way possible! In Northern Michigan on a private beach, we climbed out onto the rocks until we were surrounded by water. With nothing but a few fireflies and birds around, he proposed. As we walked along the beach afterwards fireworks went off on nearby shores. We spent a long weekend on Mackinac Island (which we highly recommend).
WHAT INSPIRED YOUR VISION FOR YOUR WEDDING? It had to be outdoors, in a place that was unique, and there had to be water.
TELL US ABOUT FINDING YOUR VENUE: Finding a venue was the toughest part because we were pretty particular about what we wanted and we had a strict budget. One of the most helpful things was looking at all Concept Photography’s old blog posts to see what venues we liked based on the pictures. Eventually though, a friend of a friend attended a wedding at the venue and we saw the pictures and loved it! As it turned out, the venue was fantastic and the family owners were incredibly helpful and good people. We could not have picked a better place to celebrate our marriage!
WHAT WAS YOUR BIGGEST PLANNING CHALLENGE? Planning a “destination” wedding was difficult because we had no family and friends in the area and we had only been there once before we started planning. Thank goodness for the good vendor list which was provided by the venue owners!
WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE DESIGN ELEMENT OF YOUR WEDDING? The quarry itself was stunning was essentially the reason picked the venue. It was fun to drive through the pumpkin patch and apple orchard to get to the venue/quarry.
DID YOU HAVE ANY DIY DETAILS? We did have a few but we let the venue speak for itself and didn’t want to clutter it. The world map seating chart was probably our favorite DIY detail.
WHAT WAS THE MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT OF YOUR WEDDING DAY? The first look. Once I saw Justin from the top of the hill I would have just run to him (if I didn’t have a big white dress on).
DESCRIBE YOUR CAKE: I’ll leave this to Justin…the dessert connoisseur…There were three layers. The bottom was white wedding cake with vanilla buttercream. The middle layer was a lemon cake with citrus icing – a nod to our Florida roots. The top layer, our favorite, was strawberry cake with a layer of cheesecake in the middle. Delicious! Thank you Karen’s Cakes!!
HOW WAS YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH YOUR PHOTOGRAPHER? Incredible, awesome, amazing, wonderful, fantastic, phenomenal and all that is an understatement. Though we had talked to them several times before the wedding, we didn’t actually meet them until the day of the wedding which I was a little nervous about but it turned out being 100% fine. The day went incredibly smoothly and being with them felt natural and comfortable. Based on the countless hours we spent oohing and aahhing over their blog posts we knew that they were the photographers for us. We love their unique style and ability to capture emotions, moments, and feelings. When you see their work you feel like you are there, seeing it for yourself. Sara has an undying enthusiasm that radiates from her all day as she captures the magic of the day. Jason has a peaceful determination to get the perfect shot. Together they are the perfect pair of creative professionals. We could not have picked better photographers! Thanks Sara and Jason!!
WHAT’S NEXT FOR YOU AND YOUR HUSBAND AS A COUPLE? We are currently on the last leg of our honeymoon in Africa which has been the perfect combination of adventure and relaxation. We will return home to Chicago in a few days.
CAN YOU PLEASE LIST YOUR VENDORS:
Venue – The Quarry at Carrigan Farms in Mooresville, NC – Owned by Doug and Kelly Carrigan
Day of Coordinator – Jessica Alexander of Spintastic Sounds
DJ – Todd Alexander of Spintastic Sounds
Cake – Karen’s Cakes in Statesville, NC
Flowers – Willow Branch Florist
Hair and Makeup – Salon Envy
Alcohol – Total Wines in Viera, FL
White Water Rafting – River and Earth Adventures in Boone, NC
Golfing – Twin Oaks Golf Club in Statesville, NC

Interview with the amazing Kris + Vin:
HOW DID YOU MEET? We met at a NYC bar 12 years back and later reconnected.
WHAT ATTRACTED YOU THE MOST TO YOUR HUSBAND/WIFE?
Vin: Krissy’s outgoing personality, and her way of getting me to come out of my shell.
Kristen: Vin’s love for his family and friends showed me how beautiful his heart is. Not to mention, he is pretty easy on the eyes.
HOW DID HE PROPOSE? It was Christmas Eve, he brought me to a beautiful brunch on the water and later walked me out onto the pier overlooking the city where he popped the question!
WHAT INSPIRED YOUR VISION FOR YOUR WEDDING? We wanted our wedding to reflect our personalities. We wanted it to be understated but still beautiful. We were in the keys, there is not much you have to do ☺
TELL US ABOUT FINDING YOUR VENUE: Cheeca was the first venue we looked at for the wedding. We actually put planning on hold and 2 years after the fact decided it was perfect for what we were envisioning. We made the call and the rest was history.
WHAT WAS YOUR BIGGEST PLANNING CHALLENGE? Vin and I made a pact that we were not going to stress about the wedding. We were both in agreement this was a celebration, and we wanted to enjoy every minute. That being said our most difficult challenge was the wedding was a destination, making it difficult at times to meet with our vendors.
WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE DESIGN ELEMENT OF YOUR WEDDING? I could not have pictured a more beautiful wedding. From the flowers, to the tables, to our vintage splashes throughout, it was picture perfect. Our vendors did an incredible job!
DID YOU HAVE ANY DIY DETAILS? Yes, I do not think we really took into account how much work goes into a wedding lol. We had several DIY details. Our favorite being the welcome bags for our guests, enclosed with goodies and our “favorite” local spots.
WHAT WAS THE MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT OF YOUR WEDDING DAY? Being surrounded by so much love. I remember looking around and the smiles and laughter were simply priceless. We were fortunate to have several days of fun with our closest friends and family! Although our dearest friend Kyle circling the reception on a Schwin was a monumental moment for sure!
DESCRIBE YOUR CAKE: It was delicious, need we say more?
HOW WAS YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH YOUR PHOTOGRAPHER? INCREDIBLE! We felt like we knew them for years. Jason and Sara had a way of easing our nerves and allowed us to enjoy ourselves and just be silly. We had an absolute blast with them. Best part, our guests loved them as much as we did.
WHAT’S NEXT FOR YOU AND YOUR HUSBAND AS A COUPLE? We are still smiling from ear to ear! We plan to extend this “honeymoon” stage as long as possible.
CAN YOU PLEASE LIST YOUR VENDORS:
Venue: Cheeca Lodge
Florist: J. Morgan Flowers – Jacqueline (AMAZING)
DJ: Mike Sipe Entertainment – Troy
Tables, Chairs, Lace Runners – Unearthed Vintage
Officiant – Father Lee Ganim
Lighting – Floral Fantasy
Makeup/Hair – Josie Miller

Interview with our adorable couple, Patti + Shawn:
HOW DID YOU MEET? Long story as short as I can make it, Shawn and I both worked second jobs at a night club. I was the DJ and he was the bouncer. He had asked me out a couple times but I really didn’t want to be the girl that meets a guy at a bar. Later, a mutual friend said that he had a softball team and needed a girl to play. Being that I love playing ball, I went up and told him I would play. At our first game together, Shawn was completely charming and I’m pretty sure we have been inseparable since.
WHAT ATTRACTED YOU THE MOST TO YOUR HUSBAND/WIFE?
Patti: Besides having eyes I could lose myself looking into, and lips I can’t help but want to kiss… he is the kindest most loving soul I have met.
Shawn: I thought she was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. I would sit at the door and watch this gorgeous woman with such beauty and confidence walk by me every night, I knew she had to be mine.
HOW DID HE PROPOSE? We came down to Florida (we live in Ohio) to spend Mother’s Day with my mommy. That morning we went for a walk on the beach and as we got to the end he got on his knee and asked me. It was so beautiful.
WHAT INSPIRED YOUR VISION FOR YOUR WEDDING? We always knew we wanted to be married on the beach and just have our immediate family and our best friends. As for the look…. We didn’t want to compromise classiness but wanted everyone to feel relaxed and comfortable. We tried to have a laid back vibe with a lot of color, and of course the ocean as the backdrop.
TELL US ABOUT FINDING YOUR VENUE: Well, being from Ohio made that kind of difficult. After changing locations multiple times we found Sand on the Beach and knew it was the place for our vision.
WHAT WAS YOUR BIGGEST PLANNING CHALLENGE? What wasn’t a challenge? We had to postpone the wedding due to a family emergency, vendors had to be changed, and I lived 18 hours away! All I can say is thank God for my mother and our wedding planner Susan Coggins of Wedding Belles! I would have never been able to do this without them!!!
WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE DESIGN ELEMENT OF YOUR WEDDING? The ceremony set up for sure. When I walked down the aisle it was everything I had always dreamed it would be.
DID YOU HAVE ANY DIY DETAILS? I made passport invitations with boarding pass R.S.V.Ps and luggage tag Save the Date magnets. It took my best friend Morgan and I forever to get them all together but they were defiantly a hit.
WHAT WAS THE MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT OF YOUR WEDDING DAY? Right before I walked down the aisle, seeing my daddy look at me and smile and then my eyes met with Shawn’s. It gave me a feeling of such overwhelming gratitude and calmness that no words could give it justice.
DESCRIBE YOUR CAKE: Delicious! LOL…. It was vanilla with raspberry filling. Oleander Bakery did an amazing job of making it beautiful!
HOW WAS YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH YOUR PHOTOGRAPHER? Completely AMAZING! We had so much fun taking pictures and the ones we have seen so far are gorgeous! They made us feel like we were celebrities. The Trash the Dress session was by far the highlight for both of us. The wedding day happened so fast and there was so much to do that we didn’t get time to really spend with together. For our Trash the Dress session, we had so much fun and really got to enjoy each other!
WHAT’S NEXT FOR YOU AND YOUR HUSBAND AS A COUPLE? Getting back to normal life. Then hopefully somewhere in the future giving my mom the grandbabies she has been asking for! 😉
CAN YOU PLEASE LIST YOUR VENDORS:
• Wedding Planner: Susan Coggins Wedding Belles
• Caterer: Sand on the Beach
• Florist: Roses are Red
• Cake: Oleander Bakery
• Chairs: Chairs for Affairs
• Reception Music: Celebrations DJs
• Ceremony: Sand on the Beach
• Reception: Sand on the Beach
• Hair & Makeup: Fifth Avenue Wedding Hair and Makeup
• Limo: Hot Rayz