Michelle & Erik’s sophisticated navy and white wedding was the perfect reflection of their personalities, and Hunter Ryan Photo captured it all beautifully! Drawing their inspiration from their personalities and Erik’s Navy career, Michelle and Erik chose an elegant all white color palette accented with lovely shades of blue. And not only is the wedding itself beautiful, but this couple had THE cutest first look- using big white balloons! Erik hid behind the balloons while Michelle peeked around them to see each other for the first time, and Hunter Ryan Photo was there to capture it all! Michelle is here with us today sharing more about her wedding and her planning experience…
What (or who) helped you most in your planning process and/or on your wedding day?
My wedding planner and mom really helped the most through the planning process, especially on the day of. My mom helped me with the everyday decisions leading up to our big day and Nicole (from NK Productions) helped with the big planning and day of. She made the set up for the reception and organization seamless. I didn’t have to worry about a thing!
What was the most important thing to you when deciding who to work with for your wedding?
The most important thing for me when choosing a wedding planner was to have someone who could take all my ideas, pictures and “visions” and make them a reality. I found so many ideas on Pinterest that had such different “feels” and didn’t know how to make them all come together. Nicole and her team of vendors did an amazing job of combining all the ideas we had into one amazing event. They knew exactly what I wanted before I even had to describe it. I also wanted someone who would take care of all the details. I didn’t want anything to be overlooked or to worry about things on the day of the wedding.
What was your inspiration for your wedding details and/or design?
My inspiration was my husband and I’s style. We’re classic, yet modern, and sophisticated. My husband is in the Navy so we really wanted to incorporate his service without making our ceremony and reception feel nautical. I used Pinterest a ton to research ideas and communicated them with Nicole through a secret pin board (so our friends and guests wouldn’t have any ideas as to what our decor was!)
What was your favorite thing about your wedding?
My favorite thing about our wedding (besides marrying my best friend of course!) was our reception. When I walked into the yacht club I finally saw all my ideas and all the meetings we had about ideas come to life. It was the most amazing feeling to see how wonderful everything looked and to see how much our guests enjoyed it all too. I especially loved our custom made Save the Date cards and signs that were displayed throughout the reception. They were made by one of the print designers for Lilly Pulitzer and mean so much to me (since its a company I worked for and a brand I love!) We plan on using the table numbers in a baby nursery one day and have truly “saved” the original save the date print and have it displayed in our home. I also loved the gigantic balls of baby’s breath hung over our dance floor. We went back and fourth on the size and quantity of these and decided on seven 27″ balls. Our vendors did an amazing job putting them together and suspending them above the floor. Our guests are still talking about them!
What is your best piece of advice for other brides?
My advice for other brides is to utilize all their efforts. Whether that be through a wedding planner or their mother and maid of honor, it truly makes the planning process that much easier and enjoyable! Having someone who can help you with your vision and know exactly what you want is an amazing gift and is a huge stress reliever. Wedding and Day Of planners are around for a reason, use them!!! I’d also suggest enjoying the entire moment. I had so many friends who told me their day went by so quickly and that they felt like the first time they could say “hi” to their new husband was in the car after the reception. Erik and I made sure to enjoy the whole day and to take it all in, even if that meant cutting out or having the meet and greet customs at the rehearsal dinner. We really enjoyed it all together and never felt overwhelmed. It made everything enjoyable and we remember so many of the great details about our day!
Oh I love Michelle’s advice to hire a planner! Michelle actually worked with one of ELD’s approved planners, NK Weddings, in addition to working with approved photographers Hunter Ryan Photo! A true testament that having a fabulous team of wedding professionals results in an amazing wedding day!
Hands down, Michelle and Erik’s First Look has to be one of my favorites! So tell me- what are your plans for a first look? Will you be doing one?
Vendors who made it all happen…
Photographer: Hunter Ryan Photo//Event Planner: NK Weddings//Event Venue: Sarasota Yacht Club//Lighting: Affairs in the Air, Inc.//Makeup Artist:Alysse Thomas//Floral Designer: Elegant Designs//Shoes:Ferragamo//Specialty Foods:Le Macaron//Linens and Coverings: linens by the sea//Cake Designer:Publix//Dress Store: Sarasota Brides & Formalwear//Transportation: SRQ Trolley//DJ:Stereophonic DJs
Lauren
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Love this color palette! Such a dreamy wedding.