In June of last year, Amanda and Stephan wed. They chose the Main Street Train Station in Richmond, VA as their venue to set the stage for an old Hollywood themed wedding. I love that their invite resembles a train ticket! So clever!
Amanda, in her gorgeous cap-sleeved gown, looked like the definition of old Hollywood as she waited to see her future husband for their first look.
Stephann donned a light pink tie to match his bride’s peony bouquet. The couple met in school at CNU and dated for 8 years! Their wedding day was long-awaited, said Amanda.
Their first look was filled with sweet moments as reality and excitement set in.
I mean…could they be any cuter?! This bear hug brings tears to my eyes.
The men in matching suits wore dark ties so that the groom would stand out. Also…Stephan’s dad looks a lot like Sean Penn if I do say so myself. How fitting with the Hollywood theme 😉 .
Amanda’s bridesmaids wore cranberry and also carried bouquets with peonies. Fun fact: peonies bloom in late May through mid June, so if you want them in your wedding, plan accordingly! Finding peonies in September is possible but it will cost you a pretty penny.
The train station’s large windows and prestigious architecture set the most exquisite stage for their ceremony.
After the processional, Amanda walked through the double doors with her father by her side.
After they said their vows and kissed, they were finally one!
The reception was filled with sparkle.
Each table was crowned with these glitter covered stars that actually came from a place most of us go weekly…Starbucks. Amanda worked for Starbucks for several years and pulled some strings to get the unique centerpieces from Starbucks locations all over the country. Very impressive.
Amanda and her sister even made these giant letters out of cork! What a genius excuse to drink a lot of wine…I volunteer to make these for my next friend that gets married, lol.
But the most creative detail of all, in my opinion, had to be their “guestbook.” Instead of a traditional book, they had everyone sign a quit square for Amanda’s grandmother to piece together! 
How adorable?!?!
Amanda and Stephan, your smiles are contagious! Congrats and happy one year anniversary!
From the Bride:
What was your favorite detail from the day? “It’s so hard to choose a favorite detail of the day! I have to choose 2. #1 I loved having our photographer help us exchange gifts/letters while we were getting ready. Stephan gave me a locket that belonged to his great-grandmother, and my grandma had just given me a beautiful opal ring (my birthstone!) that belonged to my great-grandmother during the rehearsal dinner. It was so special to have pieces of both of our families! Stephan loves watches, so I had a an automatic pocket watch engraved for him (we did get married at a train station, after all!) with our wedding date on the front and a special note on the back. We loved watching the video footage later of each other opening our gifts! #2 Super simple-my wedding planner suggested that we hand out flutes of champagne to guests the moment they walked into the venue for the ceremony. It set a celebratory, glamorous tone from the get-go and told out guests to relax and have fun!”
What advice would you give to a bride to be? “The absolute best thing we did was hire a wedding planner! Caroline Birgmann and her girls from Posh PR made everything possible-I call her my fairy godmother! When I ran into issues with vendors, she was there to step in and fight for me; When my original DJ, Videographer, and Photographer didn’t work out for various reasons, she immediately had me in contact with vendors she knew who worked with my budget and did a fabulous job; The day of the wedding, she and her team took care of absolutely everything-flipping the room after the ceremony in record time, stacking chairs at the end of the night, piling gifts into cars, making sure we stayed on our timeline, etc. Afterwards I did the math and found that she ended up saving me more money than it cost to hire her, not to mention the peace of mind and stress reduction was priceless! Even though I am a known for being organized and type A, it was great to hand over the reigns once I knew she understood my vision!”
Photography | Shalese Danielle Photography
Videography | Derek Fowler Productions
Wedding Design & Coordination & Rentals | Caroline Birgmann, Posh PR
Ceremony & Reception Venue | Main Street Station, Richmond, VA
Accommodations | The Omni Richmond Hotel
Rehearsal Dinner | The Hard Shell
Shower Location | private residence
Officiant | Rev. Ben Brown
Gown | Maggie Sottero, Tiffanys Bridal
Veil | Tiffanys Bridal
Shoes | Gianni Bini
Hair | Becky Subrook
Makeup | Logan Greenwood
Bride’s Jewelry | Bygones Vintage Clothing & Nordstrom
(The Opal ring is an heirloom that belonged to Amanda’s great-grandmother)
Bridesmaid Dresses | Dessy Group
Formalwear | Vera Wang, Men’s Wearhouse
Invitations & Wedding Program | Vintage Bells & Co.
Flowers | DIY with help from Vogue Flowers
Rentals | Classic Party Rentals of Virginia & Glamour Linens
Ceremony Backdrop | StyleMutt
Catering | I.K. Catering
Sorbet | Cold Stone Creamery
Cake/Sweets | Italian wedding cookies by Stephan’s mom and aunts
Photo Booth | Flash Foto Booth
Music | Steven Hill, DJ U.K.
Bride’s Hanger | Snooty Bride
Favors | Party City
Bridesmaid Gifts | Stephanie Martin Co.
Groomsmen Gifts | My Personal Memories
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