Summertime is my favorite time and today’s real wedding that took place back in June is the epitome of that!
Whitney, seen here toasting with her maids, had dreamt of a beachy wedding since she was a little girl.
To achieve her vision, her maids wore sea glass colored dresses and carried bouquets of lilies.
Whitney’s dress might be in my top 5 favs! Such a beautiful, yet sexy neckline and I love the full skirt!
Whitney met Ryan when they were both attending graduate school in Massachusetts. They were friends for a bit until they realized they had something truly special.
Ryan didn’t have many requests for the big day except for that he wanted to wear navy. Great choice Ryan, you all look suave!
Before walking down the aisle, Whitney shared a first look with her father. She lost her mom to cancer in 2008 and the pair took a special moment during the first look to release a balloon to honor her.
They called her “Babe.” Such a sweet father/daughter moment. 
The ceremony took place at the Cavalier Yacht Club in Virginia Beach. The perfect setting for beach nuptials, if I do say so myself!
Whitey’s dad led her to her future husband to the tune of The Piano Guys version of 1000 years. I cannot imagine there was a dry eye anywhere to be found!
And then, they were man and wife!
Next, it was time to party!
They dug up their bottle of whiskey (more info on why below), poured shots for the bridal party, and started dancing.
Their reception also took place at the yacht club under a large tent.
Awesome, right?
Each table was decorated with a lantern (which Whitney plans to repurpose in their home).
The cake was crisp white and gorgeous with a few flowers for decoration.
And how cute are these place cards?! Or should I say…Place shells?! Obsessed!
Whitney and Ryan, your beach inspired wedding was perfection and I am so happy for the two of you!
From the Bride:
What was your favorite detail of the day? “Man, this is a tough one because we had so many. I guess my favorite detail of the day was digging up the bourbon and sharing it with our bridal party. So if you aren’t familiar with this southern tradition it goes like this: if you bury a bottle of bourbon at the site where the bride and groom are to be married it won’t rain on their wedding day. According to many believers, this must be done exactly one month before the wedding. The bottle must be completely full and must be buried upside down to ensure maximum weather persuasion. Rain or shine, the bottle should be dug up post-ceremony and enjoyed with the bridal party. This was my favorite detail of the day for a couple reasons: 1. We buried Fireball because neither Ryan nor I enjoy bourbon, but Fireball is how we first met. 2. The majority of people at our wedding had never heard of this before, so it was something unique to our wedding. 3. It worked! And we had the most gorgeous rain-free day. 4. It made for awesome pictures. 5. It was a fun bonding activity to do with our bridal party.”
What advice would you give to a bride to be? Great question! I have two big pieces of advice and then just some little tid bits: 1. After you get engaged, there is this sense of urgency that you have to pick a venue and a wedding date ASAP. Hit the freeze button. Take a week just to be engaged before jumping head first into venues, dresses, dates, flowers, cake, etc. You are only engaged for a short period of time, but you will be married forever. Embrace the gravity of this new chapter in your life before planning your forever. 2. DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES LOOK AT THE WEATHER!!! I cannot stress this one enough, and I know its way easier said than done. I think I became a meteorologist for the 2 months leading up to my wedding, which caused major stress and in the end we had the most beautiful day of the whole summer. But, I say this because you can’t change the weather and rain or shine you and your husband are still going to be married at the end of the day. Tidbits: If you are worried about time, do a plated dinner as it usually takes less time to get everyone food. Make sure when booking your photographer, you get the rights to your photos so you can print them freely. It’s easier to start a timeline for your wedding day at the end of the night and work your way forward. If you want the focus of your reception to be the dance floor, the bride and groom must be on the dance floor. People want to be where you are.”
Photos by Elizabeth Friske Photography |Venue: Cavalier Golf and Yacht Club | Wedding Coordination:Jamie Leigh Events | Music:Marcus Matthews with Astro Entertainment | Gown: Pure English by Hayley Paige | Makeup: Dahlia Edwards | Hair: Melissa Warren with Joesph’s Hair Salon | Invitation Suite and Paper Goods: Paper Dolls Designs | Cake: Patti Cakes| Florist: Eclectic Design Florist | Arch: Palette of Petals| Lighting: Illuminations Innovations | Videographer:Vision Quest | Officiant:Michael Simone with Spring Branch Community Church | Transportation: Venture Tours and Orange Peel
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