Behind the Scenes of Mr. & Mrs. Spears | A Wedding Story

A very special post! 

This year I had the privilege of witnessing & documenting 2 great friends of mine's wedding story! As a temporary photographer turned bridesmaid, it was a MUST to help Juli document some of the highlights of the phases, whether by Iphone camera or DSLR.

 THE ENGAGEMENT SHOOT:

It seems like so long ago now that we did our engagement style shoot at Clement Taylor Park and surrounding Destin areas. Here are a few of our favorites!

THE DRESSES:

Dress shopping was just the beginning. Without much of a hitch, the perfect gown was found through Andrew's Bridal in Dothan Alabama. Vintage inspired designer, Justin Alexander had the perfect fitting dress for Juli's preplanned art deco/glam inspired wedding day. *Completely Irrelevant additional info* During one visit our group got the chance to meet the sweet and talented Miss Alabama 2009, Ashley Davis. Yes, we were groupies and yes we did get a photo of Juli with her :) GIVEN!!! 

-Juli and her mother-in-law, Mrs. Kelly-

-AB's vintage mirror, sooooo dreamy!-

-Trying on a few dresses before finding *the one*.-

-Her match made in heaven, designer, Justin Alexander-

-Dress Details-

-Trying to help Juli find the perfect style...Thankfully, she didn't take my advice. Mrs. Sharon looks like she approves!-

-Andrew's Bridal's gorgeous chandelier really set the mood-

-One thing we made sure to do was to take a few photographs of the swatch names we were considering-

-Don't worry! We didn't leave Dothan without stopping at Dobb's Barbeque! SO delish!-

And that was IT! Within the first trip to Andrew's Bridal, the dress was set to be hers! Juli recommends to order your dress at MINIMUM, 6 months before the wedding so there's plenty of time for making, shipping, and fitting. While there, we also got recommendations on bridesmaid dress options and found the perfect vendor by recommendation of AB. 

NEXT, THE FITTING:

Our second trip out to Andrew's Bridal was all about the fit. Tucking, pulling, squeezing, and spinning around in the middle of the room after managing to get our dresses on was a lot more fun than it sounds. 

-Road triiiiiip!-

-A few of the girls. Alicia, Tasia (me), & Scarlett... Dress color: Peacock-

THE PLANNING:

Having a few get together nights and days helped Juli coordinate with the bridesmaids on her DIY tabletop decor projects, such as this (hard to see) glitter mason jar! We then strung dreamy sparkly white feathers together to hang for the reception, all while eating lots of delicious deserts! 

After a few DIY projects, Juli moved onto bigger tasks such as... 

- the ring purchase for Jonathan - Destin Jewelers *hint, they will negotiate prices!*

- ordering her bridal jewelry from Asia on, Etsy.com

- booking her wedding photographer, AmyRileyPhotography.com. 

- ordering the cake - Yoly Delgado

- ordering flowers - SamsClub.com

- booking her venue - SanDestin Resort 

- booking her makeup / hair - Merle Norman in Destin / Jackie Maglio
- consulting a designer for her invitations and rsvps - TasiaMade (me!)

Just to name a few... 

Here are the final invitation designs I made with Juli's inspiration! 

THE WEDDING DAY... PREP:

As previously mentioned, Juli booked Jackie Maglio for hair. We started out the day EARLY around 8 A.M. at Jackie's house. She currently works with Pure & Couture, in the City Market Plaza next to Cuvee Bistro in Destin. With 3 years of experience in hair... Jackie finds irony in the fact that she even does hair, coming from a background of construction management and contracting. Her style is described as edgy tomboy with a girly side. She loves the messy, less put together looks. The thrill of expressing her creativity on a regular basis gives her a deep rooted passion in the industry. Weddings, of all occasions are her absolute favorite for the memory it creates and the blessing it is to be able to excite people on such an important day.

"I love the look on clients faces when I finish their hair and they're ridiculously excited and feeling AMAZING." - Jackie 

Contact Info: (949) 547-0248 | awjackie@gmail.com | www.styleseat.com/JackieMaglio

-New friend!-

-We arrived at the Oak Boardroom to wait in Baytowne Warf, SanDestin-

THE WEDDING DAY... GETTING READY FOR PHOTOS:

Waiting on our photographer to do our bridal portraits, I decided to make the best of the time and snap a few photos of the girls! The light at the Grand Lawn in SanDestin was absolutely gorgeous. We truly couldn't have asked for a better day!

Time for group photos! Amy began to snap away and capture moments of our group, and within minutes, we were heading down for the ceremony! 

-Photo Cred: Amy Riley Photography- 

-Photo Cred: Amy Riley Photography- 

-Photo Cred: Amy Riley Photography- 

It's only fitting to finish this post with... 

*A little shout out from the bride* 

"Thank you to everyone that made this day so special for us! I could not have done this without all the huge support I got from everyone helping!"

-Juliane and Jonathan