We are so excited to show off Shelby + Alex’s engagement pictures!  We met up with this gorgeous couple at sunrise at the unbelievably beautiful Bella Collina in Montverde, FL. We actually had the honor of photographing the wedding of Shelby’s sister, Ally, last October, and are thrilled to be working with this kind and gracious family again as they celebrate Shelby + Alex’s wedding this November.

Interview with our STUNNING bride, Nicole:
HOW DID YOU MEET? While we attended SMU together and shared many mutual friends, we did not actually meet until years later when Rush moved to Ft. Lauderdale for work. At the suggestion of a friend, who would end up being one of my bridesmaids, I met Rush for a drink in an effort to introduce him to potential friends in S. Florida. One drink turned into dinner, which turned into a second date and ultimately a relationship blossomed. Getting to know him and falling in love was a uniquely enjoyable time; almost three years later, I am so happy I get to call him my husband.
WHAT ATTRACTED YOU THE MOST TO YOUR HUSBAND? Not only do we always have tons of fun together, but Rush is handsome, intelligent, charming, loving and knows how to keep a smile on my face.
HOW DID HE PROPOSE? The day started out with breakfast in bed, a plan to go to our first date spot for lunch and eventually to a movie. The agenda suddenly shifted when Rush surprised me with a letter at the end of lunch and excused himself from the table. As I read the letter, I simultaneously noticed he was gone. The contents of the note had specific instructions; he told me how much he loved me as well as to go home to locate an additional letter. Upon arriving at home, I located the note which essentially told me to pack a bag for the weekend and make my way to the W hotel in Ft. Lauderdale…a place of significance as it was where he first met my family. When I got to the front desk, a gentleman politely handed me a note with a room key in it. The room was a beautiful suite overlooking the ocean with rose petals everywhere, champagne on ice and my favorite singer, Michael Buble, playing on the sound system. But there was no Rush. Five minutes later he showed up in the room and asked me to marry him; I happily said yes. As I was finally beginning to calm down we decided go to Steak 954 for dinner and to my amazement my entire immediate family was there; Rush even thought to fly my sister and brother in law in town for the evening. It was an unforgettable day.
WHAT INSPIRED YOUR VISION FOR YOUR WEDDING: It has always been my dream to get married in Italy, but with the size of our respective families it was simply not realistic. The next best option was to recreate that feel in S. Florida and the Brazilian Court Hotel and Flagler Museum were the perfect venues to accomplish that. We also added small Italian touches such as wine cork place cards, wine pairings with each course and al dente pasta served as an appetizer.
TELL US ABOUT FINDING YOUR VENUE: After weeks of what seemed like a futile effort in finding a wedding venue, we finally made our way to Palm Beach. We weren’t in the Flagler Museum for five minutes and we both knew it was the place we wanted to get married.
WHAT WAS YOUR BIGGEST PLANNING CHALLENGE? We knew all along we wanted a smaller, more intimate wedding, but again with the size of our families that was not an option. The biggest challenge was being able to create that small wedding, charming feel with 170 people.
WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE DESIGN ELEMENT OF YOUR WEDDING? I absolutely loved our tables at the reception; if for some reason you were suddenly transported into a seat at one of them, you would have sworn you were at a dinner party in a Tuscan villa. Everything from the cast iron used in the centerpieces, to the candle holders, to the parmesan cheese blocks and the olives in the antipasti were truly authentic. It had a quintessential rustic northern Italian feel.
DID YOU HAVE ANY DIY DETAILS? Our amazing wedding planner, Breeze Taylor, helped put all the little details together.
WHAT WAS THE MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT OF YOUR WEDDING DAY? At the risk of sounding cheesy, I would say my favorite memory was the first glance. You spend your whole day getting ready, and while it is exciting, there is certainly an element of nervousness and anticipation associated with it. When I saw Rush for the first time, it really calmed me and it was a moment that we got to share together as opposed to sharing it in front of 170 people. I’m certain I will never forget it as long as I live.
DESCRIBE YOUR CAKE: Our cake was absolutely delicious. It was a beautiful four tier cake with alternating flavors of butter cream and red velvet with a butter cream frosting. It was served with vanilla gelato.
HOW WAS YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH YOUR PHOTOGRAPHER? Jason and Sara were amazing. Being that we used them for our engagement shoot, we had a pretty good idea what to expect in terms of professionalism and demeanor and as a result had very high expectations. They exceeded them. While their photography skills are second to none, it is their calm demeanor and relaxing nature which set them apart. They are so easy to be around and that ultimately leads to better shots because both the bride and groom are more relaxed. (Plus the secret that no one tells you when you are planning a wedding is that you spend more time with your photographers than anyone, so it is imperative that you enjoy their company).
WHAT’S NEXT FOR YOU AND YOUR HUSBAND AS A COUPLE? As exciting as the wedding planning process and the event itself were, we are excited about being able to take a step back, relax and settle into our lives as newlyweds. We are also ecstatic to welcome a nephew into our family shortly.
CAN YOU PLEASE LIST YOUR VENDORS:
Breeze Taylor, Dream Concierge – Wedding coordinator
Concept Photography – Photographer
Ray Roman – Videographer
Flagler Museum – Venue
Brazilian Court – Hotel
Royal Poinciana Chapel – Ceremony
C’est Si Bon – Catering
Dalsimer Atlas – Décor
Libido – Band
Bryan Thompson – DJ
Sweet Tiers – Cake

Interview with our GORGEOUS bride, Megan:
HOW DID YOU MEET? It only took three and a half years of attending the same small college, in the same small town of Kirksville, with the same friends, and even living on the same floor of the dorms for Ryan and I to finally cross paths…at the Lake of the Ozarks. A big group of our friends had all traveled there for a Fraternity Formal Weekend. After dominating the dance floor with some friends, we spent the next hour pleading with a pizza place to deliver to our hotel. I guess you could say the stars aligned when Ryan proudly entered the room showing off an empty pizza box as a joke. Then, like all of the times before, we sat in the same circle of friends for the rest of the weekend, only this time we noticed each other.
WHAT ATTRACTED YOU THE MOST TO YOUR HUSBAND? Ryan is the cute boy-next door that I never grew up living next to. He is fun-loving, intelligent, caring, full of jokes, motivated, always smiling, and down to earth.
HOW DID HE PROPOSE? We were in St. Louis for the weekend visiting my family and had plans to visit Old St. Charles for my favorite Christmas Festivities. As we walked down Main Street, I was excited to visit all of the shops, while Ryan was uninterested in anything other than walking further down the street. Even as we ran into friends, he unusually showed little interest to stop and catch up. At this point, I was getting frustrated that I chose Scrooge to join me for the day. Especially when two blocks later he was suddenly interested in going down an alley into an empty garden overlooking the streets below. At that moment, I was completely oblivious as to what was happening, even as he begins to propose. Ryan must have realized this as well, because he grabs me by the shoulders, continues with his speech, and got down on one knee. I said YES! …and here we are!
WHAT INSPIRED YOUR VISION FOR YOUR WEDDING? I loved the idea of having a very simple beach wedding. Something that looked natural to the location that we chose.
TELL US ABOUT FINDING YOUR VENUE: Seeing that we had to leave the Midwest to find a decent beach, we looked to South Florida for a home to our wedding. Ryan grew up vacationing on Sanibel Island so we did our research and found the beautiful South Seas Island Resort on the adjacent island of Captiva. The small town feel of the islands along with the beautiful natural landscape of South Seas made this our ideal location!
WHAT WAS YOUR BIGGEST PLANNING CHALLENGE? The biggest planning challenge was waiting for the day to come! South Seas along with our other vendors made it extremely easy to plan from a distance. Aside from the expected glitches here and there, planning our ceremony and reception was pain free!
WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE DESIGN ELEMENT OF YOUR WEDDING? I love small details in decoration. This made it easy to love everything that the Floral Artistry team did to bring our ceremony site to life. The chuppah was fabulous, and shells lining the isle looked as if they had just washed up to shore.
DID YOU HAVE ANY DIY DETAILS? Aside from the flowers and the ceremony site, we created all of the details ourselves. The place cards, table frames, place setting cards, painted shells, programs, and welcome bags were all homegrown.
WHAT WAS THE MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT OF YOUR WEDDING DAY? The most memorable moment of the day was having a “First Look” with Ryan and my Dad. Having the opportunity to share a private moment with the two men that made that walk down the aisle special was perfect.
DESCRIBE YOUR CAKE: Delish! Our cake exceeded every expectation anyone could impose on a bakery! It was a two tiered square cake covered in icing and decorated with naturally painted chocolate shells and coral. The sugar mixture at the base of the cake made it appear as if it just washed ashore!
HOW WAS YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH YOUR PHOTOGRAPHER? Sara & Jason might as well have been in our wedding party! We learned early on during our engagement session that they have an incredible eye for capturing the smallest moment and making it a lifelong memory. Not to mention they also have the best personalities and tactics to bring the camera shy out of their shells. This made the photography portion of our wedding planning the easiest! A year later, on our wedding day, these two exceeded themselves! This dynamic duo put everyone at ease, made the picture process seamless, and blended right in with the crowd! I think from here, the pictures speak for themselves. ☺
WHAT’S NEXT FOR YOU AND YOUR HUSBAND AS A COUPLE? Ryan and I just returned from our Honeymoon in St. Lucia, and are preparing for our post-wedding party in Kansas City in April. Then, once the wedding marathon has finally come to an end, we plan on enjoying our first full summer in our new backyard with our favorite pup Pelé!
CAN YOU PLEASE LIST YOUR VENDORS:
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
John Dillis & John Blaharski at South Seas Island Resort
Floral Artistry-Flowers & Decorations
Mason’s Bakery-Cake
Thank You For The Dance Entertainment-Dan Confrey, Musician & DJ
Kay Casperson Salon-Wedding Party Hair & Makeup
Ida’s– Wedding Dress
Concept Photography– Photography