MSP Travels: Wilmington, DE

Juliana & Pete live in Wilmington, Delaware (the very first state!)

J&P don’t really consider themselves “wedding people”. They would have been perfectly happy with a courthouse elopement, sans the big white dress and wedding party. Fortunately for us, J&P also come from large Italian families, and those families wanted the chance to celebrate the couple in a grand way… so J&P sweetly agreed to a simple wedding…

Enter: 190 guests, 6 bridesmaids, 6 groomsmen, and a billion reasons to smile.

Choice in bridesmaids and groomsmen? Nailed it.
Wedding style, big white dress included? Nailed that, too.
Meaningful, religious ceremony? Boom.
Tons of fun taking photos for MSP? Yaaaas!

For a couple that never dreamed of their big wedding, they succeeded in celebrating a personal, authentic, and love-filled day!

That dress, right? We’ll take a second and just let that beauty sink in…
Juliana got ready at the Westin Waterfront

Oh, did we forget to mention Juliana is drop-dead gorgeous?

We met Pete at the ceremony venue - St Anthony of Padua Catholic Church.
Fun fact: St Anthony’s hosts the second-largest Italian Festival in the country each June!

With the ceremony behind us, we headed to the Marian Coffin Gardens at the Gibraltar Estate

The riverfront area of Wilmington is a big draw for tourists and locals alike.
We returned to that neighborhood for the reception at The Chase Center.

Juliana & Pete are so lucky to be surrounded by so much love and adoration for them - but they deserve every bit of it! MSP wishes them the world!

Ceremony Venue: St Anthony of Padua Catholic Church
Getting Ready: The Westin Waterfront
Portraits: Marian Coffin Gardens at Gibraltar
Reception Venue: The Chase Center

Kehrin & Jason | Part 2

We've been so excited to share this with you - welcome to Kehrin & Jason's wedding day!

Let's get right to it!
We had an hour of travel ahead to get to the wedding venue, so the bride and groom got ready in the Marrakesh riad.

The couple kept their African elopement a secret from most of their family and friends.
Instead, they mailed out these adorable official announcements - perfectly timed to land in their loved ones' mail boxes precisely on the wedding day!
Announcements by dm paper designs

If there is one thing to know about Kehrin, it's that she has amazing style!
Her wedding dress was perfectly chosen from a line by Free People.

#customweddingbands

In the series above, the bride is putting on lip color from a source native to Morocco - organic Berber lipstick! Made with pomegranate powder, poppy leaves, and henna, the Berber tradition goes back centuries. She purchased some in the local market for her wedding day.

Kehrin was ready, and it was time to see her groom!

The wedding ceremony and celebration was to be about an hour outside of Marrakesh, so we hopped in to a van for the trip. We didn't know what to expect, but were greeted with breathtaking views of sand dunes as far as the eye could see!

We all wore a few different hats for the trip. Fallon helped with photo, honorary bridesmaids duties, and (wait for it...) as the wedding officiant! Here she is (in blue) helping the bride with her veil. In teal is Nicki from Fidelis Films - she and her husband Christian are incredibly talented filmmakers!

The moment a groom sees his bride down the aisle is always a favorite shot for us!

After dinner, a special fire monogram burned to celebrate the newlyweds!

This wedding will always hold a special place in our hall-of-favorites!

Since the wedding, Kehrin & Jason have had a baby girl named Marra.
Next month, Kehrin is due to have their baby boy, Kesh.
MARRA + KESH = cutest thing EVER!

Wedding Planner & Designer (& Bride!): Jet Set Wed
Stationary: dm paper designs
Dress: Free People
Video: Fidelis Films

MSP Travels: Marrakesh, Morocco

M A R R A K E S H

Steven Spielberg, Alfred Hitchcock, Oliver Stone, and Martin Scorsese have all set films to take place in the vibrant, culturally-rich city of Marrakesh, Morocco. There's a simple reason behind that: nowhere in the world lends itself quite so well to the camera's lens as this historic city. Brilliant colors, textures, and interesting architecture are everywhere. 

Enter: Kehrin Hassan of Jet Set Wed, international wedding planner & designer, and her fiancé Jason Teeters. Jason was an educator at the time (he's since become a lifestyle designer - check out JetSetState.com), and they asked us to join them on their trip to Morocco for their intimate elopement in the summer of 2015. 

Pack your bags for the first of this 2-part blog!

After our arrival in Marrakesh, it was time to check-in to our Riad (a riad is a townhouse centered around a courtyard & garden). Morocco is famous for its riads - as well as its miles of twisting alleyways!

The Riad had several bedrooms centered around the pool and a rooftop garden with seating area - the view was so cool! Once we had established our home base, it was time to go out and see some of the city!

Marrakesh is known for its marketplace - it's huge and features tons of artisans selling pottery, spices, and handmade treasures like lanterns. It did NOT disappoint.

After a quick carriage ride, we arrived at the Jardin Majorelle - Yves Saint Laurent's museum (and former home) right in Marrakesh! Celebrities (like Jennifer Lopez and the Beckhams) love visiting this African treasure.

With much of the day lost to sightseeing, it was time to get a couple of wedding errands done. Kehrin wanted to find local sources for details that would really make her wedding day pop!

With a full day behind us, it was early to bed for the wedding celebration the next day!

September's blog will follow Kehrin & Jason as they embark in to the desert for the best day ever!

MSP Travels: Turks & Caicos

The Turks & Caicos Islands are a playground for the rich and famous for a reason! The color of the water, the sand of the pristine beaches, and the friendly and vibrant local culture combine to form the stuff dreams are made of. Celebrities Kate Moss, Matt Damon, Howard Stern, and Bill Gates have vacationed there (to name a few!), while Jerry Seinfeld and Eva Longoria both spent their respective honeymoons on the Islands. Jennifer Garner + Ben Affleck even married there in 2005!

So guess what Matt said when he was asked to travel to T&C to photograph a wedding?

Meet Tawni & Dennis:
Bonita Springs locals who wanted nothing but the best to celebrate their special day!

Adorable, right?

Wedding planner Along Came Stephanie knew that every detail would matter for this special couple, and MAN! did she knock it out of the park with the invitations and Welcome Kits!

Upon arriving in the Islands, Matt joined the couple for a sunset cruise - complete with turquoise water and rainbow - yes, seriously!

After a gorgeous afternoon on the water, it was early to bed, early to rise for the wedding day :) 
The couple selected Long Bay Beach's The Shore Club as the site to celebrate

Doesn't Tawni look SO happy helping her daughter get ready? We love love!!

Tawni was ready, and Dennis was standing by to marry the love of his life.
At the last moment, the ceremony was moved indoors to prevent an interruption due to weather - but it was such a small issue, because they were getting MARRIED!!!

We love seeing our couples SO happy!

Gorgeous place for a wedding, right?
The Shore Club was just as perfect for the reception dinner.

The newlyweds danced the night away, surrounded by their closest family & friends...nothing to listen to but the ocean waves, the island music, and the beating of they hearts... ::le sigh::

All in all, we'd say it was a pretty awesome trip - wouldn't you?

Wedding Planner & Designer: Along Came Stephanie
Venue: The Shore Club