Modern Black + White Wedding in Madison, WI

I love the sophisticated black and white color palette of this downtown wedding! Captured by Carbon Copy Studios, Veronica and Rob were married on a lovely August day in Madison, Wisconsin. The ceremony, with the couple’s closest family and friends, was held at the State Capitol building; such a unique venue! Following the ceremony, Veronica, Rob, and their wedding party set out for a few portraits in front of some of Madison’s best attractions. The reception was held at a nearby center for the arts, filled with beautiful black and white decor for the occasion.

A few words from the bride on how the couple met and their wedding inspiration:

We met at Country Thunder, a country music festival, in Twin Lakes, WI as camping neighbors. We exchanged numbers, not really expecting to see each other until the following year at the next Country Thunder. Shortly after, Rob gave me a call and asked me out, and I took him up on his offer. I lived in Illinois and he lived in Wisconsin, but that didn’t stop me from driving two hours to go on our first date! We fell for each other instantly. We were in a long-distance relationship for 2.5 years after that, and whenever I drove up to see Rob, a University of Wisconsin-Madison Engineering student, we would try and explore the city as much as possible. As soon as I graduated from Northern Illinois University I moved to Madison to be with him.

The inspiration for the wedding was timeless elegance mixed with modern glamour.

We knew when we got engaged we wanted two things; A small, intimate wedding with 30 of our closest friends and family, as well as to incorporate the city where we fell in love, Madison, Wisconsin. The Wisconsin State Capitol building had the old-world elegance that we love. (It was also an added bonus to the budget- it was free!) On our first date we actually walked past the Overture Center, a performing arts center, while a wedding was going on. I remember thinking to myself “I would love to have my wedding there some day.” I had no idea that 3 years later my wish would come true! The Overture Center balanced the traditional elegance of our ceremony with a modern and glamorous reception. The excitement of being downtown added an energy to our wedding day that couldn’t be created through decorations and we wanted the venues to speak for themselves. I love the colors of black and ivory because they mix the elegance and modern elements perfectly. We wanted the whole day to be simple and most importantly, fun! One of my favorite touches for the reception was the Wisconsin Cow Pies that were part of the favors, made only 45 minutes away in Baraboo, WI. One of our favorite treats!

Photographer: Carbon Copy Studios
Videographer: David Larkins of CinematicBoutique
Ceremony Venue: Wisconsin State Capitol
Reception Venue: Overture Center in the Promenade
Catering: Catering A Fresco
Bridal Gown Designer: Paloma Blanca
Bridal Gown Store: Vera’s House of Bridals
Bridal Shoes: Chinese Laundry
Bridal Veil/Headpiece: Vera’s House of Bridals
Bridal Earrings: The Boston Store
Bridal Bracelet: Charming Charlie
Bridesmaid Dress Designer: Each bridesmaid chose her own black dress
Tuxedo and Mens Attire: Men’s Wearhouse
Groom’s Shoes: Men’s Wearhouse
Cake Designer: The Rolling Pin Bake Shop
Floral Designer: Daffodil*Parker
Makeup Artist + Hair Stylist: Jamie Chatman of TopKnot Studio
Invitation Designer: dovetaildesignok
Wedding Planner: the bride
DJ: Brad Snow of DJ Snow
Guitarist (Ceremony): Dain Dimatia
Officiant: Rev. Connie Engmann of Happily Ever After Wedding Officiants

All images by Carbon Copy Studios
Submitted via Two Bright Lights

High School Sweethearts’ Red + Black Wedding in Reno

It is so great to see a wedding between high school sweethearts! Captured by Jessi LeMay Photography, Samantha and Travis were married this past June at a beautiful art museum in Reno, Nevada. The couple met in high school in 2004 through mutual friends and even went to senior prom together. They chose a red and black color scheme for their wedding to mimic their prom colors from seven years earlier. I absolutely adore the ceremony space; the view is stunning!

Love story from the bride:

Travis and I are high school sweethearts. We are actually celebrating our 10-year anniversary at the end of this year! Oh, how time flies. The inspiration for our wedding came along because of our mutual love for modern art, clean lines, and bold color. We chose black and white with a pop of red because red was our prom color and we’re cheesy like that.

Photographer: Jessi LeMay Photography
Ceremony + Reception Venue: Nevada Museum of Art
Catering: Café Musée
Rentals: Camelot Party Rentals via Nevada Museum of Art
Bridal Gown Designer: long dress by Pronovias Barcelona, short dress by Priscilla of Boston
Bridal Gown Store: Swoon… a bridal salon
Bridal Shoes: BCBGeneration
Bridal Purse: Sondra Roberts
Bridal Veil/Headpiece, Jewelry: Haute Bride
Wedding Rings Designer: Ritani
Bridesmaid Dress Designer: Wtoo
Bridesmaid Dress Store: Swoon… a bridal salon
Bridesmaid Shoes: Steve Madden
Tuxedo and Mens Attire: Calvin Klein
Groom’s Shoes: Calvin Klein
Cake Designer: Eldorado Hotel & Casino Bakery
Floral Designer: Candlelight and Roses
Makeup Artist + Hair Stylist: The Decorated Bride
Invitation Designer: Carlson Craft
Wedding Planner: Candlelight and Roses
DJ: That’s Entertainment
Harpist: Marina Roznitovsky
Officiant: Reverend Margie Byrne

All images by Jessi LeMay Photography
Submitted via Two Bright Lights

Real Wedding: Nicci + BJ in Denver

I adore the elegant simplicity of the wedding decor in today’s feature event! Captured by Joshua & Co. Photography, Nicci and BJ were married last June in Denver, Colorado. BJ and Nicci met through friends and he proposed while finishing his medical residency in Texas. Nicci, a lawyer in Washington DC, knew she wanted to marry in her hometown of Denver, where her parents still reside. A sophisticated color palette of black and white with pops of bright green set the stage for this effortlessly chic wedding. Some of the most touching moments of the day occurred betweein Nicci and her father. Despite a severe stroke, Nicci’s father was able to walk her down the church aisle and dance the traditional father-daughter dance at the reception. Nicci and BJ currently reside in Ohio.

A story of the day from the bride:

Although our wedding was on one of the busiest days of the summer in downtown Denver, the day felt as if BJ and I were the only two people in the city. We had been looking forward to this day ever since we started planning it thousands of miles away, thanks to the help of Dana from revel & bloom. Our idea and theme for the wedding was simple; we wanted it to be classic, effortless, and chic. And it was everything we planned an more. The day started with BJ slipping a note under my door before I left to get dressed (he always finds little ways to make me smile). After getting dressed and sharing a toast with our respective friends and family, it was off to First Baptist Church to get married. After navigating around the various downtown street closures, I locked arms with my dad at the back of the church. This meant the world to BJ and me because my dad had a severe stroke, which limited his mobility. After our guests acknowledged my dad’s accomplishment, BJ’s uncle, a pastor in Washington, D.C., blessed us with a biblical story about love and marriage. Following our short ceremony, it was off to the reception. But our grand plans for pictures at some of my favorite locations in my hometown were foiled by the street closures. The amazing photographers from Joshua and Co. Photography did not let that interfere with our photos. In fact, our photographer, Josh Lawton, came up with another plan that resulted in some amazing shots. In fact, one of my favorite photos is of BJ and me crossing the street with the crowd, everyone is out of focus except for us. The photo shows how we felt: young, in love, and oblivious to the chaos around us. As we took pictures, our guests enjoyed a cocktail hour as they strolled through the exhibits at the Colorado History Museum, our reception site.

When we arrived to the reception site, our amazing planner, Dana greeted and escorted us to the reception. I recall being swept away by the glowing beauty of the venue. The sun was setting over the mountains and the room was aglow in the glass orbs that hung from the ceiling with moss and candles inside. The tables were in a long family style arrangement and set with beautiful white hydrangeas arranged by Sweet Pea flowers and more and more candles. BJ and I wanted the reception to reflect both of our personalities, and it did. Continental Divine provided a tasty gluten-free meal (our guests raved about the flavorful meal); Church of Cupcakes provided gluten-free cupcakes; Rheinlander Bakery provided a gluten and sugar free carrot cake for us to cut; DJ Cavem played some of our favorite songs from the 70s, 80s, and 90s; and the ladies of revel & bloom set up a popcorn bar (our favorite late night snack) complete with great flavors and mixings. All of this was captured by our amazing photographer, Joshua & Co. and videographer, Lupher Arts. The reception was full of love, laugh, and tears as BJ and I sang to each other, my dad swayed with me on the dance floor, and our young niece and nephew out partied everyone. The love shared during our wedding day overshadowed the crowded streets of downtown Denver.

Photographer: Joshua & Co. Photography
Videographer: Lupher Arts
Ceremony Venue: First Baptist Church of Denver
Reception Venue: History Colorado Center
Catering: Continental Divine Catering
Rentals: BBJ Linen
Bridal Gown Designer: Carolina Herrera
Bridal Gown + Veil Store: Carine’s Bridal Atelier
Bridal Shoes: Manolo Blahnik
Bridal Jewelry Designer: Roni Blanshay
Bridesmaid Jewelry Designer: Kendra Scott
Ring Designer: Diamond Cutters International
Bridesmaid Dress Designer: Amsale
Bridesmaid Dress Store: Hitched Salon
Groom’s Attire: Brooks Brothers
Groomsmen’s Attire: Jos. A. Bank
Groom’s Shoes: Paul Stuart
Cupcake Designer: The Church of Cupcakes
Floral Designer: Sweet Pea Flowers
Makeup Artist: Cynthia from Denver Makeup Guru
Hair Stylist: Izra of Rockstar Industries Inc.
Invitation Designer: Wedding Paper Divas
Reception Stationery: The Paper Guppy
Wedding Planner: Revel & Bloom
DJ: DJ Cavem
Officiant: Groom’s Uncle

All images by Joshua & Co. Photography
Submitted via Two Bright Lights