10 Outfits That Prove Western Brides Don't Need White Wedding Dresses

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10 Outfits That Prove Western Brides Don't Need White Wedding Dresses

Okay, I'll be the first to admit that I wore white on my wedding day. It was a pretty awesome dress, but I chose it knowing full well that the idea of wearing white on your wedding day is not some tradition as old as time, just as old as the Victorian Era. White dresses are a little bit about purity and femininity, but also a whole lot about wealth. It wasn't until the last few centuries that the average woman could dream of affording a dress that they would only wear once.

So let's banish this whole idea of the white wedding dress as being a necessity. If you want to wear one, that's awesome! If you don't, that's fine, too! Let's celebrate these 10 AMAZING outfits that prove that you can pretty much do WHATEVER YOU WANT.

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Real Couples // Sugarloaf Mountain Wedding: Sally + Sophia

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Real Couples // Sugarloaf Mountain Wedding: Sally + Sophia

Sally says, "Ours is a story of stars aligning... which is the moment that only comes when you've finally found the one you were meant to be with. On a gorgeous summer night in 2013, and among mutual friends, we met and spoke for the first time, and a lasting impression was made. Call it love at first sight. Whatever it was, it was enough for us to continue wondering about the other, until we (virtually) ran into each other again a few months later. After months of cyber-stalking, we finally met on an official date and have been inseparable ever since.

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Real Couples // A Bavarian Elopement: Melanie + Farhang

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Real Couples // A Bavarian Elopement: Melanie + Farhang

"After spending a couple years embroiled in the process of wedding planning for a larger affair, we have decided to throw the big event out the window and take off to Bavaria to elope. We are flexible with the specific day, but we are shooting for sometime during the two weeks of folk festivals that take place around mid-August in Garmisch-Partenkirchen to maximize the braids/lederhosen/dirndl/beer swilling good times! Do you have any availability to be flown out to capture the day and drink some german brews with us?”

That’s how it all started. My reply was almost instantaneous with a “Yes, please! I will gladly document your wedding and drink some German brews with you!” Over the next few months, Melanie and I talked back and forth to discuss logistics to make it happen. Serena was brought on as the official photographer, as I concentrated on making a memorable film of the day. Serena and I both adore intimate elopements and what could be more romantic than eloping in Bavaria, the land of Grimms’ fairy tales? 

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5 Winter Weddings and Engagements to Keep You Warm

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5 Winter Weddings and Engagements to Keep You Warm

Valdora and Isabel put their love and their desires for the day first. Which meant an early morning intimate wedding ceremony under the Bethesda Terrace in Central Park with only their closest friends in attendance. Later in the afternoon they invited a larger group of friends and family to celebrate a small ceremony, dinner and dancing a few hours north of New York City. It reflected their goals to create a day that invited their loved ones to be a part of their love, all while sticking to their guns in regards to having a small and beautiful wedding where they felt comfortable sharing vows and tears and promises.

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Real Couples // Spring Frost Engagement: Sally + Sophia

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Real Couples // Spring Frost Engagement: Sally + Sophia

Sally and Sophia are two incredibly fun and in-love individuals who made the trek [twice] to Charlottesville from their home in Washington, DC. Due to some crazy winter temperatures (10 degrees, plus 20 mph wind chill) we ended up postponing the original session date and, instead, met up for a delicious brunch at The Clifton Inn. Many amusing stories were told, along with much discussion over some recent movie theater experiences.

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