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Real Azazie Wedding | April + Dan

April and Dan tied the knot at the Cooper Creek Event Center in Blue Ash, Ohio. Their wedding didn’t have an exact theme but was centered around the idea of being a joyous celebration for all their friends and family as the couple had been together for 8.5 years before the wedding. All her ‘maids were wearing our Ellen gown in an array of colors.

All photos were taken by Blue Martini Photography.

Q: Why did you choose this venue?

“We wanted somewhere that was new and modern but not too edgy, somewhere with clean design that was pretty but neutral enough to work with whatever crazy decor I decided to add. The ballroom has these huge windows that let all sorts of natural sunlight in, which I love, and the dance floor was the biggest we had seen (very important since we love to dance!). There is also a gorgeous setting for an outdoor ceremony, which we got to utilize since the weather held! Finally, we currently live in Philadelphia, so we wanted to pick a venue with a trustworthy and responsive staff to help us pull everything together, and they were absolutely fabulous.”

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Q: How did you keep your wedding cohesive without a specific theme?

“I wanted the decor to just be very fun and happy and “spring-y” to reflect the celebratory nature of the day. I almost always wear prints (mostly floral), and if I wear solid colors they are always bright and happy, so I wanted the wedding to reflect that. I don’t have a favorite color because I like too many, and while tradition suggests your bridesmaids all wear the same color and you pick a main color for the decor with an accent color or two, I decided that I could pick as many colors as I wanted, as long as I put them together very carefully! We basically ended up with a rainbow wedding with garden party/watercolor accents that suited us perfectly.

Q: What was your favorite moment?
“I can’t pick one moment because there were too many good ones! I was first overjoyed that we could have the outdoor ceremony that we had planned, under the arbor my dad built us from trees from our backyard. Our ceremony was particularly memorable because we chose to have a secular ceremony but wanted to infuse it with aspects unique to us to keep with the celebratory nature of the day. My grandma and my 4 great aunts sang to us, we had 2 friends from college tell our love story from the beginning and 1 more recent friend read a beautiful poem, and Dan even surprised me by reading a poem called “Always Marry an April Girl” by Ogden Nash (which I could swear was written for me even though he died 45 years ago), complete with a mic drop at the end! The sunshine finally gave way to torrential sun showers during our first dance, and we even got a rainbow over the venue, perfect for our rainbow wedding! At the risk of sounding cliche, it was the cherry on top of a – dare I say – perfect day!”

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Q: Why did you choose Azazie?

“I chose Azazie for a number of reasons. I knew I didn’t want my girls to all wear the same color, so the dresses had to come in multiple colors that I really liked, and I wanted a style that was traditional but still comfortable and flattering for the girls while still having a few unique details. I took full advantage of the swatch program and probably ordered half of them to work out which six colors to choose, which wasn’t easy since there were so many good ones! We selected the Ellen dress because the straps made it so easy to wear while the pleating, lace, and V back really transformed it into a beautiful gown. I also picked Azazie because my bridesmaids live all over the country, so it was extremely convenient that they could measure themselves at home and order online, especially with the quick turn-around time! We also loved the custom sizing option, as two of my bridesmaids needed extra length and some needed shorter bodices etc, and the $50 alterations credit was definitely an added bonus! Finally, the price point is hard to beat for the quality of the gowns. The customer service was also fantastic, which was very much appreciated.”

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Q: Did you enjoy the wedding planning process?

“The initial excitement of planning the wedding was very fun; when else do you get to throw such a fabulous party for all of your friends and family where you get to pick out every little detail! And then you realize that you HAVE to pick out every. Little. Detail. I came to the realization during the process that unless you are an event planner for a living, chances are you have absolutely no experience putting together such a big shindig, and never again will, until your future kids get married.The closer you get to the actual day, you start caring less and less about things like napkins and chairs and more and more about things like, gosh I really hope Aunt and Uncle So-and-So can still make it and that you can calm your mind enough to take in every moment and just enjoy the day. My recommendation to future brides is designate very early on a handful of things that are really important to you and are worth your time, effort, and frankly money, and then to not let yourself get caught up in nit picky details regarding things that aren’t on that short list of priorities. It was also difficult at times planning a wedding from out of town, but our vendors were fantastic, so hire vendors that you can trust!”

Q: Your wedding in one word.

“Fantastical.”

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Q: Any tips for future brides?

“If you want something for your wedding, go for it! (As long it fits in your budget, don’t go into debt for your wedding!!!) Not everyone will agree with your “vision” or ideas, but don’t let them get you down about your ribbon wands or rapping your vows or having a burrito bar for dinner. I really loved the fact that our wedding was a reflection of us, and that’s what made it perfect (for us ❤). “”

Q: Finals thoughts?

“Shameless plug for the “Save the Date” wedding podcast (soon to be “Bridechilla”) hosted by Aleisha McCormack. I discovered her podcast about 3-4 months before the wedding, and she talks with real brides and wedding professionals about every aspect of weddings in realistic terms, from family feuds to chair covers to wedding planning while dealing with anxiety and depression. Listening really helped reassure me about so many things related to the wedding, including my decision to have 6 different colored bridesmaids dresses (!), and stay calm, collected, and a #bridechilla as the big day approached. Could not recommend it more!”

 

4 Comments

  • Amanda Pederson

    In the photo where the girls are all to the left of the bride on one side, could you tell me in order what colors they are wearing? Thank you!

    • Araceli Vizcaino

      Hi Amanda!

      Isn’t this party just gorgeous?! From left to right the colors look like: Lavender, Mint Green, Spa, Spa, Sky Blue and Lilac. We highly recommend ordering swatches as photography & lighting can throw off the true color of the dresses.

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