Alyssa and Justin loved making their wedding special by sprinkling traditional aspects with untraditional moments with the help of Valentine Ballroom Events Wedding coordinator, Mecinna Price. They decided to start their ceremony with a special, private reading of their vows. However, Alyssa had dreamed of keeping her groom waiting for his first look of her in her dress to be the moment she was walking toward him down the wedding isle. So, they began their vow reading by being led blindfolded to each other into the center of the Valentine Ballroom. They stood under the sparkling chandeliers, back to back, holding hands as they expressed their love and made promises worthy of the tears they drew. Their emotional declaration set the stage for the beautiful, heartfelt ceremony that followed. Before the ceremony started, Alyssa’s father was gifted with a father’s first look tender moment, as he joined his daughter in the bridal suite for a final daddy-daughter talk. Allyssa’s choice of a simple floor length sheath dress and a crown a flowers, made by the father of the groom, florist Brady Prescott of A&J Florals, was impactful in it’s elegance. The groomsmen’s light grey suits perfectly offset the floor length, Champagne colored bridesmaids dresses. As the setting sun streamed through the grand Valentine windows, lighting the ballroom in a brilliant glow, Alyssa had the first glance moment she had always hoped for. Seeing Justin’s awe and emotional excitement in front of all their loved ones and friends, as she walked toward him was everything she’d hoped for. There wasn’t a dry eye in the room.
The decorations were set off by 2 huge, floor to ceiling banners on either side of the grand fireplace, of the couple’s favorite photos from their engagement shoot, printed and hung by Stuart’s Media. A&J Florals created a soft, wintery setting with lots of greenery, soft white and champagne roses and sprigs of eucalyptus. A two layer frosted red velvet cake by Lacey at Occasions Events was accented by a donut wall hung with potato donuts frosted and glazed to match the Fall color theme. Perhaps one of the most precious scenes was a gift Alyssa masterminded for Justin. As tribute to his late father, a special reserved seat with a boutonniere was kept at the family table during the evening’s events in the front of the ballroom.
Nothing goes together better than dinner and dancing and their guests were not shy about cutting loose. DJ Dan, of DLR Audio, had the room hopping and the groom’s father quickly became notorious for his dance moves. Tres Express Taco Truck gave everyone a chance to cool off out front of the Valentine as they worked up an appetite on the ballroom floor and divulged into a variety of delicious tacos. Dani Tarbet Photography captured all the tender moments on video and Anna Christine Photography solidified their most precious still-shot memories.
In a Valentine first, the groomsmen literally tried to send the couple off in a blaze of glory. A decision to light all the sparklers for the send off at the same time, resulted in the foyer rug bursting into flames. The newlyweds, unaware of the heated fiasco developing in the foyer, were occupied in each other’s arms as they danced their final dance of the evening. Meanwhile, the wedding coordinator, who saw the flames through the glass door and some fast thinking groomsmen, were able to extinguish the flames before it got too out of control. By the time the happy couple raced to their car, through a much safer tunnel of bubbles, the fire was just another memory to be laughed about in days to come. When Alyssa and Justin reminisce about their magical, nuptials, the feelings and thoughts of fun and family is what they hold onto. It was a day worthy of their love story and all the important people in their lives that helped make it happen.