Real Weddings Magazine - Summer/Fall 2018

eal weddings
DANIELLE &
BRIAN
PHOTOGRAPHY BY KATHERINE ELYSE PHOTOGRAPHY
Not all love is happenstance and meet-cute stories.
Sometimes, we take destiny into our own
hands and make our life into what we dreamed
of. “We have a modern love story as we met
on Match.com,” says Brian, when asked about
how he and Danielle came to fall in love. “I gave
the natural approach of meeting someone organically
my best shot, with poor and inefficient
results.”
During their year-long engagement, Danielle
and Brian worked together in all aspects of
wedding planning and coordination. Brian adds,
“Danielle was more of the ‘creative director,’ for
sure. She’s always the one with the vision, and I
make myself useful when it comes to logistics
and functionality.” The outdoor setting gave
them ample room to create just what they had
envisioned for the day. “There were large farm
tables delivered, rustic accents, and my dad’s
property which came complete with puppies
and chickens to tie it all together,” said Brian.
They didn’t want anything too stuffy or
formal. Being attached to a strict timeline was
something Danielle felt would stifle the pure
joy of the celebration of their love. “We took
out some ‘unnecessary’ or traditional wedding
events and made sure the focus was more on
having a good time and enjoying
the people around us,” she explains.
Danielle also has sound advice
for brides about the stress of wedding
planning and the worries of
meeting others’ expectations. “The
day is a celebration of the love between
you and your partner, and the
wedding is a display of that love to your friends
and family. The wedding is an opportunity to
reflect you as a couple.”
Their wedding day was filled with fun and
laughter, not just for the couple but for their
friends and family as well. Danielle recalls the
comical teasing of Brian by the groomsmen
when they pulled out handkerchiefs to hand
to him during the ceremony as an entertaining
highlight that she will always cherish, “He’d cried
the night before at the rehearsal dinner. It was
hysterical and well executed.”
For Brian, there is no question about what
was the most memorable part of the wedding.
“The kiss!” he says. “There was so much build
up, just standing there across from her, wanting
so badly to kiss and hold her throughout the
ceremony. When I was finally able to
connect with her and kiss, it was explosive
for me.”
The beauty of their commitment to
each other is what has struck Brian the
most since they tied the knot. “It’s all
about our unit, our family and all conversations
are now in this new context
of lasting forever,” he says. OO
—Abigail Blank
160 | REAL WEDDINGS SUMMER/FALL 2018 REALWEDDINGSMAG.COM