Real Weddings Magazine - Summer/Fall 2018

eal weddings
SAMANTHA &
NICHOLAS
PHOTOGRAPHY BY
UV VISIONS PHOTOGRAPHY
BY JORGE & UV
When Sam and Nick met, the
air crackled with excitement.
Introduced through mutual
friends, they were not the usual
type each other dated, but as it
turned out, they were perfect
for one another. After many
years together, Nick proposed
to Sam on a beautiful snowy
evening while on a getaway to
Lake Tahoe.
Wedding planning was
made easy, as both Sam and Nick knew their
unique selves and hired plenty of talented and
hard-working vendors to help express their perfect
vision. “We had the dream team of wedding
vendors!” says Sam. And as the winning couple
of Above & Beyond Cakes’ “Wedding Sweets
Giveaway,” they were able to truly personalize
their cake. Each tier of the three-tier cake was a
different flavor: churro cake with pumpkin spice
cream cheese frosting, chocolate cake with Oreo
frosting and strawberry Champagne cake with
cheesecake mousse.
Incorporating elements of their personalities
in their wedding was a given, but Sam says it was
the little touches throughout that really made it
special. The combining of glass beads during
their unity ceremony, which then were turned
into a hand-blown glass vase, is just one of the
many ways they exemplified their creative and
unique personalities.
“We picked photos of our many travels and
adventures to be displayed in ornate frames on
each of the tables,” she explains when describing
the ways in which they were innovative and
unafraid to step outside of the box. They also
provided an alternative to dancing for guests
who forgot their dancing shoes with a table of
handmade wooden games like Jenga, Connect
Four, tic-tac-toe and chess.
Though every moment of
a wedding day is special, Sam
says it was the first look they
planned before the ceremony
as well as the quiet time they
had together during their pictures
that provided them with
the most magical memories.
“We both loved setting aside
time for the first look and photos
of just the two of us. It gave
us the opportunity to relax, have fun together
and truly enjoy each other’s company,” she says.
Sam and Nick were sure to think of everything
for their guests that day; they provided warm
blankets during their outdoor ceremony and
kindly allowed guests to take them home. Even
with those fabulous keepsakes, Sam says what
she wants guests to remember most is their love.
“We hope our guests remember the energy,
our smiles, and the amazing time we all had
celebrating our union.”
Because the couple spent so many years
getting to know each other before they were engaged,
there are not many unexpected changes
to their happy lives together, but Sam does find
it comfortable having
transitioned from dating
to marriage. “There is not
much that has changed
since we’ve said ‘I do’,
although we do love
being able to say ‘husband’
and ‘wife,’” she
says. Just like their wedding,
their relationship
is unique and their love
is timeless. OO
—Abigail Blank
166 | REAL WEDDINGS SUMMER/FALL 2018 REALWEDDINGSMAG.COM