Lauren & Blaine’s Saint Elle Wedding
Q. What made you choose your ceremony or reception venues? Did they have any special significance to you?
A. Planning a wedding during Covid introduced some new challenges. The first venue, aka: my parents backyard, was because we wanted to get married and we needed a spot to do it! It turned out to be a wonderful venue and such a special memory for all of us. The second venue was rather serendipitous, we had started planning in 2019 (originally planning for a 2020 wedding) and booked a different venue than the St Elle , as the St Elle wasn't completed then. Fast forward and our original venue was closed indefinitely and we had to switch gears. Since this was 2020 now and the St Elle was completed, we visited and realized it already had the vibe we were imagining. Modern, sleek, and clean and it really was the perfect spot.
Q. For the groom - what do you admire most about your wife?
A. How much passion and energy she puts into things, even the little things in life.
Q. For the bride - what do you admire most about your husband?
A. His ability to make everyone in the room smile and laugh, his strength and determination when facing life's challenges, and his all-around optimism.
Q. What is your most memorable moment from the wedding day?
A. Walking down the aisle to the string version of Dancing Queen. The nerves and excitement, and just seeing everyone there-- it was truly what I had waited for for over 2 years! Since we had technically gotten married the year before, I was somewhat worried that this year's wedding wouldn't feel like my wedding and that it would only feel like a big party. I am so grateful that wasn't the case-- it felt every bit as real as our small and intimate elopement.
The whole ceremony was perfect as it was performed by our brother-in-law, Matt. Since it was a vow renewal, everything was light-hearted and relaxed. I think the best part was writing our own vows. Having been married for a year already, we truly understood what we were re-promising to each other, which made things even more special.
Q. Our favorite detail of the wedding was:
A. Lauren: mine was the personalized notes we had at each guests' seat-- Blaine and I took some serious time to make sure all of our guests felt welcomed at the wedding. We were so grateful to get to celebrate with everyone after waiting so long! Blaine: our self-written vows to each other and having a big Welcome Party the night before at Acme with all of our guests, rather than a smaller rehearsal dinner.
Q. What's next for you as a couple?
A. We graduated from grad school in May of 2021 and we recently moved to Atlanta for our new jobs! We are loving it here so far and are staying quite busy in our new roles. The next big thing will be figuring out what part of Atlanta we want to buy our first home in!
Q. Is there anything else you'd like to share about your wedding?
A. It was such an interesting experience having both an 'elopement' with just our families along with the traditional 'wedding' a year later! There was a lot of emotion during the planning process both times around- and splitting it up into two, I constantly worried that neither of the events would feel like a 'wedding'. I was so wrong, and I will gladly admit that. The elopement was so special-- It was such an intimate evening with our families, and sharing that evening with them is such a special memory to me. With the big wedding celebration, it felt like I had always imagined! Even though we were already married, it still felt like my wedding and it was so special to see everyone after years apart! Not to mention it was so FUN. The whole weekend, the welcome party and the wedding, were just a constant celebration.