Hannah + Luke
(January 2, 2021 in Spokane, WA)
In this blog post, a bride shares her experience of planning and executing her wedding during the COVID-19 pandemic. She discusses the vision she had for her wedding, the challenges she faced due to the pandemic, and how she adapted to the changing circumstances. The bride also shares details about her wedding day, including the emotional moments and special touches that made the day unforgettable. Finally, she offers her #1 tip for future brides: taking the time to carefully choose the right vendors can make all the difference in ensuring that your wedding day is everything you dreamed of.
Hannah looked absolutely gorgeous in our Delilah gown by Martina Liana. This gorgeous fit and flare wedding dress is made from a comfortable crepe material. Gorgeous lace appliques are found throughout the bodice and trickle down into the skirt to frame the hips. The bodice is unlined and features sheer side panels, both of which help accentuate the figure. A low back, buttons all the way down, and a gorgeous scalloped train add to the elegant drama of this beautiful gown.
By our real bride, Hannah:
What was the vision for your wedding?
When my Pinterest board first started, to be honest, I was all over the map. I loved everything and thought so many different styles and vibes were sooooo beautiful. Once we decided we were going to get married at the Davenport in the winter, I feel like the style just picked itself. If you have been inside the Historic Davenport Hotel you know how extremely elegant it is so I knew I wanted our wedding to feel elegant, but also very romantic and warm. Once the reception got changed to my parent's home due to Covid restrictions, that warm, romantic feel fit in perfectly. I knew I wanted a lot of greenery and mood lighting with white tea lights with just an accent of warm colors and I got exactly that, plus more than I could have dreamed of, my florist designer absolutely crushed it. My wedding planner, Nikki Gradoville, who is also a really close family friend, helped lead me in the direction of a lot of my vendors. She also helped plan my sisters wedding five years ago so she had a really good idea of who would be a good fit with my family and me and who would help bring my visions to life.
How did it go the day-of?
My wedding day was everything I didn't know I wanted and needed! It was absolutely perfect. When we first started planning prior to the pandemic hitting we were planning a huge wedding, about 400 people huge. We wanted our wedding to be a giant celebration with all of our favorite people with us. Our planning was a rollercoaster, waiting to see each day what the current restrictions/guidelines were going to be and deciding how to navigate moving forward. Ultimately, we knew we didn't want to wait, we were ready to start our lives together as husband and wife regardless of the COVID restrictions, so we switched gears.
We ended up with 40 people, our immediate family and those who were in our wedding party. With the restrictions at the time, we could still have our ceremony at the Davenport, but could not have our reception there so we planned a house party at my parents home. I got to get ready at the Davenport with my girls, sipping mimosas, listening to a good throwback playlist, and laughing and crying reminiscing to special memories with each of them. I did a first look with my dad and my husband, those were probably two of my favorite moments of the day. My husband literally got a bloody nose because he cried so hard, theres a picture where you can see the gauze in his nose (haha :)). We have 13 nieces and nephews between the two of us and couldn't imagine picking, so they were all flower girls and ring bearers we had a little "kid parade" as we called it, down the aisle before my dad and I walked down.
Our ceremony was traditional and beautiful, my husbands brother-in-law performed the ceremony which was so incredibly special and we chose communion as our first act as husband and wife. After communion we had both of our parents come up and pray with us which is a moment I will forever cherish. The reception is still the part that blows me away. People have asked our florist since then what venue she was at, they did an incredible job. They took out all of my parents furniture, brought in tables and chairs and pipe and drape and absolutely transformed the space! I was in absolute awe when I first walked in. Our food was incredible and the living room where I grew up was our dance floor, I don't think it gets any more sentimental with that. One special thing our D.J. did was at the very end of the night, as everyone was preparing for our sparkler send-off, they cleared out the house, even all our vendors, and played one of our favorite songs for just my husband and me to dance to and look around and reflect on our day. It was incredibly special and emotional and such a special tradition I think more couples should incorporate!
What is your #1 tip to future brides?
My #1 tip would be to truly take your time to pick your vendors. This can be a very daunting and overwhelming experience, but I would argue it is truly one of the most important pieces of planning because these vendors can make or break your day. We went from a 400-person wedding at the Historic Davenport Hotel to a 40-person wedding at my parents house and not one of our vendors backed out or hesitated about the new direction our wedding was going. They all jumped in full force, and asked how they could help, literally our DJ and his wife were helping our wedding planner hang pipe and drape, it was incredible. They all found ways to go the extra mile to make sure this was the day my husband and I envisioned despite the changes.
Take the time to "interview" and get to know the vendors and make sure they understand you and your vision, they should make you feel that this is also an important day for them, not that you're just another bride and groom on their list. Ask people you trust about vendors, who they liked, did not like, etc, if you have a wedding planner ask their opinion, and have them sit in on the "interviews". It can be a lot of work in the beginning, but if you pick the right vendors it is less work and less stress for you as you get closer to your special day, so you can truly enjoy every moment like you should be able to!
