Rachael + Stephen
(August 19, 2023 in Spokane, WA)
Welcome back to the Ivory Blog, where we take great pride in sharing the captivating love stories and unforgettable moments of our treasured brides. Today, we are elated to showcase the enchanting wedding of one of our real brides who graced our boutique with her presence. With each wedding, a unique narrative of romance, style, and the perfect gown coming to life unfolds, and the journey of this bride is no different. Join us as we explore the intricate details of her special day, where dreams seamlessly transformed into reality, and love radiated from every corner. Prepare to be inspired by this exceptional celebration of love and the integral role our bridal boutique played in making it all come together flawlessly.
By our real bride, Rachael:
What was the vision for your wedding?
The original vision for our wedding was very difficult. I wanted black, white & green (green being from the plants already there) But Stephen wanted blue! So we found this beautiful shade of blue and had it just as accents with mostly black decor. We went for edgy & elegance mixed in one and I was obsessed with how it turned out! Our florist did an absolutely stellar job and made my vision come to life in a way I didn’t think possible. The mix of white & blue florals with shades of blue taper candles was to die for.
Our vendor list started with looking at vendors from our “preferred vendor” list from the venue, and let me tell you it was tough! But I am so happy and thankful for everyone I chose. I would hire them all again and again!
How did it go the day-of?
The beginning of our day was anything but smooth sailing. I planned this day for a year and a half with just me and my vendors. I made maps and charts and anything I could think of to help make our setup go how I planned it. Our wedding happened the day after the devastating medical lake fires and the smoke in Spokane was at very unhealthy levels. I got a call around 11:00 a.m. saying that the venue had to move everything inside (rightfully so) because of the smoke. So the panic set in, I didn’t plan for an inside wedding and had no idea how to make this work.
My vendors were my saviors even with dinner being moved inside, they made it work. They are professionals for a reason! They made my dream wedding come true and I’ll be forever thankful.
Our big day consisted of an outside ceremony, with beautiful arbor greenery and florals, and we added Edison bulbs on the arbor to tie in the dance floor lights!
Both mine and my husband’s grandmas were our flower girls, and they walked with our grandpas. They also had pictures of our other side's grandparents who had passed so they could be a special part of our day. My grandfather was our ring bearer as well. It was really important to us that our family was involved in our day.
Our unity ceremony was us watering a Nobel for the tree! However, not only our bridal party and family but ALL guests were asked to scoop soil into the tree pot before the ceremony. We asked them to be there for us on the most important day, so we wanted them to be a part of our day.
After our beautiful ceremony, we went into cocktail hour with signature drinks and snacks! We took this time to sign our marriage license (and practiced our first dance).
We did a grand entrance into the dining room. I wore a leather jacket with “Mrs. Mealey” on the back of it! Our seating chart was personalized handwritten notes to each of our guests! And then our table numbers were vinyl records that had an artist on it. For Table release for food, the guests had to listen to a song by the artist who was on their table number! This made it so fun as people were engaging with each other trying to figure out what song it was so they could get dinner!
After dinner, we did speeches, and cake cutting, and went right into dances! I totally recommend doing a reverse anniversary dance! So you end with everyone on the dance floor!! It was packed the whole night!
We ended the night with an after-party at our favorite local bar! Absolute best decision!
What is your #1 tip to future brides?
Take time for yourself the morning of! Do something that you have in your normal daily routine. For example, I curled my own hair and then my hairdresser did the rest. Once we got to the venue, I took time to sit down and color (I’m an elementary teacher so it was calming). If you are an anxious bride like I was. Really sticking to things you know is best. Also having calm people around you is super helpful!
