June 30, 2018

How We Met: Michael and I (Amber) met in Washington, D.C. at an election party in 2016. Our mutual friend introduced us, and I thought he had just moved to D.C. I was trying to be nice and introduced him to my friends. It turns out, about half of these people were also his friends because he was moving back to D.C. He didn’t let me in on this little secret until I’d done it about 10 times.

The Proposal: When we were in the Outer Banks, there is a sign as you walk out to the lighthouse that states: “Danger: poisonous snakes, stay on the boardwalk.” Then, I notice something black on the boardwalk in front of us and thought it was a snake. It turns out, there was a question mark taped to the boardwalk because Mike hired a photographer to be there and capture his proposal, with our dog Lola in the background. It was perfect.

The Dress: My grandmother Mema, my mom and my Aunt Jamie all wore the same dress. They let me alter and modernize it so it felt like my own. Liz at Heidi Elnora helped us take off the long-sleeves at the seam, remove some of the pleats and then add back one of the sleeves as my belt.

Favorite Moment: My day started when Mike came over to my parents’ house, and we practiced our first dance for the first two hours. We danced to “Son of a Preacher Man,” because Mike is a preacher’s kid.

Vendors

  • Venues: First Baptist Church of Birmingham, Vestavia Country Club
  • Wedding Planner: Ashley Stork, Magnolia Vine Events
  • Florist: Ray Jordan, FlowerBuds
  • Caterer: Vestavia Country Club
  • Bride’s Cake: Magic Muffins
  • Groom’s Cake: Mary Nell Beck (mother of the groom)
  • Invitations: Leigh Moore
  • Wedding Dress: Altered by Heidi Elnora
  • Bridesmaid Dresses: Bella Bridesmaid
  • Hair & Makeup: Benji Grace-Bishop and Gwyn Morales, Salon U Midtown
  • Groom/Groomsmen Attire: JoS. A. Bank
  • Music: Emerald Empire Band