Wedding Wednesday: Emilee + Tony LaRosa // November 13, 2015

Emilee + Tony LaRosa // November 14, 2015

From attending the same elementary school to playing in their high school marching band, Tony and Emilee have been in each other’s lives for years. After high school, the two lost touch until one Christmas break when they decided to meet for drinks and catch up. They instantly picked right back up from where they left off and had such a great time that they went out again the next day!

Two years later, Tony knew that he couldn’t spend another day without Emilee and decided to pop the question at his family cabin in the Blue Ridge Mountains. He made a scrapbook for Emilee similar to the adventure book from the Disney movie “Up” that said, “Our book of Adventures.” Emilee flipped through the pages of all the memories she and Tony had made and when she got to the last page it read, “Please stand up.” Tony got down on one knee and presented Emilee with the most beautiful ring and a question of a lifetime.

Tony and Emilee originally thought they wanted a modern wedding and venue. It was not until they attended a Bridal Open House at The Wheeler House that they fell in love with the charm of the venue and its rustic elegant look. They loved it so much that they decided to book the venue that day!

For the details of their wedding, the couple tried to do as much DIY as possible. Tony has a knack for photography so he decided to take their own engagement pictures! He used a tripod and a nice camera. They turned out amazing! For their save the dates, Emilee used an Instagram photo and made stickers for their guests to mark their calendars with. When it came to ceremony music, the couple wanted to utilize their talented close friends and family. They had their elementary school music teacher play the piano, a friend from North Carolina sing a song and even had Tony’s dad and his three close friend’s quartet sing a song.

Emilee’s most memorable part of her day was getting to celebrate with family and friends.

“Walking down the aisle was like seeing everyone I love all at once,” said Emilee. “We just felt so blessed and loved all day long.”

For their honeymoon the couple chose to go to Kona, Hawaii since both had never been there before. While there, they rented snorkeling gear and drove to a beach that was know for its colorful fish and gorgeous reefs. Once they arrived, the place was packed and they had no idea why.

“We almost left but we figured we should check it out, and turns out that the crowds were there to see a pod of spinner dolphins swimming right off the coast,” said Emilee. “We got to swim just feet from the dolphins and it was the most spontaneous part of our whole trip.”

The Wheeler House is truly grateful to have had the opportunity to work with such an amazing couple and we wish you both nothing but a lifetime of love, happiness and more adventures!

Vendors

Cake: Lush Cakery

Caterer: Talk of the Town

Florist: Kimberly Evans

Reception Music: D Street Entertainment

Officiate: Mack Riley

Photographer: MikeMoon Studio

Videographer: Madeline Current

Hair Dresser: Tracy Wood

Get Away Car: Jerry Richstein

Wedding Wednesday: Amanda + Harrison English // October 10, 2015

Amanda + Harrison English // October 10, 2015

This sweet couple met at Amanda’s friends housewarming party a few years ago. According to Amanda, the only reason Harrison attended is because he heard there would be single girls there. Little did Harrison know, this housewarming party would change his life for the better forever!

The couple went on their first date in Atlanta and instantly hit it off. They started off by getting dinner at Two Urban Licks (YUM!). Dinner went so well that they decided to keep it going and headed to get hot chocolate at the famous Café Intermezzo.  

After some time, Harrison quickly realized Amanda was the one. He planned out the perfect proposal all while Amanda thought he was working. Later that night, Amanda entered the small cabin they had rented for the weekend in Chattanooga to find it decorated with candles, rose petals and a Charlie Brown Christmas tree. After Amanda said yes, Harrison surprised her again by telling her he would be taking her to stay for a weekend at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel in her favorite city- Nashville! This perfect weekend ended with the couple celebrating their engagement with both of their families in their hometown.

When it came time to chose a venue, the couple wanted an “upscale barn wedding” and chose The Wheeler House because they loved the feel that the barn gave.  They also loved that everything on the property was close together so their guests would not have to walk far.

There were some unique details that were special to the couple throughout their wedding. For the ceremony, they tied a fisherman’s knot instead of the normal three cords coming together knot. For their wedding cake, they had a cookie cake which was such a huge hit even though the knife broke off while the couple tried to cut it!

(Photo Courtesy of: Mike Moon Studio)

Amanda’s best advice to couples planning their big day is to stay organized by making a notebook full of any important information that you can give to the coordinator or a family member in charge the day of. It will keep you from worrying about details on the day of your wedding and prevent people from asking you questions. Giving the notebook to others will make sure everything gets done and if everything is not perfect-that’s okay.

“Also, remind yourself early on that things will be missed.  You’ll plan and plan and something will be forgotten.  A sign won’t make it out, a candle won’t be lit, but it will all be ok.  In the end, it won’t really matter and what you’ll remember are the people you had another chance to spend time with,” said Amanda.

For their honeymoon the couples main goal was to go somewhere they each had never seen before and somewhere where they could relax. They chose a remote location in Ireland! The best part of their trip was when they rented a car to drive across the country from Dublin to the Cliffs of Mohr. The day ended with the couple staying in a castle, what a fairytale!

We wish all the best for this sweet couple & a lifetime full of happiness. Thanks for letting us be a part of your day!

Vendors:

Cake: Jill's Cakes & Bakes 

Caterer: Talk Of The Town 

Photographer: Mike Moon Studio

Reception Music: D Street Entertainment 
Hair: A Touch Of Beauty Salon & Spa