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: Paola + Blair Frost // October 17, 2015

Paola + Blair Frost // October 17, 2015

This sweet couple has been inseparable ever since their first date, which they both describe as “The best date ever!” Their night started off with dinner at the Virginia Highlands Goin’ Coastal, and even though Blair has a fear of heights, ended with a ride on the Skyview in Atlanta. He knew from that night on that Paola was special if she could make him overcome one of his biggest fears!

On November 14, 2014, Paola pulled up to Blair’s house thinking that they were about to head to a movie, she found a bouquet of daises and a note waiting for her instead. The note asked Paola to meet Blair at the lake to watch the sunset. She quickly jumped in her car and drove to their favorite spot on the lake.

“It wasn’t until I pulled up and saw him standing at the edge of the water that it hit me, he was going to PROPOSE,” Paola said.

By the time Paola reached Blair he began telling her how much she meant to him and that he would be honored to have her as his wife.

“It was by far the most incredible moment of my life,” said Paola. "I held onto him for what seemed like forever as I thought about what an amazing adventure we had already had, and realized it was only the beginning of a life time adventure!”

The overall look and feel Paola wanted for her big day was whimsical and rustic. As soon as she drove up to The Wheeler House she knew it was perfect for her wedding day.

“This beautifully restored 1906 home was staring back at me as we pulled into the driveway, and I knew this was the place my best friend and I would be getting married,” said Paola.

Part of what made her day so special was that her parents built most of her décor; she told them her visions and they helped bring them to life. Her dad made two beautiful doors that lined the walkway of the aisle and had Paola’s favorite bible verse painted on the top, they were absolutely stunning 

Paola and Blair wanted their day to be memorable and fun! When it came time for the reception, it was full of music, dancing, sombreros, glow sticks and a surprise mariachi band from Paola's parents!

The couple’s best advice to any bride and groom planning their big day is to enjoy one another during the process and to think of the planning as more of a blessing than a chore because it is the beginning of your forever!

After all of the wedding festivities were over, the couple headed to Grenada. They wanted to go there because they had both never been and wanted to travel to a unique location. The best part of their honeymoon was that they did not have any working phones with them which gave them plenty of time to enjoy each others company and relax.

The Wheeler House adored this wedding and this sweet couple! We were honored to play a part in their special day and we wish them a lifetime full of love.

Vendors

Dress: Bridals by Lori 

Cake: Lush Cakery 

Caterer: Talk of the Town 

Florist: Design House of Flowers

Entertainment: D Street Entertainment 

Wedding Photographer: David Duong Photography 

Videographer: Anchored Films 

Wedding Wednesday: Kristin + J.R. Crowe // March 28, 2015

After being introduced by Kristin's brother at a party in 2009, Kristin and J.R. had all of their dreams come true at The Wheeler House almost 6 years later.

Kristin thought their first date was going to be a casual lunch to celebrate a new job that she had just started, but J.R. had other plans in mind. They ended up going to The Cheesecake Factory, which Kristin thought was very classy. A little over 4 years later J.R. enlisted the help of Kristin's brother, the man who started it all, to help out with the proposal. Kristin knew she was supposed to be expecting some type of housewarming gift from J.R., but when she unwrapped the last box, J.R. was on one knee.

Photo courtesy of: Mike Moon Studio

J.R. came up with the theme of their wedding, which they like to call "Modern Southern." They wanted the wedding to be comfortable and classic. Originality was key to this couple because they didn't want to just copy ideas out of magazines or off of Pinterest. They chose The Wheeler House as their venue for a couple different reasons.

"Have you seen The Wheeler House? It's beautiful, and it fit the comfortable classic feel. We really felt at home there," said Kristin.

Photo courtesy of: Mike Moon Studio

Their ceremony was very unique. Their friend who was not an officiant officiated their wedding, Kristin's cousins recited a funny and loving reading, and one of Kristin's bridesmaids sang a beautiful John Legend song.

"It had us written all over it. It was exactly as I hoped it would be: different, loving, and fun," said Kristin.

Kristin's advice to any bride/groom planning their wedding is to focus on you and your future spouse because that's what it's all about.

"The details of the wedding will be long forgotten, but the marriage will last a lifetime. Focus on that and everything will fall into place," said Kristin.

Kristin and J.R. chose Alaska for their honeymoon destination. They wanted to go somewhere they had never been before, and they were looking for adventure. They will be embarking on this big adventure in July. Congratulations to these newlyweds! We loved being able to help these two with their big day, and we wish them a lifetime of happiness!

Photo courtesy of: Mike Moon Studio

Vendors

Bride and Groom's Cake: Coast to Coast Catering

Caterer: Coast to Coast Catering

Florist: Holland Daze

Photographer: Mike Moon Studio

Ceremony Music: James Palestrini

Reception Music: Marquee Events

Wedding Wednesday: Colleen + Mike Rogers // January 17th, 2015

Two Georgia natives looking for “elegant, eclectic, rustic, mismatched, and a personal” style wedding with a little Texas flare! Their wedding glammed with DIY’s, Pinterest, and Etsy projects was one for the books.

Who would’ve known that attending a simple Pancake Dinner Social would change their lives forever? Mike and Colleen have a beautiful love story driven by faith and patience. Ten years of falling in love, making hard decisions, moving across the country, and finding themselves on their own all drove the two here to tie the knot at The Wheeler House on January 17^th, 2015.

All through college they dated, but after graduation, they found themselves on opposite sides of the country. For two years, they remained a couple through a long distance relationship. After all, distance gives us a reason to love harder. God guided their paths back together in Dallas, Texas in 2011. However, after eight years, it was time to see life on their own.

“We lived separate lives for almost two years. God worked in both of us. We grew as individuals experiencing life in a different light. Sometimes it was rough… but even in the darkest days, there was a lamp to our feet and a light to our path… Saying goodbye was one of the hardest things we ever did, but it was also the best thing we ever did” said Colleen.

Mike proposed on March 7th, 2014 in Fredericksburg, Texas. Colleen’s obsession with pictures paved the way for his proposal idea (which is so cute!). He gathered pictures that documented their relationship, put it all together in a photo album, and cut a hole in the last few pages. Hidden behind the pictures was a beautiful engagement ring. He got down on one knee as she flipped to the last page.

The “look” they wanted was rustic, but elegant and eclectic at the same time. Most importantly though, they wanted a wedding that screamed “US.” They wanted to incorporate things about them that would make the wedding very personal for them and all came.

Living in Texas at the time, planning the wedding got a little stressful for Colleen (We totally understand!). Her eclectic style made all her DIY projects mandatory. But man, was it a lot of work to do! Colleen had to rely a lot of hope that all would come together on her big day! (and it definitely did!)

Mike and Colleen had a lot of uniqueness incorporated in their wedding. Colleen's love for photography drove a very unique factor in welcoming the guests. She got all the guests pictures and made them into Polaroids which served as table escort cards.

A huge part of any big day is the Wedding Cake. This couple brought a fantastic personal touch to both of their cakes! 

“I am a meteorologist so our wedding cake topper was ‘weather themed.’ My husband works for Microsoft so the groom’s cake was an edible Xbox cake!”

This couple paid attention to so much detail, the bridal bouquet even had her favorite food in it: Kale! Beautiful and Edible! Nice!

Other than the vows, their most memorable part of their wedding day was the moment the reception started. All of their guests were led into the barn and the band announced them as “Mr. and Mrs. Rogers.” The couple, hand in hand, ran into the barn and were welcomed with applause, lights, music, and love.

“It was overwhelming in the best way possible! We couldn’t stop smiling!” Colleen said.

Colleen’s advice to any bride planning a wedding would be not to sweat the small stuff. She recommends that if you are going the DIY route, to pick a few projects and stick with only those. Otherwise, it begins to be too much. (Good advice, Colleen!)

Colleen and Mike Rogers are so excited to have finally tied the knot. The two believe that they got married at the absolute perfect time in accordance to God’s timeline for them. We are so happy to have been a part of this awesome wedding! We love when brides have such amazing ideas and bring a lot of uniqueness to their wedding. We loved working with the two and wish them a wonderful life together!

Vendors: 

Bar Services: Raising the Bar Atlanta

Cake: Cakes by Carissa

Catering: BBQ1

Decor/Florist: Susan Niemeyer

Entertainment: Emerald Empire Band

Photography: Christy Parry Photography

Planning: Amanda & Ashley - Ashley Baber Weddings

Venue: The Wheeler House