I am completely head-over-heels in love with today’s wedding featuring the talented styling and design efforts of Amy Stanley of Style by Design! It’s decidedly Southern and very shabby chic with a pink and white color scheme that brings everything together in a swoon-worthy kind of way. The bride and groom were on a tight budget so some of the amazing details were DIY’d including clear plastic vases that were painted white to look like milk glass and used in centerpieces, homemade ice cream favors, chalkboard windowpane seating charts, bow tie napkins and a paper flower photo booth backdrop. Then, there are the details that weren’t DIY’d like the radiant (some of them pregnant) bridesmaids, the full and lush hydrangea and rose bouquets, the stunning cake, the vintage wingback chairs at the sweetheart table, mini vintage chalkboard  table numbers, beautifully set tables and so much more! I could go on and on, but honestly, you need to see this wedding and feel the love, both captured so beautifully by Dana Duncan Photography.

Lauran and Todd first met Labor Day weekend of 2002 at a get together held by a mutual friend. They hit it off that night and hung out a few times after the weekend, but because they attended different schools, decided not to pursue a relationship just yet.

Flash forward to Thanksgiving Eve of 2006. Lauran was out with some friends at a local hot spot enjoying a night off from work. Todd, who was home from college for the Thanksgiving holiday, decided to meet some of his friends at the same bar. Lauran recognized him the moment he walked in but couldn’t remember his name!!! Oops.

A few days later, at the encouragement of a friend, Lauran instant messaged him. From that day forward, the two talked daily via email, text, instant message and phone. They started traveling back and forth between their schools to see as much of each other as they possibly could. And then, on December 22nd, 2006, Todd asked Lauren to be his girlfriend. He told her that she was something special and that he didn’t want to let her get away a second time. She, of course, said yes, and they’ve been inseparable ever since.

Four years later, Valentine’s Day was fast approaching. Lauran was juggling a full school load in her last semester at Old Dominion University and working full time waiting tables. Todd was busy adjusting to a new position at work and coaching baseball. They hadn’t had a whole lot of time for each of late, and Lauran thought it would be nice to go out and celebrate their fourth Valentine’s Day together.

Todd was hesitant about going out on the fourteenth though, and suggested they go out after she got home from class the evening of the eleventh instead. They went to The Cheesecake Factory (Lauran’s favorite restaurant) at Town Centre in Virginia Beach. After dinner, Todd suggested they take a walk over by the fountain nearby. Lauran thought the request was odd and because it was cold suggested they go back to the car instead. But Todd said he wanted to look in a couple stores around the corner and Lauran reluctantly went along.

Eventually they made it to the fountain where Todd asked Lauran to sit down to which she replied why. He asked her patiently to just sit down again. That’s when it clicked. Lauran’s eyes went wide and she started to cry as she sat down. He told her how much he loved her and that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. He pulled out the most gorgeous ring she had ever seen and got down on one knee. He asked her to be his wife and she said yes!

{From the Bride} Our wedding day was amazing, a bit of a blur at points, but absolutely wonderful! I have always wanted to get married at my childhood home, it sits on 7 acres of land and features a large pond in the enormous front yard. I’ve loved how gorgeous the nature is that surrounds the house and how green and lush it is in the month of June. I’ve also wanted to get married outside and love sunshine and fresh air!

My favorite moment of the whole day was walking down the aisle towards my groom and seeing that he was crying. He is not the most emotional man, so seeing him wiping tears from his eyes, clenching his jaw tight, and turning red, was the sweetest, most touching moment of the day. 

Our first dance song was If There’s Love by Citizen Cope. We knew we did not want a “typical, popular, overplayed” first dance song. We wanted one that sounded like us, fit our music taste, and spoke to us with its lyrics. I could listen to it everyday and it will never get old!

The one thing I didn’t expect was for the day to go by so fast! Our engagement was a year and four months – plenty of time to plan, and after all that time and preparation, it was over in the blink of an eye. If we could do it all over again, we both would have just taken more time to sit back and really relax during our day! Part of the blur was that we felt we were being pulled into so many directions we couldn’t even catch a breather! Relaxing would have allowed us to soak up every ounce of the day.

{Advice for Couples} Our advice for other couples tying the knot would be to never take each other too seriously. Keep the laughter and joy in the relationship. No matter how busy or hectic life gets, if you still laugh together you really have something special. Not to mention that laughter means you are truly happy, and happiness always leads to great things.

I’ll give you a minute to come back from your swoon because after Lauran and Todd’s sweet-as-can-be love story and all those stunning details, how can you not be? :) Congratulations, Lauran and Todd! Thank you for sharing your love story with us! We wish you both nothing but the absolute best in the years to come. And a very special thank you to Amy Stanley (who did an absolutely incredible job – this was the first wedding she styled by the way) for sharing their very special day with us today! xoxo