Real Bride
#EnzoaniRealBride: Emmy + JD
Indie. Boho. Alternative.
A little indie, a little boho, and a little alternative - you get a gorgeous desert wedding! Emmy and JD say "I do" with close friends and family celebrating on the coastal deserts of Southern California. We're loving this bride's unique style and approach to her own personalized wedding.
Gown Featured Above: LINETTE | Enzoani
We first met in May 2012. JD had arrived home from nursing school for the summer a few days before we met. On May 16th, 2012, I was at a mutual friend's house, and he stopped by to say hi because he was helping his parents move in down the street.
Gown Featured Above: LINETTE | Enzoani
Right after he left, he texted my friend and asked her for my phone number. The next day, I invited him over to another friend's house where she and I were tanning and having drinks.
Gown Featured Above: LINETTE | Enzoani
That day, we started bonding over music, and when his friends came to pick him up, I walked him out. He kissed me, then asked me, "So where is this going?" Which was completely unexpected and scary since we had only known each other for maybe 30 hours at that point.
Gown Featured Above: LINETTE | Enzoani
I laughed it off, and just said, "We will have to see." But I fell for him incredibly fast, and we were soon attached at the hip. We had a lot of in-depth conversations about everything from our childhoods to our dreams for the future, sometimes staying up until after the sunrise.
Gown Featured Above: LINETTE | Enzoani
By the first week of July, he had helped me move into my first apartment and moved in himself for the rest of the summer.
In January 2013, I followed him to Iowa, and now six and a half years after we met, we now have two cats, two dogs, a bunny, and are homeowners.
Gown Featured Above: LINETTE | Enzoani
The favorite moment from the wedding day for both of us was the moment that we got to share before the ceremony. The one traditional aspect we both wanted to keep was for him to see me for the first time when I walked down the aisle.
Gown Featured Above: LINETTE | Enzoani
We also knew that after the ceremony, the evening was going to be busy, so he put on a blindfold, and we got to have our first moment of the day and last moment before becoming husband and wife.
Gown Featured Above: LINETTE | Enzoani
Both of us cried like babies while telling each other how much we loved one another and how happy we were. It gave us a moment to be together without any other distractions, just feeling the overwhelming emotions together and connecting.
Gown Featured Above: LINETTE | Enzoani
My favorite spur-of-the-moment memory was the father-daughter dance. Towards the end, my dad called my mom and then JD to join us, and the four of us kind of all hugged and danced together. It created this meaningful moment that honored my mom and was in a way symbolic of JD being welcomed as a part of their family as well.
Gown Featured Above: LINETTE | Enzoani
We also decided on me sabering a champagne bottle and him pouring it onto a small champagne tower that we passed out to our parents and wedding party instead of the traditional cake cutting.
Gown Featured Above: LINETTE | Enzoani
The day I found my dress, I went into the bridal shop with one of my friends just to browse and didn't plan on even trying anything on. The girls who worked there and my friend convinced me to try some on just to see. I first saw the dress because the beautiful color stood out, but I didn't think the style was what I wanted.
Gown Featured Above: LINETTE | Enzoani
However, the second I put it on, I felt like a bride, an intense wave of "this is really happening," and I knew this was the dress for me. I decided to come back with my mom at a later day so that we could have the dress shopping memory together. I tried on a few others for her to see and she told me what she liked about them, but when I came out with my dress, she started crying happy tears right away and said that it just looked like me and was perfect.
Gown Featured Above: LINETTE | Enzoani
My favorite part was the beautiful embroidery that goes through the train as well as the back. I just felt like there were so many unique details that made the dress a statement.
Gown Featured Above: LINETTE | Enzoani
Advice to any brides?
Get video of the day. We love our photographs, but the video shows a whole other side of the big day. :)
***Please note that the bride's gown is now discontinued from Enzoani.***
Photographer: Dakai Photography
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Videographer: Mark Brown Films
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Enzoani Retailer: Sheryl Giles Bridal
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Florist: Oak and Amble
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Hair: Liz Cordis
Makeup: Yolanda Garcia
Venue: Super X Ranch
Rentals: Adore Folklore
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Minister
