After Austin proposed to Catherine (complete with a cheeky joke of a sign that read, “So are you my fiancée or what?”), his mother, Julie, eagerly offered to plan the rehearsal dinner. “Since his family hosted,” says WED planner Margaret Roberts, “we wanted to capture a masculine feel while keeping it really pretty.” The Cedar Room’s industrial look was the perfect start. Next, the ladies picked a paisley linen and incorporated towering florals. Catherine requested blooms on the “Bride” and “Groom” chairs and a long farm table for the wedding party, and from there, Julie filled in the rest. The result? An evening draped in navy, garnet, copper, and red that complemented the wedding, too. “My mother-in-law is incredibly detailed,” says Catherine, “and she has impeccable taste.” Sounds like yet another heaven-made match.
Catherine & Austin’s Tips
• Marry your rehearsal dinner to your wedding. Catherine established the menu and colors for the wedding, and then shared those details with Austin’s mother so she could coordinate the rehearsal dinner.
• Play up the city’s history. An antique sketch of the Cigar Factory (where The Cedar Room is located) illustrated rehearsal dinner invites and cocktail napkins.
• Use a cornucopia. Fruits, nuts, and berries in the floral arrangements added depth, texture, and seasonality.
• Dress for photos. Catherine selected a dress with a decorative neckline since most sit-down rehearsal dinner photos are from the tabletop up.
Molly and Chris’s colleagues at J.P. Morgan in New York had a feeling the two were perfect for each other and tried for months to set them up. When they finally met up at an event? Cue: magic. Over...
After Long Islanders Tom and Danielle met in chorus class during their freshman year of high school, it took him a full year to build up enough courage to ask her to be his girlfriend. Her response...
On the first day of college at the University of Georgia, a complete stranger tried to convince Sarah to drop freshman English; he’d heard the professor was terrible. Turns out the professor was,...
To all the single ladies (and gents): Valentine’s Day isn’t only for those already in love. As Alex and Pete’s story proves, it may be the perfect day for a meet-cute. Pennsylvania-born Pete was in...
Four days before Allison and Brendan’s dream Charleston wedding, Hurricane Florence was making its way toward the Lowcountry and the city was under evacuation orders. The Dallas-based couple pulled...
Courtney wasn’t looking to settle down, but when friends convinced her to take Kristen on a date, something felt different. Before long, they found themselves in a long-distance relationship—Courtney...
Bumble may be responsible for introducing this couple, but it was a magical first date filled with sushi, hours of conversation, karaoke, and endless laughter that truly brought together Michelle and...
Maggie and Mike’s story puts a whole new spin on bro-mance. It all started in Chicago when her boss, who was dating a fellow named Eric, wanted to set Maggie up with her boyfriend’s younger brother....
