It’s not secret that our sponsors love you guys—like, falling down over themselves, sending flares in the sky, using all the heart-eyed and hands in the air emojis when counting the many and true ways that they love you. Pop! Wed Co‘s Maggie Winters is not alone in insisting that she and APW couples simply “speak the same language.” Basically, APW sponsors + readers = true love. Hannah Wahl summed it up nicely when we chatted with her:
It is such a joy working with couples who value a good experience and lack of stress. These couples get to focus on the most important aspects of their weddings, like loving on each other and partying with their nearest and dearest. These weddings are the absolute best to photograph. Nothing forced, beauty unfolding of its own accord, and me dashing about with my camera, grinning like an idiot in love.
With all this love in mind, we thought it would be fun to ask few of our sponsors to dish: Which APW couples really stood out this year? Why were the weddings great? Hopefully you’ll have as much fun reading this list as we did putting it together because you guys? You guys have been busy having really amazing weddings this year.
1. Who: Natalie and Ian | Where: Washington, DC | APW sponsor: POP! WED CO.
The Pop! Wed Co. team had a truly inspired idea for Natalie and Ian’s wedding—they asked family and friend to create protest-style signs filled with messages of love for the couple. Their families went all out, and when it was time for the couple to get married they were surrounded by love they could read, feel, and see. Warm fuzzies abound!
2. Who: Nicole and Nicholaus | Where: Oakland, CA | APW Sponsor: MARBLE RYE PHOTOGRAPHY
Nicole and Nicholaus live in Oakland, but since they’re originally from LA the pair wanted their wedding festivities to include a nod to both cities. Family and friends showed up at San Francisco City Hall on a Monday to watch them get married, and everyone lunched in Oakland. The following weekend the party reconvened in Hollywood and enjoyed a love-filled dance party, complete with tasty apps and plenty of cake.
3. Who: Stephanie and Wolfgang | Where: Santa Cruz, CA | APW sponsor: HAYLEY ANNE PHOTOGRAPHY
Stephanie and Wolfgang celebrated their love for two days. The first day was the San Francisco City Hall ceremony and then a photoshoot on Treasure Island. After the photos, the actor pair hosted their reception at Z Space, during which the entire troupe put on a cabaret in honor of the newlyweds. The wedding was incredibly tailored to the couple, which sounds pretty amazing. As photographer Hayley Anne said:
Every single aspect of the wedding was personal—the other actors even put together notes and letters on love (that was part of their engagement). Stephanie collected all these letters and put them together in a book. The two took turns reading from the book and on the last page Stephanie proposed to Wolfgang. And he said yes.
4. Who: Mel and Brandon | Where: Chicago, IL | APW sponsor: LAURA FORD PHOTOGRAPHER
Mel and Brandon had a clear vision of their wedding day: they wanted to get married in Chicago’s Lincoln Park, under the gigantic arch. The snag? You can’t reserve the space, so if the weather is awesome the day you get married you’re probably going to be competing with families, other couples, and anyone who also wants to hang out in the spot.
Fast forward to their June 2015 wedding, and… boom: it’s raining. It wasn’t just raining, it was the rainiest day of the month, and these two didn’t have a tent. The pro? At least there wouldn’t be anyone else in the space. Photographer Laura Ford said:
I have never seen a more relaxed pair, facing such obstacles on their wedding day. Many stressed brides and/or grooms will buckle under the news of a wilted bouquet after all the planning and preparations for their day of perfection. Not Brandon… and certainly not Mel. She just shrugged, tossed her sandals aside and pulled on her galoshes! This bride was prepared to enjoy the day with her family and friends under the big arch in Lincoln Park, making vows and tossing confetti—rain or shine!
5. WHO: KAIT AND BOBBY | WHERE: SEATTLE, Wa | APW VENDOR: JONAS SEAMAN
Kait and Bobby are the sweetest: the two hopped into a car with their daughter, Scarlet, and drove from their home in Oklahoma to Seattle, Washington. They didn’t have a venue, just a wedding date and city. So when photographer Jonas Seaman suggested they get married in a front yard down the street, they jumped on it… and the rest is wedding magic.
6. Who: Christine and Colin | Where: Bronx, NY | APW sponsor: L&L STYLE PHOTO
Christine and Colin chose the church at Fordham University as their wedding spot, and held their reception at the New York Botanical Garden (which is conveniently located across from the school). As photographer Leila explained:
The actual church is beautiful, and the campus offers clean open fields and charming little corners for pictures, which are especially quiet in this time of the year. The gardens are simply amazing; I can’t think of a better nature-oriented place for pictures with so many tree and plant varieties.
7. Who: Julie and Rob | Where: San Francisco, CA | APW sponsor: DUSTIN CANTRELL PHOTOGRAPHY
Dustin Cantrell put it best when he sent us this description of Julie and Rob’s wedding:
If you could look up APW couple in the dictionary there would be a photo of Julie and Rob. Here a list of why they are awesome:
—They trusted my creative eye and ideas throughout the day.
—They were relaxed and had the wedding they planned on having. Stress free and an excellent party.
—They had a DJ that could actually DJ. He actually had skills and wasn’t playing the usual playlists heard at an average wedding.
—They designed, created, and put together the majority of the details for their wedding.
—They got married outdoors.
—They had an intimate gathering of friends and family.
—They had a bonfire.
—Rob and Julie sang a song together… it was AWESOME!
8. Who: Abbie and Reid | Where: Chicago, IL | APW sponsor: JUSTINE BURSONI PHOTOGRAPHY
Abbie and Reid didn’t go to cake tastings. They didn’t plan their wedding down to every little detail, and they didn’t even have their rings the day of the ceremony. But you know what? Glitter was thrown, their best friend/officiant brought everyone to tears, and people had a blast, even without a timeline.
9. Who: Albert and Katie | Where: Richmond, Va | APW sponsor: TWO SPOONS PHOTO
If you’ve ever had to wear a lower leg boot, you know those things aren’t… the best ever. Kate managed to rock hers on her wedding day (and holy hallelujah, can we talk about that hoop-skirted green wedding dress?!). Kate and Albert’s love celebration was ultra-DIYed and even included an interactive photo booth that repurposed the ceremony backdrop. Instead of having readings, the two assigned their friends passages from books and then asked each friend to speak at the ceremony and reflect on the theme of the reading.
10. Who: Cindy and Pok | Where: West Fjords, Iceland | APW sponsor: DARING WANDERER
Cindy and Pok live in Hong Kong, and they found their photographer on Instagram. It turned out everyone was planning to go to Iceland at the same time, and the couple purchased their flights from Reykjavik to Isafjordur within twenty minutes of chatting with Jess. She said:
Spontaneous and adventurous couples fuel my work and creativity and to be able to share such an incredible moment with them among the fog and mountains in our favorite country is something I will remember for a lifetime.
11. Who: Erica and Dean | Where: California | APW sponsor: AMANDA SUMMERLIN PHOTOGRAPHY
Erica and Dean introduced themselves to Amanda Summerlin by sending photos of the two of them sword fighting. They then began to explain their ambitious and awesome wedding plan: they wanted a literary-themed wedding with references to all of their favorite fantasy fiction represented. They also wanted to have an organic, locally sourced wedding feast, and they hoped to pair gourmet food with craft beers, regional wines, and the best whiskeys. Super fun extra: their dog was the ring bearer, and a friend showed up wearing a bear suit. Like… what’s not to love?
12. Who: Chris and Jennie | Where: Joshua Tree, CA | APW sponsor: EVANGELINE LANE
Chris and Jennie met up with Evangeline Lane and started scheming: they wanted to have a gorgeous wedding in a gorgeous spot (Pioneertown, a little desert spot in the Joshua Tree area)… that happened to be home to their favorite bar, Pappy & Harriet’s. The pair’s “whatever happens, happens” attitude endeared them to their photographer for all time, and the wedding’s community vibe was strong.
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13. WHO: KATHY AND LIAM | WHERE: SEATTLE, WA | APW SPONSOR: HANNAH WAHL PHOTOGRAPHY
Kathy and Liam are both seekers of fun and super chill people, and their wedding was filled with antics without any of the stress. They invented a walking frisbee game during their reception that could be played in any kind of attire (bonus points if it’s fancy), and had a blast.
14. Who: Jamie and Dan | Where: Boston, MA | APW sponsor: LEISE JONES PHOTOGRAPHY
Jamie and Dan were a really fun couple for Leise Jones to work with, and they’ve since become good friends. She said:
Jamie and I get together regularly and we talk about work, careers, families—she has even helped babysit my kids. It goes without saying that their wedding was especially awesome because of the connection we shared and the friendship we were on our way to building. Like most APW couples, Jamie and Dan wanted their wedding day reflect who they are—not someone else’s idea about what a wedding should be. So they bucked the family drama, chose a unique venue, she wore sensible shoes, and their bliss shows through in every single photo.
