I have a feeling this blog is going to ruffle a few feathers, but I'm ok with that. This has been on my mind for quite some time and I feel like I need to just go ahead and get it out in the open. I'll likely lose a few friends and a few likes on our Facebook page, but, again, I'm ok with that.

we don’t do “gay” weddings.

Nope, we sure don’t. You know why? Because there is no such thing as a gay wedding. I can’t tell you where to buy gay presents off their gay registry, I don’t know what their song will be for their gay first dance. There ain’t no gay hymns being sung at the ceremony, there is no “straight” section to sit in and Neil Patrick Harris probably isn’t on the guest list. Why? Because those aren’t fucking things.

And before you troll me and decide to lose your shit on social media, guess what? We don't do "straight" weddings either. We don’t do "white" weddings, or "black" weddings, or "Oriental" weddings (srsly, you will get punched if you say that in my presence), or "Muslim" weddings or any other wedding you're tempted to label.

You know what we do?

We do weddings!! Period.

We do big weddings, and small weddings, and medium sized weddings. We do weddings with two grooms, a bride & a groom, two brides, and weddings for gender queer clients, too. We have hijabi brides (salaam, sis), we’ve learned ASL to communicate with deaf grooms, we’ve had the coolest trans bride covered in tattoos that wore a black velvet wedding gown (holy cannoli that was rad!), we’ve had clients in recovery that throw a dry wedding and still end up dancing til dawn. Absolutely everyone is welcome here and your traditions, culture, language and preferred pronouns will be respected and remembered.

We do pop up weddings and elopements. We do incredible, authentic, unique, breathtaking, heartfelt, swoon-worthy weddings. We do weddings so filled with love and heartfelt joy that our entire team straight up Ugly Cries as the couple exchanges their handwritten vows.

We do super unique, weird, quirky weddings. We also do super traditional church weddings. We do nikkahs at mosques. We do fusion weddings combining time honored cultural traditions with the most important, meaningful pieces of their love story to create something entirely unique to our couples.

We do weddings where the clients want to hang cakes from the ceiling with Cirque du Soleil performers swinging around it. We do backyard weddings with food trucks. We do ultra luxe ballroom weddings with seven course meals and French Service. We do weddings where instead of exchanging rings, they both get tattoos. We do weddings where the bride is escorted down the aisle by her children and they have a "family ceremony" where they all pledge to love one another and to go forth as more than just a husband and a wife, they begin a whole new life together as a family. We do weddings where it's just the couple, their officiant, me and a killer photographer on a cliff overlooking the sea.

We do weddings where the couple has their best friend in the entire world get ordained so he can legally marry them using a ceremony script the three of them wrote together. (That wedding hit us right in the feels.)

the couple's best friend, Alan, officiated the nuptials in this photo

So, I guess my point is, yes, of course we do same-sex weddings (and all the other ones too)! I’ll even do a wedding if you’ve voted for Trump… And for us it's really about everything except the orientation of our couples, cuz let's be honest, that's none of our damn business anyway. #amiright?!

We don't care how you love, the only thing we care about is that you love. (yeah, yeah, yeah, we already know like 40 other wedding planners have stolen that line from us, but we’re the originals, lol!)

We love love! We love it in all its many forms. We love helping our couples celebrate their love for one another more than anything and there isn't a day that goes by that I don't thank the good Lord for allowing me to do what I love.

And speaking of Him, I believe with all my heart that the greatest commandment we were ever given was to love one another (Matthew 22:36-40) and that's exactly what I intend to do. I'm confident that when I'm called to account for my life in front of my Creator, all He's really going to care about is that I did my best to love folks without judgement and helped them celebrate their love for one another.

Now how about we all enjoy some photos of a few weddings that just make us happy, happy, happy?! You can't tell me that seeing people this happy makes you do anything but smile!

mike allebach, the creative genius behind the lens for this photo, is available for travel to all 50 states and abroad

a ceremony filled with love and the promise to go forth as a family was just perfect for this couple

who says you can't wear a tuxedo with flip flops?

a traditional church wedding with 11 bridesmaids and 9 groomsmen at peachtree road united methodist church in atlanta

scarlet plan & design boone hall plantation wedding

photos courtesy of the click chick photography, allebach photography, dana cubbage weddings, VUE photography, creative wedding photography, achor & eden, style me pretty, you are raven photography

this blog was originally published September 2015 and updated November 2019

OH MY GOODNESS! Today is the Big Day!!! What are you doing the morning of your wedding? All too often when I ask this question my sweet brides start listing a million things they have to finish up and I just want to beg them to take it easy so I figured it was probably high time for a blog on this subject. The only things you should be doing the morning of your wedding are relaxing with your nearest and dearest and being pampered by your makeup artist, but here are a few of our tried and true suggestions!

1. Eat a big old breakfast! Then eat a big old lunch! You're probably not going to have another chance to eat for a very long time so eating now is essential. And odds are, your bridesmaids have lots of champagne ready to be poured so avoid getting tipsy on an empty tummy and eat up! Tip: make sure its high in protein and complex carbs to keep you going for hours.

photo credit :: the click chick photography — photo credit :: the click chick photography

2. Spend the morning with people you actually want to be around. There's no law or rule saying you have to spend the whole morning with every single person in your immediate and extended family, bridal party and well meaning visitors, so if a big huge group is not really your scene, ditch the crowd and just kick it with your mom and bestie! And guess what? If you want to sneak out and have coffee with your soon-to-be hubby, that's just fine too! The one and only person who was able to calm my nerves the morning of my wedding was Tony and thank god he stopped by the house to pick up his forgotten tie and check in on me. One hug and a smooch from that handsome fella was all I needed to soothe my frazzled nerves and get my day started right! So throw the rules away, smooch your sweetheart and dance on the bed with your bestie!

3. Stay hydrated! For every glass of champagne (or coffee) you have follow it with a glass of water. No, it will not make you look bloated but it will keep you from getting a headache or getting tipsy too early in the day. Seriously, nobody wants to be that hammered bride at her own wedding...save that for your bridesmaids weddings!

4. Write a sweet card or letter to your love! Have your wedding planner or a bridesmaid deliver it to him with your groom's gift. Or better yet, exchange the letters with a door between you to keep from seeing each other and read them at the same time. Bonus points if the photographer catches either of those things in motion! #swoon

5. Steal one of your sweetie's favorite button down shirts to get ready in. When getting your hair and makeup done the morning of your wedding the last thing you want to do is wear a tee shirt that you'd have to pull over your beautiful hair and makeup risking smudges and smears and ruining your lovely hair. By snagging one of his beloved button downs your hair and makeup will be safe and your getting ready shots will be even more special. Bonus points if its one of his college team shirts!

6. Do a "First Look" with your parents or just your dad. Everyone is always talking about the First Look with the groom, but the first time your mom and dad see you all made up and in your wedding gown, the tears are bound to flow and stunning heartfelt, tear-jerking photos are usually the result!

7. Take a few minutes alone to let it all sink in. Pray, meditate, cuddle with your dog, do whatever brings you peace when everything around you is going at full speed. You've spent months, maybe even a year or longer, planning a wedding and now that it's finally here, try to slow down for just a few minutes and find some quiet. This day is going to fly by and if you don't stop to enjoy it, it'll pass you by in the blink of an eye. Let the joy that this day is filled with come into your heart and just try to focus on the new life you and your beloved are forging from this day forward.

photo credit :: catherine ann photography

Well, there you have it! Those are our favorite tips and suggestions for the morning of your wedding! What are some of yours?

Happy planning, my loves!

Sara

We don't do "gay" weddings | Charleston, Atlanta & destination nontraditional wedding planner & designer | LGBT wedding planner