Married: May 19, 2019
Bridal Prep: JW Marriott Hotel
Ceremony: Southern Oaks plantation
Reception: Southern Oaks plantation
Coordinator: Southern Oaks plantation
Florist: Nola Flora
Bakery: La Louisiane
Hair: Flawless Bride
Makeup: Flawless Bride
Brides Gown Designer: Allure Couture
Bridesmaid Gown designer: The Dessy Group
Bridal Boutique: Eva’s Bridal International
Tuxedo Store: Men’s Warehouse

How did you meet?
We met in radiology school. We never actually talked while in school. He use to joke to his friends that he was in love with me. When I walked passed him and his friends John would whisper “I love you”. . And all his friends would laugh. I always assumed it was just boys being boys.

Include a little bit about yourselves. What do you do?
We both work in the medical field. John works in the Cardiac cath lab helping patients that are having strokes or heart attacks. I work in Women’s health & Breast imaging.

How did the proposal go? Who proposed to who, were you surprised?
John proposed to me over St. Patrick’s day weekend on our weekend trip to Houston, Texas. He kept telling me he wanted to see the man made waterfall near the Galleria downtown. We had a great lunch (with awesome margaritas) and then headed into the downtown area. As soon as we got to the waterfall he got down on one knee and proposed! I was in shock and was not expecting it in the least! He even hired a photographer to capture it all. He did good.

Where was your ceremony and reception held and why did you pick this site?
Our ceremony & reception were at Southern Oaks Plantation. One of my friends was researching venues for me and found this one. I booked a flight with my mom to New Orleans to visit the venue and I fell in love. The staff is above and beyond and the grounds is just gorgeous. I loved everything about it.

What unique or special things did you do at the reception? (for example, ice sculptures, live painter, glow sticks, sun glasses, 2nd line band, mardi gras indians, memory table, the list goes on of fun things you may have done)
We did a second line, photobooth, and had our grandparent’s wedding pictures on the entrance table.

Pick one moment in the day that was your favorite thing?
Everything! The entire wedding week was so much fun. Very stressful indeed but we had a blast. I have never experienced more outstanding customer service from the hotel, each and every vendor we used, and the plantation. I felt like an absolute princess.

Did it really go by as quickly as everyone says?
Yes! The entire day flew by in a blink. I had so many nerves and anxiety that I felt like I was just living in a dream. It all went by so quickly. I wish I could relive it again.

What was the inspiration behind picking the color palette and decor that you picked?
I really just wanted something soft and pretty. When I saw the venue I thought that Gold went perfectly with it. I also love the color pink/blush, so that is what I went with. My wedding dress was also a blush color.

From the Bride – When you first saw the groom, what were you thinking/feeling?
I was extremely nervous! I wasn’t sure if he was going to like my dress because he’s more of a traditional style, and I went with something more fun. He ended up loving it and I felt so much better. I don’t get to see him dress up very often and I loved seeing him look so handsome in his tux!

From the groom – When you first saw the bride, what were you thinking/feeling?
I was anxious and nervous. When I first saw her I thought she looked absolutely beautiful. I was just relieved and excited that everything leading up to that moment was over! It was a sense of relief and we could just enjoy the rest of the beautiful day together.

Who was your baker, what was the flavor of your cake? Was it delicious?!
La Louisiane was the bakery we used. The cake was AMAZING. We went with a white cake with buttercream frosting and an almond filling. It was a little bit of a hassle to get it back to Chicago, but there was no way I was leaving it!

Did you do a first look? If so how did you feel about it? If not, do you wish you had?
We did do a first look. John was originally against it and thought it took away from the ceremony, but in the end it all worked out. It is so much easier to get most of the pictures out of the way so you have time to enjoy your evening.

Did you have a coordinator or did you plan everything yourself? If you didn’t have a coordinator any advice for brides planning their own wedding?
Southern Oaks Plantation provided a lot for us, and then I planned the rest. I did a lot of research and used Pinterest for inspiration. My advice would be not to procrastinate on the little details and to go with your first instinct and leave it at that. Try not to overthink everything. As much as you want this day to be perfect, it will be!

What was your first dance song? Why this song?
Say you won’t let go – by James Arthur. We chose this song because it was very accurate to our story. As soon as we heard the song we both knew that was it.

Band or DJ? Did they rock it?
DJ! Yes and my feet still hurt two days later.

We want to hear YOUR advice for future brides.
Try to relax and enjoy your day. There is SO much going on that day. It can be stressful, but just go with the flow and have fun. Something will go wrong. When it does, take a deep breath, and move past it. Don’t let anything ruin your special day.

Anything else you want to say?
Thank you Corine & Studio Tran! You were both fantastic and very sweet. (And patient) We are so excited to see the pictures! We would use you 100 times over again!