Heather & Ryan: A Roaring Twenties Wedding
Themed weddings are especially exciting when they feel like a big, fancy party! We loved helping Heather and Ryan bring their Art Deco wedding to life—from her dress to the pearl and feather decorations, it truly felt like a scene out of the Great Gatsby. Of course, it’s more than just the theme that made this day so special; we are excited to share the story of this loving couple with you!
The Beginning
Tell us about yourselves!
“Ryan and I were introduced to each other by a mutual friend when we were teenagers. We spent a summer weekend together at my parents’ lake house with a group of friends, and we just knew there was something special between us. At the time we met, he was living 3 hours away from me and we were quite young, so it wasn’t until a few years later that we started dating. We both are computer and video game geeks, so that’s what really brought us together. Our first date was at a nice steakhouse, followed by buying the latest Pokémon game and playing that together all weekend. That sums up how most of our date nights still go!”
The Planning
How did you two take on the planning process? Who did most of the planning?
“I (Heather) did most of the planning, but I made sure Ryan liked all the details. He was surprisingly particular about a few things, like the chairs we chose and the cake flavor. We had a yearlong engagement, which gave us plenty of time to get the wedding planned without stress. Our parents didn’t get too involved with the planning process, which also kept things stress-free. They knew I had a plan already!”
What drew you to HORIZONS?
“We chose HORIZONS because they had almost everything we needed for our wedding day. From the food and bar, to the flowers and table decorations, they had everything covered. It was also great that we were able to have our ceremony and reception at the same location.”
How did your wedding dreams come to life?
“We had a 1920’s Great Gatsby theme to our wedding decor. I showed the team at HORIZONS my Pinterest board filled with wedding designs from that era, and they totally nailed the look I was going for. Our favorite part was the table centerpieces, which were black feather bouquets coming out of thin gold vases. They were stunning! Our guests still talk about how beautifully decorated our reception was.”
What was your experience working with HORIZONS?
“Every time I had a meeting with Andrea at HORIZONS to coordinate more details for our wedding, I was surprised at how simple it was for me! I felt like there had to be more for me to do, but she got everything done and made it so much easier than I expected it to be. I felt like they truly understood the vision I was going for and we were always on the same page.”
What was the best part of the planning process?
“The food and cake tastings were so fun! We had a great time customizing the menu for our big day, and trying all of the yummy foods!”
If you could share some advice with another engaged couple, what would you tell them?
“Definitely have a wedding coordinator, and make sure they are a great one. I didn’t put much thought into it before I started the planning process, but when we chose HORIZONS as our wedding venue, Andrea made the whole process run so smoothly for us. I couldn’t believe how easy it was to plan our wedding, and it turned out more perfect than we could have imagined. I truly realized it the day after our wedding, when I thought about how much fun I had, not worrying at all about how everything was falling into place!”
The Wedding Day
Looking back on your wedding day, what is one part about it that you loved?
“The DJ we had at our wedding was spectacular. We had a blast during our reception dancing with our family and friends, and those moments were so special. I also loved the way our dance floor area was set up – it was very inviting and it was just natural for everyone to want to be a part of it!”
What is one thing you wish you did differently?
“I ended up buying THREE wedding dresses, and that was the only detail of our wedding that was stressful. I didn’t know what I wanted when I started dress shopping and was talked into buying a dress I wasn’t sure of. I wish I had tried on way more wedding dresses! They say the third one’s a charm though, right?”
What is one piece of advice you can share about the wedding day?
“Take time with just you and your new spouse to really enjoy what is happening around you. The night goes by so fast!”
And….
“Make sure you remember to eat your wedding cake!! The night is so busy and you’ll be called around the dance floor, but remember to make your way back to the table to eat the cake. You’ll regret it the next day when you realize you didn’t get to taste it (oops…)!”
Photos by: Heather Kanillopoolos Photography
~All photos taken at HORIZONS~
Written by: Sarah Cline
