Margaret Ellen Bride | Kristin and Seton Stanford's Dothan, AL Wedding

Meeting Kristin Jacobs to help her find the perfect dress was such a treat. She had this light to her and was absolutely beautiful. There was no doubt that she was going to make one of the most breathtaking brides. She chose a classic Nouvelle Amsale ball gown and paired it with the most perfect accessories. Seton and Kristin said “I do” on January 5, 2019 at Magnolia Bay located in Dothan, Alabama.

How did you meet your groom?

Seton and I met in high school. We have been high school sweethearts ever since!

How did Seton ask you to be his forever?

December 30, 2017 is the day that I said yes to the man of my dreams. My best friend, Hannah, was given the task of keeping me busy and unsuspecting of the events that were to unfold later in the day. We went shopping and had a long lunch, then made a visit to her parents lake house. We made our way to the back yard where Hannah said her parents were and to my surprise Seton was there standing by the dock! I was so surprised to see him! A flood of emotions came over me when I realized what was happening, he was proposing! After taking what felt like the longest walk of my life, I met him by the dock. He held my hands as we began to talk and reminisce over our journey the past six years. Seton began to express his feelings for me, got down on one knee and proposed! I, of course, said yes!! He had his best friends, Hanson and Brittany, there to take pictures of the proposal. Afterwards, we celebrated our engagement with our friends at dinner!

What was your favorite part of the wedding planning process?

My favorite part of the wedding planning process was selecting our venue. We wanted a place that was unique and fit our style. We also both loved the cake tasting... who doesn't love cake!

What is your favorite memory from the wedding day?

My favorite memory from our wedding day was walking down the aisle to Seton. We chose not to do a first look. Seeing him in his tux for the first time on our wedding day at the end of the alter was so special! Another favorite memory from our wedding was that we had all of our family and friends together in one place to celebrate our love for each other.

What is one piece of advice you would give someone preparing for their wedding day?

Use a wedding planner, whether it be an individual or app, such as The Knot. This made the biggest difference in planning our wedding. We used both. We were able to keep things organized and stress free! Also, don’t stress about the little things. Enjoy the process and this special time in your life!

Why did you choose Margaret Ellen Bridal? How did you know your dress was "the one"?

After having an unpleasant experience at another bridal shop, my sister in law, Jordan, had mentioned Margret Ellen Bridal, a new bridal shop that had recently opened in Seaside. I booked an appointment with Maggie and couldn't wait! Maggie was so welcoming, encouraging, helpful, and knowledgeable. The experience made me feel so special. I loved that the appointment was private and offered a one on one experience. I knew that the dress I chose was the one when I tried it on and nothing else compared! I felt beautiful and confident!

Wishing Seton and Kristin many happy years together. Thank you for allowing Margaret Ellen Bridal to be a small part of your wedding day.

Cheers, Maggie

Vendors

Photographer | Amy Riley Photography

Videographer | Down in Front Productions

Venue: Magnolia Bay

Florist: Hallmark Flowers

Wedding Planner: Ellen Gentry

Caterer: Catering by Lisa

Hair/Makeup: Kaitlyn Brown

Cake: Sugar Boogers

DJ: DJ Vladi

Invitations: Paperworks Plus

Officiant: Clint Logan

Signs: Shop Milestones and Monograms

Drapery: Designs by Larry

Bride’s Dress: Margaret Ellen Bridal | Nouvelle Amsale

Bridesmaids Dresses: Azazie

Tuxedos: Black Tie Formalwear

Seamstress: Southern Simplicity Gulfcoast | Kathleen Cooper

Margaret Ellen Bride | Farrin Folk Cupp's Navarre, Florida Wedding

Farrin Folk is a special bride and one that will always be remembered at Margaret Ellen Bridal. Why is Farrin so special? She was our very FIRST bridal appointment and the very FIRST person to find her dress at MEB.

I remember getting her appointment request before we opened our doors and being so giddy and thinking “is this real?” The morning of her appointment was honestly like the first day of college. There were lots of butterflies, but I was ready to get to work and start the job I had dreamed of for so long. The appointment was so great, and I realized in talking with Farrin how much fun this job would be. I got to listen to her stories, learn about her love with Jesse, and become new friends with someone I would've never have met.

Thank you Farrin for your TRUST,SUPPORT, and FRIENDSHIP. You will always be the OG around here.

Farrin and Jessie said, “ I DO” in their backyard that they now call home together. She wore a Nouvelle Amsale gown for the ceremony and reception.

How did you meet Jessie?

We met very young. Our parent's had a mutual friend who lived next door to them. My mom had brought me over and I actually had met Jessie's brother Chance first. Chance ended up inviting me to his birthday party and that's when I saw Jess. It was a pool party and I saw him across the way with his friends. I had brought my best friend Natasha with me (who was my MOH). We looked at each other and I said "dibs" haha. It took a while until we all got together in the game room, but once we did, we couldn't take our eyes off of each other. We finally started a conversation and by the end of the night, we had a picture with each other out by the pool and I gave him my phone number.

How did Jessie pop the question?

At the end of June 2018, Jessie finally asked me to marry him ! We went shopping that day, and it was raining on and off. I didn't even realize he had been carrying the ring around all day. He had specific intentions... which I still don't know what they are. He said he still won't tell me that way he can make it up to me for an anniversary or something special. Anyways, we went home to his mom's to start cooking dinner for everyone, and he ran some of our own groceries out to our little room. Later that evening we were getting ready to go to bed, and I hadn't noticed he went ahead of me. I walked out to our little messy room and saw some candles burning through the glass. I walked in and he was down on one knee laughing because I hadn't noticed he put rose petals on the floor in the shape of a heart that I stepped all over haha. I think you can guess what I said ;) "Really?! In our room while it's a mess?! XD .....Yes though !" Bet you wouldn't have guessed that lol. But you could see me saying that if you really know me XD

What was your favorite part of the wedding planning process?

My favorite part of the wedding planning was deciding on flowers. It was the one thing I personally didn't want to leave out. We didn't go all out flowers galore but it ended up being the perfect amount. We actually dried out my flowers and Jess's boutonniere and put them in a memory box that we now have hanging on our wall :) And our photographer Rebecca. She's a family friend but she lives in Hawaii now. She flew in for us after we just couldn't decide on a photographer here in town. She probably was actually our favorite part of the process because we wanted THE BEST photographer ! Jessie's personal favorite part of planning was tasting the cake, haha.

What is your favorite memory from the wedding day?

Our favorite memory from the wedding day is getting down the aisle, watching Jess bawl his eyes out, haha. And then saying yes to forever!

What is one piece of advice you would give someone preparing for their wedding day?

Have fun. Stay calm and eat breakfast. Don't get drunk the night before or drink a whole bunch the day of. You don't want to be all puffy and bloated feeling. I don't drink very much so I didn't have that problem but for you girls who like to have a good time ;) And have someone take care of all the behind the scenes stuff you don't want to hear about and panic the day of. I woke up the day of and it was perfect. Sunshine outside and not too cold. I ended up worrying almost the whole day. It was a nightmare. My MOH talked to everyone at the house to see what we needed to do and they said it drizzled a little to just push back to 4:30pm. All the while... It was STORMING outside. My point is.. no one told me so I wouldn't worry haha. Jessie says prepare for a lot of crying lol.

Why did you choose Margaret Ellen Bridal? How did you know your dress was "the one"?

I chose Margaret Ellen Bridal because I was on the hunt for a Hailey Paige dress. I had found some other places in Mobile that carried the designer as well but something drew me to Maggie's boutique. Maggie carried that designer but when I found her.. She wasn't even open yet. Maggie made an exception for us because half of my bridesmaids were from out of town. She unfortunately didn't have all of her designers in when we came but we wanted to look anyways with the hope of finding a blush pink dress. I had already been to 5 other stores by the time I found MEB. I was so excited ! We all were. I tried on dresses and I finally got to one that WASN'T EVEN PINK LOL ! I liked it but it felt just a little more on the simple side. She added a belt and BAM ! My dad cried, almost making me cry haha. I loved the way I felt in it. I felt even better in it on my wedding day. Just looking at it, it was perfect in every way for me.

The new Mr. and Mrs. Cupp will honeymoon in Europe next year.

Wedding Vendors

Photographer: Daly Photography

Venue(s): Jessie and Farrin Cupp’s Home

Florist: Flowers by GiGi

Wedding Planner/Coordinator: Donna Hendrix; It's Personal Wedding Staging & Design LLC

Caterer: Culinary Productions

Hair/Makeup Artist: Ponyota Whistler

Cake: Bread of Life Bakery

Reception Band/DJ: Good Vibrations

Invitations: Etsy

Officiant: Thomas Gillespie

Wedding Dress: Nouvelle Amsale | Margaret Ellen Bridal

Bridesmaid Dresses Designer and Store Where Purchased: Vera Wang | David's Bridal

Tuxedos: Randall's

Seamstress: Kathleen Cooper - Southern Simplicity

Bridal Photo Shoot featuring Lacey McLaughlin Photography

This past June, the sweetest Fairhope, Alabama photographer reached out to me after seeing MEB on Instagram (how lucky are we to have something to bring us all together?!?). After seeing her work and other shoots she had done, I knew I must go with Lacey for a photo shoot that was in need of happening. Lacey was professional, worked efficiently, and knew how to place the models which made my job so much easier. Finally in September we made the shoot happen (even with the clouds/rain affecting our usually bright studio) and the results are EXACTLY what I wanted and was looking for.

Lacey is no stranger to 30A. She married her love at Eden Gardens in the spring of 2017. Read on to get to know Lacey a little more and give her a follow on Instagram so that you can see the amazing work this talented photographer puts into every shot.

What inspired you to become a photographer? How long have you been in the business of photography? 

I started taking photos for Journalism in high school and really enjoyed the connections I was able to make when the camera was added to the equation. It was almost like it added an extra sense of closeness of getting to know someone because you have to build a sense of trust. Still not sure about what I wanted to be, off to college I went starting out majoring in Journalism. While I enjoyed writing, I realized I wasn't able to express all of my creative aspects. When I switched over to the college of Fine Arts, it was then that I took my first photography class starting out on 35mm film processing in the dark room. This was when I fell in love. Something just clicked. When I was behind the camera, I felt my happiest. I felt invincible and I knew that this would be the path for me. Film is my one true love for personal and portrait work, but when I started photographing weddings immediately after graduating in 2013, I knew I would need something a little more efficient. I second shot my first wedding for a photographer in 2013, moved to California, started my own business in 2014 and have never looked back! I've been a photographer for 5 years now. 

What does a day in the life of running your business look like? 

Well, to be honest, each day looks pretty different. It also depends on what time of year it is because Spring and Fall are the busiest times for me with wedding season being the most abundant then. I travel around to Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida for photo shoots throughout the year, mostly on weekends. During the week, on an average day, I am at my new studio (celebrating it's 1 year opening October 20th) answering emails, listening to music, meeting with potential brides/grooms, and editing. LOTS of editing

What sets your photography apart from others? 

This is a hard one, but I would say it's all about the energy I emit through the camera. Each person responds uniquely to me as a photographer and if I'm either doing well or having a tough time, that shows in the photos. I try to bring my best self to every shoot so that I can bring that beautiful & positive light out in my subjects. I also like to take a more modern approach with weddings and all my work, while capturing those candid natural moments that are full of emotion as well. Whether it's happy, energetic, sad, loving, or plain honest; the emotion is what I'm after. 

What can brides expect if they hire you as their photographer? 

Beautiful photos that capture the unique essence of them TWO! Each couple is unique, and I never show up to a wedding day knowing what the outcome of my photos will look like. Some couples are loving, touchy, and some aren't. I want to capture their day in the best way possible. If it's raining, the photos will be a bit moodier. If it's hot and sweaty, we roll with the punches and find shade where we can. If I step in an ant pile during a first look (true story), I kick my shoes off, squeal and keep shooting. I never want to miss a moment. But most of all, my brides can expect honest and loving photos that make each of their unique personalities shine!

What is the biggest tip you would give to a bride for her big day? 

Be in the moment. Be in love. Don't worry about how you look when you're laughing or crying or feeling any kind of way. Talk to your love. Don't worry about the camera. These true moments between you and your spouse are the ones that make the most beautiful photos. Soak it all in. Don't worry about the little details. Give your phone to your bridesmaids. Dance your heart out. Eat the cake. Stop for a moment (or two) to take it all in. This may be the only day of your life when you have every single person you love and who loves you all in the same room celebrating your love. What could be better?!

Visit her website to learn more:

www.laceymclaughlin.com

New Wedding Dresses Coming to 30A, Destin, Panama City Area?

You bet they are! 

We are so excited to finally share the exciting news! Margaret Ellen Bridal now offers the ever so popular wedding dress line, Essense of Australia, to northwest Florida brides. 

Do you know Martina Liana? Perfect! Essense of Australia is Martina's sister collection. Why did we include Essense of Australia? At Margaret Ellen Bridal, our main focus is the BRIDE and making her HAPPY. Essense of Australia embodies details and beauty just as Martina Liana does but with a bit of a lower price point. We want to be able to cater to all brides, and Essense is a company that we have grown to love, adore, and trust. Therefore, it is a no-brainer that Essense of Australia is the best addition to Margaret Ellen Bridal. We know our brides will think so, too! 

Twice a year, we travel to Kansas City to the home office of Essense Designs. This is where we view the latest collections from Martina Liana and Essense of Australia. We are also treated like royalty with wonderful food, treats (hello ice-cream cookies), drinks, gifts, dinner, entertainment, and informative trainings. It's also fun to see familiar faces from stores we have met in the past and meet new store owners and managers. We returned from our trip two weeks ago and it did not disappoint. The excitement of getting to pick out the hottest and newest wedding dresses is an all time high. Getting to pick out an additional 15 wedding dresses from a new line really adds to that high. But then.... when you hear and see that the lead designer and founder of Essense Designs, Martine Harris, is there the excitement goes through the roof. To meet and learn from someone who is so known, appreciated, and valued in the bridal industry is incredible. What makes Martine even better (other than her amazing accent)? Family. How much family means to her. Her own family, her Essense family and even their own families, her stores, and her brides. There were numerous times when Martine would walk up to us to just make sure that we were having a great time and to chat. Her character and how personable she is radiates and sets her company apart from so many others. It was truly a magical time, and we already look forward to our return to Kansas City this winter. 

While we cannot yet show you the newest gowns, we will show you some of our favorite Essense of Australia carryovers that are in store now and others that will be in store early September. We are in love with these gorgeous dresses! 

As we end, we get the question "How do you pick which wedding dresses you carry?" a lot. To answer simply, it is so very hard choosing. Honestly, last October, my mom, best friend, and I chose based on what we liked and what we would wear. Sidenote: My mom has really surprised me with her picks. She even likes the sexy cutouts and deep plunges. Go mom! After having being opened for seven months, our strategy has somewhat changed. It has gotten easier. Of course wedding dresses that we love and would wear still catch our eye, and yes, we still choose some of our favorites. We now know what you, our brides, want and love, and that guides us to make the best picks possible for Margaret Ellen Bridal. Buying wedding gowns each season is such a highlight and seeing what is on-trend is amazing. 

We cannot wait to show you both our Martina Liana and Essense of Australia picks that will arrive this October and November. Stay tuned and follow us on Instagram to see when they hit the store. 

Cheers! 
Maggie