The story of Hailey & Mitch

Photo Credit/; Emma Burdis Photography

The Engagement: Where it all started

Mitch and I met at Iowa State through a friend of mine! He walked me home one night and we exchanged numbers and asked me out on a date a few days later! We have been pretty much inseparable ever since! We both graduated from Iowa State in the fall of 2020 and went on a vacation with my family for New Years to Naples, FL. We went to take what I thought would be family pictures on the Naples Pier during sunset and Mitch proposed to me on the beach under the Pier. We had been dating for about 3 years and while we both knew we would get married I had no idea he would propose on that trip! The rest of the trip was so fun and we got to start dreaming up what our wedding would look like.

The Inspiration & Story behind their Wedding

The happy couple recently got married at Sundial Beach Resort & Spa. Our company loves using this location, they offer a beautiful outdoor space that accommodates any party size and has a touch of elegance that made it a perfect place for Hailey and Mitch to say “I do”. Hailey explains that the inspiration behind their wedding wasWe love to travel and we thought it would be fitting to travel/have a destination wedding to kick off our marriage! Mitch grew up visiting Sanibel with his grandparents as a kid and it’s really special that we get to get married there. I have always envisioned a very elegant and timeless look for our wedding. I love lots of white flowers and greenery to fit with the greenery and beach scenery around us. Lots of candlelight and drapery over the tent on the beach with twinkle lights above us. I love natural colors and overall just a very pretty and elegant space.

The Sundial Beach Resort and Spa was able to match both Hailey & Mitch “Wedding day look” by setting a very romantic tone through the decorations and theme of the ceremony. I had a dress in mind when I started looking but knew most brides end up surprising themselves by picking something completely different than they planned. I was surprised that the dress I had been in love with online was breathtaking in person and I knew right away it was the one!

Mitch was pretty indifferent and wanted to go with a classic black suit with a silver tie to coordinate some of the beadings in my dress and the bridesmaid’s dress colors. We wanted a very dreamy and elegant ceremony on the beach. Our arch was covered in sheer white drapery and had white and neutral flowers that blended with the beautiful beach we were on. Our reception had a beautiful tent frame with drapery going down from the peak to the sand on the beach with twinkle lights draped above our heads. The tables had lots of light-colored roses and peonies running down the center with various candles and each place setting had a single carnation next to their place card. For the seating chart we did a champagne wall with the glasses holding a poker with their name and table number. Our overall look was elegant and romantic in a tropical setting. I really wanted the decor to be able to be picked up and placed in an indoor ballroom and look just as beautiful in case it rained that day.

T hey decided on their Wedding colors by incorporating some natural and to look nice with the natural beach setting we were in. I used lots of greenery, white and blush-colored flowers, silver place settings, and added a pop of lilac to the bridesmaid’s bouquet.

Helpful Tips/Advice for Future Brides & Engaged Couples

Hailey emphasizes the importance of “Enjoying every minute of the planning process, even the annoying parts!”. We found it far less stressful to start planning early. We found vendors that could help us develop and put our vision into a real-life plan which made all the months leading up much easier. I highly recommend at the very least a Day of Coordinator to help the day of! There are so many small details you can’t do yourself that day and it takes the stress of setting up and handling vendors off your plate on your wedding day. The Wedding day itself goes so fast and you should take it all in. “The most important less can give any bride Take things one detail at a time. I would get overwhelmed when I tried to do everything at once and it helped to pick one or two things to work on each day. For those that don’t enjoy planning pick one day or evening a week to dedicate to wedding planning and spend the other nights not stressing. 🙂