behind the seen: rianna & steven
So, I anticipated writing more this month, but with starting a new job and taking two out-of-town trips, extra time for posting hasn't exactly been easy to come by. What was easy to come by however, was a great behind the seen story from one of my very best friends (going on 15 years now), Rianna Freeman Turner.
Ri and I met as college students at University of Mobile, but our friendship truly solidified over impersonating "Spice Girls" in a school-sponsored, lip sync talent show! A few years after graduation, when Rianna met Steven, we pretty much all knew early on they were meant to be . . . except for maybe, Rianna :) But fortunately for all of us, Steven was so incredibly patient and loving, and never gave up on his dream girl.
The honeymooners, last September in Hawaii.
They married just a little over a year ago. It was my pleasure then to be a part of the bridal party and creating graphic design needs, and is my pleasure now, to share in Rianna's words with all of you, some of their story, and too, some design details from me!
a little background
They met: in Mobile, Alabama
They dated: unofficially/officially, about 7 years
They married in: Gautier, Mississippi at La Maison Gautier (The Old Place)
How we met . . . I moved into a townhouse in my first real job out of college and ended up literally, next door to Steven and his two roommates. We all became good buddies, and Steven and I were just best friends; we did everything together. Even after I moved out and went to Birmingham, we maintained our close friendship.
I knew there was something more to this relationship when . . . Well, I knew pretty early on that he liked me. But I just couldn't see him that way -- although I thought he was so cute and gave me butterflies, I just didn't think dating him was the right thing. I just wanted to be friends.
I thought that for 6 years, when one day, I was having dinner with a guy friend, and I couldn't focus on what he was saying. All I could think was, "I wish Steven was sitting here in front of me." I just suddenly missed him so much and wished I had my old life back with Steven. That's when I realized I really didn't want to live without him.
The day he proposed!
He proposed . . . It was my birthday, early March 2013, and he had a big "surprise day" planned for me. I found out later, he was going to take me by boat to a restaurant (and ask me on the boat), but an arctic blast of sorts came through that morning, and it was unbearably cold. He knew I wouldn't want to spend the day freezing to death, so he made a last minute decision to ask me at my parents house instead, since he knew my favorite place in the world to be, is simply, at home.
Prepping for the day ahead, I had taken a shower, and when I got out and ready, I saw the hallway was lined with flowers . . . I followed them to the living room where my little dog was sitting with my "birthday present" hooked to her collar. As soon as I realized what it was, he knelt down. He choked out a sweet speech that I don't remember, since I'm not sure I even heard it . . . and I'm not sure I even said yes . . . all I can remember is asking him, at least twice was, "of all the girls out there, are you sure you really want me??" (Editor and BFF's note here: Rianna truly has no idea how beautiful a person she is, both inside and out. She's one of the most humble people I've ever known. End of note.)
setting the tone
Working with Michelle helped inspire me as I worked through the process of figuring out how to graphically interpret the feel I was going for. An invitation gives your guests a peek into what's to come (almost like a teaser ad). I showed her some invitations that I liked and ones that I didn't like. We examined the ones I liked to figure out what elements were drawing me to those certain styles. We brainstormed together to come up with ideas that fit those elements into a style that fit the look and feel of my wedding. What she came up with was perfect!
When my invitations arrived . . . I was so excited! They fit in perfectly with the homemade, slightly rustic feel I was going for -- but had that touch of elegance I also wanted. They were just so flat-out pretty! Pretty enough to frame! :)
For the final, Rianna chose to go with rounded corners that perfectly complimented the softer feel she was striving for in general. (Click to enlarge.)
Because I knew my entire wedding would be homemade, even down to the tablecloths, I wanted to reflect that in my invitations. We found lacy paper doilies to wrap the invitation in, almost like a jacket, and I tied it all together with a ribbon of shredded, gauzy material strips. It was very unique! Michelle was excited to help me realize my vision, so having her energy as we bounced ideas off of one another made the process so much more fun!
. . . kind of wish I could do it all again!
This is how it arrived to guests, wrapped in ribbon and "lace." (Click to enlarge.)
Because of the strong vision she had, all the great research that went into it, and the conversations we had, I was able to create one design with multiple color options for her to proof. The final was a variation of the center one; darker to help with contrast and with a green ink. I created a textured look in Photoshop, layering two image files and using different transparency and fill effects to get different looks. (Click to enlarge.)
The coordinating wedding programs actually doubled as fans since the wedding was outdoors, and they were intentionally very personable. Working on the program presented a new challenge to me, design-wise, as there aren't silhouetted figures like this on the web for free (for the most part), and so I followed a tutorial and learned how to take an actual photo and turn it into a silhouette with the combined help of Photoshop and Illustrator. I was really excited for the result! I also took the vector flower art I'd found online and made slight adjustments to for the invitation, and then pieced them into the program; each placed to frame the content in a pretty way. (Click to enlarge.)
Here's just one sample of that process. I drew the colored sash around her waist after I got the final image tweaked just right. Further tweaking was also needed to smooth out certain lines and to create new, more defined shapes for her nose, bouquet, and bow. (Click to enlarge.)
that day
I wanted my wedding look and feel to be . . . homemade happiness with a touch of elegance. I wanted it to feel like it does when you're sitting on a big front porch, drinking fresh lemonade on a summer's day with friends and family, with kids running around barefoot, and air so clear and light, that there is no question that in the midst of all of that, Jesus is there. I wanted people to feel loved and welcomed by those around them, inspired by the homemade, creative touches, and refreshed by the clean, coastal air.
Our relationship is light-hearted and relaxed, and I wanted guests to feel that :)
RIanna painted these signs. She's a WONDERFUL artist with a beautiful website!
Her sweet mom and dad, Lisa and Tony, were HUGELY instrumental in bringing her wedding day vision to life, and these handmade, hand-cut, glued, and sewn tablecloths were just one of those ways.
Just before they saw each other for the first time that day :)
Girls always just wanna have fun! Silly bridesmaids shot from L-R, her sister, Miranda, sis-in-law, Janine, me, and another college best friend, Sarah.
Breathtaking. In every way.
The Mr. & Mrs.!!!!
YAY!!!!!!!! (all day of photos by BP Photography)