Simply Dramatic Wedding for Julie & Sergei

06.18.21 | Bluestem Hall, Urbana IL

I first meet Julie and Sergei in October 2019 (yes, 2019!) with their wedding day planned for August 21st, 2021. My initial excitement in our call I tried to keep discrete, as we instantly connected over living in California. The couple at the time lived in the San Francisco area, and with me being from Orange County, it felt like we had switched regions! Sergei and Julie met here in Champaign as they attended high school together, then over the years they found their way to California. Little did I know from that first talk, how special there wedding day would become.

As their full service wedding planner, I got to watch the unraveling of their wedding day vision. You could say the process was a lot of give & take as they strived to make the day as intentional as their relationship over the years. The wedding day they envisioned was dramatic with a natural & simple undertone. Just as important as the design, was the celebration of the individuals in that crossed their paths over the years, that brought them to the couple they are today. I didn’t realize till their wedding day, that we were building much more then a design. 

Their vision board was full of moody colors, rich textures, earthy elements, and minimalist tableware. This look was a perfect blend of their two styles, even with some resistant at times from each other. Over the months we created a creative professional vendor team gathering talents from all over Central Illinois. 

As we continued to wedding plan, I got to learn more about the couple’s story, their families and next chapter. We also patiently got through the pandemic and the decision to move up their wedding day to June 18, 2021.  With both of them having busy work schedules and planning from a far, the couple never wavered in their kindness to the vendors, understanding of changes and happiness ahead for the day to be.

On their wedding day it was absolutely beautiful! It was like their vision board came to life, surrounded with family & friends. There were three meaningful moments I took away from that day.

First, the tea ceremony. I learned that a traditional Chinese Tea Ceremony is when the bride & groom pours their immediate family before the ceremony as the symbolism of the two families coming together. The couple however, decided to expand the ceremony to everyone invited to their wedding. 

Second, the place cards. The couple’s wrote a personal message to each guest behind a photo of them together. 

Third, the toasts. The fathers of the bride & groom, best man and maid of honor gave such genuine speeches. Now, they did have it written out, but it was filled with such intentional words and stories from over the years. 

As the wedding concluded, all the guests were smiling & laughing. The room was filled with a glow from everyone that was there and we all became a community. So what was my takeaway from this wedding day?

….weddings aren’t about collecting things, but moments.

When I’m asked “Why am I a wedding planner?” It’s because for me, to be able to guide a couple through an overwhelming experience and then see them on their wedding day unconditionally loving the day as a life memory they will never forget, is one of the most rewarding and continue blessing for me in my life’s career!

View their wedding across the pond, in the UK publication Boho Weddings. Thank you Julie & Sergei for choosing me as your planner and entrusting me with your wedding vision 🖤 @juliechen06

CUT it. | Pan & Cake Catering and Pollen & Pastry
GLOW it. | Nika Vaughan
DRINK it. | Pan & Cake Catering
PLAY it. | Groove In the Heart
EAT it. | Pan & Cake Catering Co
SMELL it. | Pollen & Pastry
SNAP it. | Deidre Lynn Photography
RENT it. | Create A Scene, BBJ Linens, Hall’s 
SELECT it. | Bluestem Hall