Caroline and Travis: A Dream Wedding in Philadelphia

It’s a modern love story of when swiping goes right. Caroline met Travis on Tinder and then Bumble shortly after. It wasn’t love at first match, but it did turn into the perfect happily ever after. After hearing their story, I credit Caroline for making the first big move by texting Travis on a whim setting history in motion.

Four years later, they found themselves looking for a little escape during pandemic life with a trip to Salem, MA, for their anniversary. On the last night, they brought their tripod for taking photos to a beautiful park at sunset overlooking the water. If you’ve been to Salem, you know there’s no shortage of picture-perfect moments, which is probably why Caroline really didn’t see it coming. And when they set up their tripod for photos in front of the water, that’s when Travis surprised her with the perfect proposal.

Like a lot of couples who got engaged in 2020, it made sense to wait. Normalcy hadn’t fully returned, and it was hard to plan when you don’t know what to expect. They gave themselves two years to plan and also to ensure everyone could celebrate safely. This really helped Caroline navigate the wedding planning process, plus it removed the stress of planning!

“I got so much done so fast! With the uncertainties of COVID, we had a two-year engagement,” Caroline said. “Once we had the ‘big’ things planned/booked, it gave us a lot of time to DIY and plan out our budget without going overboard…I’m so thankful we took our time, as it also made the day feel even more special knowing we had been waiting for it for so long.”

Caroline very wisely used the length of her engagement to do things like go around collecting glass cylinders and making her own signage. This not only saved her in her budget, but also added personal touches that uniquely reflected the couple themselves! These touches became one of Caroline’s favorite parts of wedding planning.

Eventually, Caroline made her way to Laura and Leigh Bridal for our salon’s favorite part of wedding planning: the search for the perfect dress. Caroline came in not having a super clear vision on what kind of dress she wanted, but she did have some deal-breakers. For example, she has a stunning half-sleeve tattoo, and she wanted the tattoo to balance with something minimalist.

“I had driven past L&L many times, so I knew I wanted to start my search there! Little did I know it would only take one appointment,” Caroline said. “My consultant, Gia, had my sister and mom pick out a couple dresses, and threw in a couple other ‘wild card’ options for me to try.”

In those wild cards was a beautiful Mikado ball gown by Justin Alexander Signature that seemed to just be waiting for the day Caroline saw it. The dress ended up only being the second dress she tried on, but it fit perfectly with her vision of timeless elegance.

“I didn’t want a lot of frills and anything over the top, but I still wanted something unique,” Caroline said. “The dress was absolutely this to the T, and the beautiful detachable bow in the back added such a fun element that was so ‘me!’

Ultimately, when you’re planning a wedding for two years, there’s so much to look forward to beyond wearing your dream dress. But, after planning a wedding at a stressful time for everyone with the pandemic, the thing most couples wound up looking forward to was their guests.

“I was so excited to see all of my family together in one place, along with Trav’s, and all our friends,” Caroline said. “It was the only time in our lives we’d get to experience this at once, so it was surreal.”

The emotions of a wedding day are unforgettable. Sharing moments with each other and with those who matter are what make weddings truly unique. Caroline and Travis made sure to soak up the moments together and opted not to do a first look to make that aisle moment magical.

“Going the entire day without seeing each other just made the moment beyond special,” Caroline said.

The other thing she couldn’t help but be moved by was the speech her father gave at the wedding, which was more of a love letter than a simple toast.

“The man prepared a 5+ minute speech, which I know sounds long, but it was everything I could’ve dreamed of. You could feel the love he has for me in his words, and it was a confirmation to everyone just how much he loves, Travis, too.” Caroline said. “I am so lucky to have that to look back on, as I know he spent so much time finding the right words to articulate how much we mean to him.”

Truly, being surrounded by that much love is something special and it’s easy to see why this couple fits so well together. By focusing on personal details, their loved ones and the love they have for each other, their wedding was a special day that they’ll never forget.

Caroline’s Advice For Future Brides:

The day really does go by SO FAST. Eat the food, enjoy everything you planned! Don’t stress about going to each and every table, because the night will be over before you know it. Let people approach you and do your own thing. The day is all about YOU and your partner, so act accordingly. 😊