Real Weddings

The world of luxury real weddings with their love stories, stunning wedding dresses, wedding destinations from the best wedding planners & top wedding photographers and event designers.

bride and groom wedding portrait at Schloss Leopoldskron

A Baroque Castle Wedding at Schloss Leopoldskron in Austria

Over the course of Olivia and William’s love story, the couple went from early-morning workouts to a fairytale wedding the Austrian Alps—with a very good

bride and groom wedding portrait at Eau Resort & Spa

A Romantic and Whimsical Wedding at Eau Resort and Spa

Olivia and Jerry have known each other since they were kids, having grown up in the same hometown in New York. As Olivia’s brother’s best

An Organic, Garden-Themed Wedding in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida with Greenery and Wildflowers

Although Hannah and Ari both grew up in Georgia, sharing mutual friends and living just fifteen minutes from each other, they never met until college.

bride and groom with Amsale wedding dress

A Modern Chateau Wedding at Elkins Estate with Whimsical Pops of Color

Kelly and Paul first met at Independence Beer Garden in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was late-2020 and Kelly’s brother-in-law, Will, had been talking about introducing her

A Romantic Milestone Anniversary and Vow Renewal in Barcelona

Before celebrating a milestone anniversary by hosting a vow renewal in Barcelona, Christina and Richard were married in January 2000. The couple secretly eloped in

bride and groom portrait wedding at The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman

A Warm and Timelessly Elegant Wedding at The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman

Chynna was interning at a bank in 2014 when she first met Derran, who was on staff. A mutual co-worker made the introduction, and casual

A Glamorous Multi-Day Wedding in Dubai with an Ethereal Nikkah Ceremony

Shifa and Shahzeb’s wedding in Dubai was a multi-day celebration that brought together family and friends from the USA, India, and London. An Indian and

bride and groom wedding at The Bel-Air Bay Club

A Storybook Wedding in Pacific Palisades with a Pastel Theme

Sammi and Andy’s love story began long before either of them understood what love was—when they shared a third-grade classroom in Los Angeles. The two

bride and groom at The Mansion on Main Street in New Jersey

A Starlight Themed Wedding at The Mansion on Main Street in New Jersey

Shirish and Sonata’s wedding was a glamorous event that stunned every guest in attendance, while leaving the bride and groom in awe of how perfectly

bride and groom winter wedding at The St. Regis Deer Valley

A Winter Wedding at The St. Regis Deer Valley Inspired By 1920s Havana and Gilded Age Glamour

Rebecca was training for her job as a professional slackliner, preparing for competitions and performances, when she first met Ryan on Santa Monica Beach in

bride and groom destination wedding in Grand Cayman

A Glamorous Destination Wedding in Grand Cayman with All-White Florals

Halle and Mitchell first met at Indiana University in 2018, introduced through mutual friends. One friend wanted to set them up at the time, but

Grand Velas Riviera Nayarit wedding bride and groom

An Enchanting Destination Wedding at Grand Velas Riviera Nayarit with White Blooms and Lush Greenery

Debbie and Daniel were only 17 when they first met. As fresh high school graduates who were ready to start their college journeys, they had

black and white photo of bride and groom by Anna Schmidt Photography

A Timeless Wedding at The St. Regis Washington, D.C. Celebrating Love, Light, and Legacy

Some love stories unfold slowly over time. Allie and Mark’s began in a rush of warmth and light, meeting just after Thanksgiving and quickly falling

A Cross-Cultural Destination Wedding in Sintra and Lisbon, Portugal

Megan and Karan’s wedding was created as a shared experience over three days in Sintra and Lisbon. Guests from around the world came together to

A Modern and Artistic Wedding with a LEGO Rose Theme

It was the Spring of 2018 when M and J happened to board a roller coaster at Six Flags, turning an ordinary day into something

A Four-Day Brazilian and Mexican Fusion Wedding in Veracruz

In 2018, Esther and Francisco met while attending California State University, Long Beach. With Francisco being an international student from Brazil, he was the president

An Ethereal, Elegant, and Authentically Italian Wedding in Lake Como with White Florals and Gold Accents

Aileen and Diego’s story began on a warm evening in Tampa, Florida, at a restaurant called Whiskey Cake. The two were introduced through mutual friends,

A Timeless All-White Wedding with a Sultry Twist at Four Seasons Hotel Westlake Village CA

Sevan Behjou and Omid Natan have both lived in Los Angeles for their entire lives, but didn’t cross paths until 2023. While visiting Las Vegas

An Elegant and Timeless Wedding at Villa La Rondinaia in Ravello Italy

To plan their dream wedding in Ravello, Italy, Emily and Jonathan teamed up with Alessia Santa of White Emotion, based in Italy. Emily had always

An Elegant Panamanian Wedding with Rich, Burgundy Décor Comes to Life with Timeless Romance

Andreina and Felipe’s love story began on New Year’s Eve 2017, when they were introduced through a mutual friend. Immediately, something clicked; there was an

A Modern Castle Wedding Filled with Orchids

Erica and Ben first connected through a dating app during the pandemic in Los Angeles. For their first date, Ben picked up Erica from her

A Chesapeake Bay Wedding for 60 Guests, Inspired by Sunset on the Shore

When Alexis reminisces about the summer of 2018, she remembers it as a season of change. Fresh out of the University of Central Florida, she

A Destination Wedding Weekend in Miami Filled with Love and Family Traditions

In the heart of Teton National Park in Jackson, Wyoming, where the snake river winds through the limber pines and blue spruce trees, a campsite

An Intimate Island Wedding at The Ritz-Carlton Maui, Kapalua with Western Charm and Chinese Traditions

An Island That Held Their Story Irene had first visited The Ritz-Carlton Maui, Kapalua with her parents as a teenager. The memory stayed with her.

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Welcome to the world of luxury real weddings, love stories, designer wedding dresses, and venues from the world’s top wedding planners, event designers, wedding destinations, and wedding photographers. Every print issue of Grace Ormonde Wedding Style magazine contains a curated selection of the latest designer bridal collections, exquisite engagement rings and high jewelry, tabletop and reception décor, top luxury honeymoon destinations, and more. Still, it’s the real weddings that readers continue to cite as their favorite section of the magazine. Space is always limited with print magazines, so this section of the Wedding Style website allows us to share even more real couples and their photos with our audience. Brides and grooms may discuss their wedding experience and wedding planning process in their own words and, of course, we get to share even more work from top wedding photographers around the world. Most importantly, it’s wonderful to see how different couples from various cultures and backgrounds choose to celebrate love with their own traditions, tastes, and personal styles.

Design inspiration, styled shoots, and fashion shows are all necessary components of the wedding planning process, but there’s something extra special about seeing everything come together in a real life situation. The couples are real; their love stories are real; the wedding vendors are putting forth their best work; and the wedding photographers are showcasing the best moments of that couple’s wedding day – not to mention, photographing some of the world’s most beautiful wedding destinations and luxury venues. Even seeing a real bride make her way down the aisle in a custom Ines Di Santo bridal gown or a backless Galia Lahav wedding dress can be magical, as it shows how bridal fashion translates so seamlessly from the runway to real life. With so many elements playing a part in the wedding planning process and a couple’s overall wedding experience, these real weddings are chocked full of ideas for everything from planning the perfect proposal, to designing an escort card table, to choosing the right honeymoon destination.

More often than not, the wedding planning process begins with a couple sourcing the perfect wedding destination or wedding planner. From there, it becomes easier to recruit a talented team of wedding vendors including event designers, floral designers, caterers, lighting design teams, wedding photographers, a videographer, and live entertainment. With so many moving parts, it’s crucial to have the right team on board and an expert wedding planner who can flawlessly execute an event, despite any hiccups that may arise. Several of these real wedding stories will include recounts about having to reschedule wedding dates, switch wedding venues at the last minute, and the all-too-often rainstorm on the wedding day. The couples, however, repeatedly credit their wedding planners and vendors for their remarkable work in ensuring the wedding day is a successful event and as stress-free as possible.

When people think of luxury weddings, images of castles, horse-drawn carriages, and million-dollar wedding dresses may come to mind. While readers will absolutely find those types of luxury weddings within this Real Weddings section, they’ll also see that luxury comes in all colors, cultures, and aesthetics. When choosing which weddings to feature, our editors look at factors like the wedding destination, wedding dress designer, artistic vision, photography, and overall guest experience. A luxury wedding in Dubai with 1,200 guests and over-the-top art installations is filled with design inspiration and quintessential “fairytale wedding” vibes. But an intimate destination wedding at an Italian villa with 12 close friends and family members can be just as epic and luxurious.

“Luxury” simply refers to the details and thought a couple and their vendors put in to creating a memorable experience for those in attendance. What is the first thing a guest sees when they arrive at the wedding destination? Are they offered a welcome drink? How comfortable is the seating during the ceremony? Are the menu and wine list thoughtfully curated? What kind of wedding favors are they offered as a heartfelt “Thank you?” Luxury weddings have much less to do with budget and showiness, and everything to do with the deliberate care and consideration a couple takes to make sure
their loved ones thoroughly enjoy every moment of a wedding day. Our real weddings offer all the inspiration a couple could possibly need when it comes to treating guests to an epic party – some of our favorites include welcome pizza parties in Italy, elaborate party favor rooms for guests to “shop” at their own leisure, and farewell brunches aboard luxury yachts.

Event design and wedding décor is another important part of the wedding planning process; and as these real weddings demonstrate, there’s no limit to what a talented group of wedding experts can create. The tabletops, alone, are works of art – not to mention the intricate wedding cakes that are “almost” too pretty to eat; the custom dance floors that add an extra layer of personalization to a wedding; the lavish and imaginative floral arrangements that only the most skilled floral designers could conceptualize; and the incredible wedding destinations that set the stage for event designers to work their magic. Whether couples are leaning towards a clean and contemporary aesthetic or want to create a jaw-dropping event design scheme inspired by Versailles, these luxury weddings are perfect examples of every celebration style imaginable.

For the majority of our couples, their real weddings take place outside of their current town, making destination weddings the most popular pick. Typically, couples choose their wedding destinations based on where they’ve traveled together, where their families reside, or a place that holds a special significance in their history together. And, on occasion, readers may come across a destination wedding that took place somewhere the couple has never visited before, simply because it has always been a dream to travel to that location. If readers need specific ideas for a destination wedding in Italy, our Real Weddings gallery features several destination weddings in places like Lake Como, Tuscany, and the Amalfi Coast. If plans are still up in the air, they may garner inspiration from intimate celebrations in the UK, Bora Bora, South Africa, Santorini, Austria, and the Caribbean. Alternatively, brides and grooms-to-be may lean more towards the “blowout” destination weddings we’ve featured in places like Panama, Lebanon, Puerto Rico, India, and Monaco.

No matter where a couple chooses to host their luxury wedding or what their décor style may be, one of the most important decisions they’ll make during the wedding planning process hiring the right wedding photographer. At the end of the day, wedding photographs are all that remain after the celebration is over. When choosing which real weddings to feature, our editors look at the wedding photography first – after all, even if a wedding celebration only consists of a private Central Park elopement, a skilled wedding photographer will capture every moment in a way that is timeless, effortlessly beautiful, and portrays a couple at their absolute best.

It is always an honor to publish and feature the work of top wedding photographers, wedding planners, and designers around the world (most, who are available for destination weddings!). We hope you enjoy browsing through these real weddings and reading about the wonderful couples behind these spectacular celebrations.