Real Martina Liana Bride Mary + Ryan

A wedding that is the perfect combination of rock-and-roll and royalty? Y’all, we’re obsessed with real Martina Liana bride Mary’s southern celebration!

 

From the bride: Ryan knew exactly what to include in the proposal that is important to me – my family. As I am an only child and very close to my parents and my grandmother, he asked for their permission first and then asked if he could propose at my grandmother’s house – a very special place to me. On my birthday weekend, he surprised me in my grandmother’s backyard, with my parents and grandmother watching and smiling as he got down on one knee. It was simple, meaningful, and perfect.

My mother and I have always been obsessed with royal weddings, and so all I knew that I wanted was something timeless with a grand train. As soon as I tried on Martina Liana 675, I knew the gown, with its breathtaking train, was my soulmate. The search was over as soon as I tried it on – the gorgeous, delicate lace and the elegant open back were to die for.

We wanted our wedding to be classic, formal, and elegantly Southern. With things like a shrimp and grits bar and a live classic rock-n-roll band (favorite music genre of the bride and groom), we knew we wanted guests to have fun on a perfect Mississippi southern summer night.

The main color for the wedding was French blue, the color of the bridesmaid’s floor-length peplum dresses. The reception took place at The Lyric, a concert hall converted from a theater, where we added in pops of reds and pinks with grand flower arrangements. We also had floating lanterns to illuminate the reception space – a touch that turned out to make the photographs so fun and unique. Some personal touches included the first dance to a song by our favorite band that had been a connection for us while dating, “Thank You” by Led Zeppelin, a monogrammed bride’s cake and Ohio State themed (the groom’s alma mater) groom’s cake and garter. A “guestbook station” where guests could write personal notes on cards and drop them into a crystal bowl was a fun idea, too, as on our anniversaries we still read the notes and smile and laugh at what people wrote.

The best part of the day was definitely walking down the aisle to meet my groom. We had not done the first look, as I wanted to see each other for the first time as I was walking towards him to marry him. I think the moment was made even more special by the gown and its’ breathtaking train.

Eliza Kennard