{SBB Bride of the Week} Colleen
C O L L E E N
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M I K E
{May 26th, 2023}
{Photos by: Cari Hughes Photography}
Many of you will probably recognize our Bride of the Week this week, because it’s none other than our beautiful stylist, Colleen!
After helping brides for 6 years, it was finally Colleen’s turn to be the bride and we could not have been more excited!
She looked like an absolute smokeshow on her big day - don’t believe us? Just take a look below!
{Photos by: Cari Hughes Photography}
Told ya!
For her Memorial Day Weekend wedding in Tennessee, Colleen chose a fitted crepe gown by Martina Liana and soft silk veil by Malis Henderson!
The details on the dress y’all! The open back, the bead work, the TRAIN!
It’s GOOD!
{Photos by: Cari Hughes Photography}
Colleen’s florals were drop dead gorgeous, thanks to Echelon Florist out of Knoxville, Tennessee!
Everything from the bouquets to the centerpieces to the flower arch was beyond beautiful!
{Photos by: Cari Hughes Photography}
Before the walk down the aisle, Colleen had a very important task: share a sweet moment with her first love, Dad.
{Photos by: Cari Hughes Photography}
And then it was time for another special first look, but this time with her very soon-to-be hubby, Mike.
After he finally got to see his bride, Mike and Colleen shared their vows in private. SO special!
{Photos by: Cari Hughes Photography}
Colleen and Mike were married in a beautiful outdoor ceremony at The Trillium in Sevierville, Tennessee!
THIS VENUE! The views were absolutely breathtaking and the venue itself was SO gorg!
{Photos by: Cari Hughes Photography}
The reception space was, like the rest of the wedding, SO pretty!
The decor was perfection, with florals and lit candles adorning the tables!
{Photos by: Cari Hughes Photography}
The most beautiful wedding!
Let’s get to know the newlyweds! How did Colleen and Mike meet?
“Mike and I have actually known other almost our whole lives! He’s my best friend’s cousin so we knew each other growing up and would always be at the same family parties, etc, but were never that close. Years later, we matched on Bumble (I swiped right as a joke) and you know what they say, the rest is history!!”
How did Mike pop the question?
“Mike surprised me on a random Wednesday night with the most perfect, intimate proposal. I worked late on Wednesdays so I was coming home around 8 and he had everything set up in the kitchen - flowers, champagne poured and he had made gluten free Crunchwrap supremes (my celiac disease stopped me from enjoying them) which is also what he made for me on our very first Valentine’s Day. It was so unexpected and so on brand for us!”
Did she have any idea it was coming?
“I literally had no idea! Especially since I was working late that night, all I had on my mind was going home to eat dinner and go to bed. The first thing I noticed was that he was wearing khakis instead of sweatpants when I walked in and when I questioned him about it he responded “because I’m proposing to you”. It was hilarious and so perfect!!”
After the engagement, we were SO excited for Colleen to finally have her moment as the bride instead of the stylist!
What was her dress shopping experience like?
“Well since I had worked at SBB for 6 years at that point, it was definitely different than most! But thanks to Sandy, Shannon and my amazing family/friends, it was such a special day. Having tried on tons of dresses over the years, I knew what I was going for already, but still tried on a handful of dresses and got to have the full experience!”
How did she know her dress was "the one"?
“There really wasn’t any crazy “yes” moment. I had loved the dress for years while working at SBB so I had a feeling it might be the one. After narrowing it down to two favorites, mine just felt so right! It doesn’t have to be any more complicated than that!”
What was Colleen’s favorite part of the wedding planning process?
“We were lucky enough to get married in the Smoky Mountains, so my favorite part was definitely going down to Tennessee in the fall before our wedding to meet with vendors and see our venue in person. It was a productive trip, but also like a mini vacation at the same time!”
What about her least favorite part?
“Giving up control and trusting our vendors would bring our vision to life! It sounds so bad, but somehow I convinced myself that things weren’t going to look as good as we wanted on the day of. All my worrying was pointless because it turned out even better than I ever imagined!!! If you’re in the planning process, just know that your vendors are professionals for a reason!”
What was your favorite moment of your wedding?
“It’s SO hard to just choose one moment, but I always go back to our private last dance. After the last song ended on the dance floor, we went back inside our venue where it was just the two of us and only lit by the candles on the tables. We danced to a Tyler Childers song and it was seriously magical! Now I tell everyone that they need to do a private last dance!!”
What is the best piece of advice Colleen can give brides-to-be who are currently planning their own big day?
“Do not people please!!!! It’s so easy to want to do certain things just because of the little ideas friends/family put in your head, even if they don’t mean to! Make sure you stay true to yourself throughout the process and you won’t have any regrets! I know everyone always says it, but it’s truly only about you and your fiancé at the end of the day.”
Congratulations, Colleen and Mike!!
We love you both and are so excited to watch you on this new journey!
Check out more of their gorgeous wedding pictures by Cari Hughes Photography in the gallery below!
