Photography by Angie McPherson Photography
Who: Chelsea Laurens, doctor of physical therapy student at Old Dominion University, and Jaine Lindo, tax administrative assistant at Cherry Bekaert.
When: June 11, 2016.
Where: The Founders Inn and Spa, Virginia Beach.
Guest List: Roughly 160 guests traveled from Roanoke, St. Maarten, Florida, North Carolina, Maryland, Oregon and even China.
Where They Met: By chance during college when Chelsea was a freshman and Jaine was a senior. One day, they both happened to be visiting a friend in the dorms and met in the dorm lobby. Later that same day, they ran into each other again at Walmart. Chelsea asked Jaine to help her find an item, and he happily helped her search for it. As he searched—or rather, stalled—the two talked and got to know each other. It was the start of their wonderful adventure together.
Engagement: Jaine surprised Chelsea by coming to town a day earlier than he had planned for Thanksgiving two years ago. They took a trip to the beach after work, and as they walked through the sand dunes, Chelsea suddenly heard a violinist playing “A Thousand Years” and saw purple petals positioned into a heart shape in the sand. Jaine asked Chelsea to spend the rest of her life with him, and she could not have been happier to say yes.
Wedding Wishes: “Disney, Disney, Disney! I wanted it everywhere without being tacky,” Chelsea says. Having a stress-free wedding day was also very important to the couple, so they made sure to find a wedding planner they could trust. Holly Coriell of Just Dandy Events helped make their day go smoothly and took the stress off their shoulders. Having their pastor, Eric Thomas from First Baptist Church of Norfolk, there to provide a powerful message of selflessness and pray over their marriage with their closest friends and family was also one of the most important parts of the day for the couple.
What’s Next: After their wedding, Jaine and Chelsea enjoyed a honeymoon at Disney World. Right now, Chelsea is focused on finishing school to become a doctor of physical therapy. “Jaine has been so patient with the demands that are put on me as a student, and he’s always been so supportive. I don’t know what I would do without him!” Chelsea says.
Bride: Gown and tiara—David’s Bridal
Groom: Suit—Bobby Macc
Twirling His Princess: Really, can it get more Disney than that?
Fur Baby: Chelsea fostered little Lee while working for a rescue in North Carolina. She loved him so much she decided to adopt him. “We are just a little family for now until we decide to have kids one day,” Chelsea says.
Keep in Touch: Chelsea found the idea for the Keep in Touch book on Pinterest. They used it for sending thank you cards, as well as sending birthday cards throughout the year. “It has been one of the best decisions of the day for sure,” Chelsea says.
Ceremony Soundtrack: And I Love Her Violins provided the beautiful instrumental Disney songs during the ceremony and cocktail hour. Chelsea walked down the aisle to “I See the Light” from Tangled.
Two Lands Apart: Chelsea’s sand was taken from Sandbridge in Virginia Beach, while Jaine’s was from his childhood home of St. Maarten. The sweet words on the unity sand set are taken from Pocahontas. It was appropriate for Jaine and Chelsea, who come from two different countries and who had a long distance relationship during college.
Decadent Choices: For dessert, guests could choose from seven different cupcake flavors created by Bliss Bakery. “We wanted a way that everyone could get something they would like and even take some home with them,” Chelsea says.
Birthday Surprise: Everyone surprised Chelsea with a special cupcake for her birthday, which was the next day. They stopped the reception to sing “Happy Birthday” to her.
Bridal Bling: Jaine picked out a yellow sapphire engagement ring for Chelsea. “I just told him that I wanted something small and unique, and he definitely delivered,” Chelsea says. Chelsea handmade the ring boxes bearing the enchanted flower from Tangled.
Enchanted Flowers: Chelsea’s bouquet was inspired by the enchanted flower in Tangled and the movie’s iconic colors, plum and yellow. Fluttering Flowers even added an LED light to make the flowers glow just like in the movie.
In Remembrance: Jaine’s father passed away, and Chelsea wanted to make sure she did something special to have him represented on his son’s wedding day. Chelsea made the special boutonniere photos for Jaine and his brother, the best man, and Jaine’s mother presented them to her sons as they got ready for the wedding.
Little Princesses: Chelsea’s goddaughter and cousin shared flower girl duties.
Tasteful Tiara: Chelsea wanted to feel like a princess on her big day, without doing anything too over the top. The tiara she chose was the first one she tried on. Right away she knew it added just the royal touch she was looking for.
Lanterns: The lantern centerpieces are reminiscent of the paper lanterns at the center of the Tangled storyline. Chelsea loved adding subtle touches from the movie wherever it was appropriate.
Perfect Gentlemen: The ring bearers were Chelsea’s cousin and her maid of honor’s son. The older boys who helped escort the guests are children Chelsea has been babysitting since they were in diapers. “They are like family to me, and it was extremely important to me that I included them,” Chelsea says.
Credits
Bride’s Hair and Makeup: Maggie Carter
Groom’s Hair: Taffi Designz
Caterer: Founders Inn and Spa
Wedding Planner: Just Dandy Events
Violinist and Guitarist: And I Love Her Violins
Cake and Cupcakes: Bliss Bakery
Music: Astro Entertainment
Florist: Fluttering Flowers
