Composed by Jessica Posey from Heaven Sent Events
Michael and Megan Perone
Tell us about your love story!
How did you meet?
Michael and I met online using Facebook dating in 2020.
How did you know he was “The One”?
We knew right away when we realized we couldn’t live without each other.
How did he propose?
On our one-year anniversary, Mike came home early from work and parked down the street. He decorated our office with flowers, balloons, and the ring. Our dog, Lilly, gave his hiding spot away immediately. After smelling the flowers, I turned around and he was down on one knee. It was the perfect way to start our forever commitment.
Describe your wedding planning process.
What planning tools did you use?
The best planning tool we had was our wedding coordinator, Gloria Schroeder, who provided everything we needed to prepare for the wedding of our dreams. The tools included were a 12-month wedding checklist that broke down each individual month with a to-do list, a budget breakdown, a wedding day checklist of what to bring, and a vendor contact list. Gloria also gave great referrals for vendors she had used in the past and some discounts through those vendors.
Did you DIY any aspect of your wedding?
We filled mason jars with fairy lights and artificial greenery for the five round outside tables. My amazing bridesmaid made us koozies using her CriCut machine. We then stuffed these koozies with an organza bag full of lavender M&M’s as a play on our initials. We had one of Mike’s friends make “Hubby” and “Wifey” signs for the back of our reception chairs using his 3D printer. My mom and step dad cut down and made tree cake stands for the dessert tables.
Where did you save the most?
We probably saved the most using Oak Valley Vineyard Restaurant. They offered a lot for what we got including decor, food, drinks, set up, tear down, tables, chairs, linens, all dinnerware, bartenders, cake cutting, serving, and assisting in coordinating the entire day. We also had the most remarkable florist who provided most of our reception decor.
Where did you splurge?
We wanted to remember this night forever, so it was important to us to have a photographer and videographer capture every moment. We paid for an extra three hours with the photographer and videographer to capture us getting ready and bridal party shots. It was completely worth it. We also splurged using The Perfect Day to rent out a yard game package and a neon sign that said “Better Together” creating the perfect photo backdrop.
Why did you choose your venue?
Immediately seeing the venue, we knew it was the picture perfect setting for our wedding. Even after visiting the venue a second time following a rain, it was still just as beautiful and romantic. We loved all of the mature trees, blooms, and pristine landscaping.
Did you incorporate any special traditions or sentimental details in your ceremony or reception?
My father had held on to a 1931 sixpence which represented the year my Opa was born. He kept it specifically to give it to me to wear in my shoe on my wedding day. Family friends gave me an embroidered blue heart that said, “My Guardian Angels Opa & Oma Huck, Grandpa Graham,” representing my something blue. I had this stitched under my dress. We also incorporated a tying of the knot into our ceremony to symbolize the binding of our marriage.
What was your most stressful decision?
We would say the most stressful decision was the invites because we wanted to invite EVERYONE to enjoy the day with us. We also had a lot of stress picking out decor to use for the wedding. We changed table decor multiple times throughout the year of planning.
What turned out to be your best decision surrounding the big day?
We believe the most important aspect was having the right vendors to make the day easy and enjoyable. We were able to truly appreciate every single moment of our day together with our family and friends.
Tell Us About
Your dress:
I wore a Rebecca Ingram by Maggie Sottero Designs, an ivory A-line dress with lace motifs over tulle and textured lace with a plunging sweetheart neckline. I loved the extra detail of the V-back with pearl buttons over the zipper closure.
Your flowers:
The bouquet consisted of a mix of amnesia, cool water lavender roses, ivory playa blanca roses, snowflake spray roses, while hydrangea deep in the background, touches of dried lavender, lavender lisianthus, dark purple stock, dusty miller, and silver dollar eucalyptus. The table flowers consisted of blooms of roses, lisianthus, and a mix of ivory and purple caspias on top of Italian ruscus and silver dollar eucalyptus.
The food:
For dinner we had mesquite smoked pepper ribeye and poblano chicken alfredo with herb roasted potatoes and seasonal vegetables. We also had a kid option of chicken cheesy pasta.
The cake:
The bride’s cake was a three-layer buttercream cake with a comb design. The bottom layer was almond cake with raspberry filling. The middle layer was strawberry cake with buttercream filling. Lastly, the top layer was vanilla cake with Bavarian cream filling. The groom’s cake was chocolate cake with chocolate mousse filling in the shape of a car’s turbo.
Recap your big day for us
What made you laugh?
Mike’s best friend noticed the Honeymoon Fund shadow box was being overlooked. Therefore, he graciously went around the reception room entertaining our guests to collect on our behalf.
What made you cry?
The toasts given by my matron of honor and Mike’s best man were two of the best moments of the night. They took their time to prepare hilarious, yet thoughtful, material. Having those moments to remember why we chose them to stand beside us gave us tears of joy.
What were the most memorable moments?
The most memorable moment was hands down my dad walking me down the aisle and both my parents giving me away to the man of my dreams. Also, Mike worked hard on repairing his ‘91 Mitsubishi 3000GT VR4, which we used for our wedding exit.
What’s the best advice you can give a bride and groom planning their wedding?
My best advice is to have a good team of vendors behind you and nothing else will matter! When getting ready, sit and relax and take in every second of the day. This is your day!
What did you look forward to most as Mr. and Mrs.?
We looked forward to the honeymoon to be able to relax and get away from the planning all year long.
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