When it comes to weddings, romance is already at the forefront of everyone's mind. And every couple has distinct expectations for their special day that they find romantic. To ring in the start of wedding season, I asked wedding planners to share the most romantic weddings they've been a part of. And even though I am single AF, looking at photos of romantic weddings definitely made me feel all warm and tingly inside.
"For me, the most romantic part of every wedding is that moment they see each other in the aisle for the first time," says Andi Jo Clark,, owner, and CEO of Simply Sparrow wedding planning. "It gets me emotional every single time. Over 150 people around them and it is like tunnel vision. I have been a part of weddings at churches, family homes, event venues, the coast of Jamaica, intimate & casual settings. This moment that the bride and groom see each other during that highly anticipated walk always is the peak of my day."
For wedding planners, weddings need to be a well-oiled machine of structure, timing, and as few fires to put out as possible. However, planners aren't entirely impervious to those really sweet moments. The following weddings are definitely examples of ceremonies that made even the most experienced planner tear up.
Even if you aren't feeling particularly lovey-dovey, the following stories about romantic ceremonies might just make you go, "Awe."
The couple got married in the historic park because they both love nature. The bride's grandfather was an oil worker who worked and died in the mines now covered by the park.
The pair incorporated some beautiful and romantic wedding traditions into their big day, they jumped the broom and were also married in front of a Fulani wedding blanket from northern Mali. Steve lived in a Fulani community for two years during Peace Corps in Senegal, so it was really nice to be able to incorporate a symbol of that time in our wedding ceremony.
Jill gave Steve sterling silver Tiffany cufflinks that each said “For” and “Ever.” She chose those because she wants him to think back to the wedding day whenever he wears them to special events and also because that’s how long she'll love him. The couple's cake cutting was punctuated with a seven minute firework show before guests were welcomed back in for some dinner and dancing.
— Emore' Campbell, Emore' Campbell Events
Soon after their relationship began, Noran and Jay triumphed death. A few weeks after officially dating, Jay was diagnosed with Stage three kidney cancer. Yet, Noran never left Jay's side, believing that if they could get through this, then they could get through anything. And believe it, they did. After a long, emotional road, Jay is now fully recovered and in remission. On March 7 2018, at Jay's surprise birthday party thrown by Noran, in celebration of his survival and their indelible faith in love, Jay proposed. For the same cost of a large wedding at home in Los Angeles, Noran and Jay discovered that they could bring their closer friends and family members to the Four Seasons Resort Bora Bora. Where they had a multi-day celebration of their love, and life together in a remote destination where they could unplug, relax and truly create lasting memories amongst each other's company.
— Carly Long, LLG events
The most romantic wedding I have ever worked was for this couple who met at Villanova University, and after a few years together, Tom proposed to Chelsea at Villanova. Their wedding had to These two were a strong couple and really in love with each other as total best friends. I also worked with Chelsea to help her put together a boudoir photo album as a wedding gift for Tom, and we used my friend, a Playboy photographer to take breathtaking photos. This is the most romantic wedding I have planned because they were amazing best friends, clearly in love and had ways to celebrate their own romance.
— Danielle Rothweiller, Rothweiller Event Design
The ceremony and reception were at Ventana’s rooftop venue in Atlanta, Georgia. This wedding was so special because it was a celebration for both families. Both families had lost immediate family members around that time, one of the family members in the bridal party was struggling with terminal cancer, so this couples’ families rallied together in the middle of so much sadness and challenge and chose to celebrate life and love. It was one of the most romantic, heart-opening ceremonies and wedding days. The grandmothers from both sides of the family were the flower girls, there were gift exchanges for all of the family members, and there were so many beautiful tears throughout the day. The night ended with a glorious helicopter send off, and it was one of those experiences you couldn’t be more happy for a couple’s happiness from their wedding day. It’s one wedding our team will never forget.
— Shelby Ring, Ruby Riot Creatives
One of the most romantic weddings I ever planned was, of course, an elopement. Destination elopements in Italy can be very romantic. In this case, I planned a wedding for two guys coming from Australia. They were very young at the time of the wedding, and they told their families that theirs was a trip to Europe. As a matter of fact, they planned all secretly, and they got married with a romantic wedding on Lake Orta on a Spring day. They traveled with their back-bags with their wedding dresses inside. They got married having us planners as official witnesses, and we spent a lovely day with them. They asked not to share the news on social media or our site until they would have told us to do. They kept on traveling in Italy for about three weeks with their back bags as their special honeymoon. When they got back home, nobody knew that they got married that was a real surprise!
— Valentina Lombardilst, Italian Wedding Planner
Texans, Kelly, and Sean were drawn to the Nordic countries this winter to hopefully experience the Aurora Borealis. Long travels brought them to the tiny village of Reine. It’s a picturesque village with crazy shaped mountains and lined with traditional red fishing houses. Literally, it feels like you’ve stepped back in time to a place and time where romance and chivalry were all we had. The host hotel, Reine Rorbuer - by Classic Norway does an incredible job of preserving that magic!
They held an intimate elopement ceremony on the fishing docks and a 180 view of the mountains. Following the ceremony they embarked on a full day adventurous elopement filled with hiking up mountains, a champagne toast in Viking horns, exploring small fishing villages, playing in the snow, and discovering hidden beaches. As the afternoon turned into the evening, they had a private dinner for two which began on the fishing docks they wed on to being cozy in front of the fireplace in a nearby restaurant! As the clock turned 10 pm, they went out Northern Lights hunting and found them! What a way to end their whimsical elopement. The entire day gushed romance!!
— Ann Peters, Your Adventure Wedding
One remarkable wedding for us was an incredible multi-cultural wedding for a Colombian bride based in Miami and an Israeli groom living in Panama. They had friends and family come from all over the world. The Jewish celebration for Den and Dan, the bride and groom, began during the afternoon of the day prior and incorporated bonfires on the beach, water drums, and a moonlit arrival for the couple. The rehearsal dinner took place at the traditional Mexican resort with a kiosk in the middle where Jewish traditions were brought to life. For the big day, a spectacular ceremony in an intimate area filled with 350 guests was serenaded by Hebrew singers who flew in especially for the ceremony. There were also hoorah dances, Hora Loca celebrations, and a dance floor that remained crowded for over seven hours.
— Ary Iturralde, Andaz Mayakoba Resort Riviera Maya
Honestly, these weddings make me a bit more excited to frantically figure out my outfits for upcoming weddings this summer. Hopefully, these wedding stories are a reminder about just how romantic a ceremony can be.
