Carlette and Shae’s engagement session was a compatible commencement to their gorgeously elegant wedding at Meredith Manor. 52Forty without flaw captured the beauty of this couple’s love, and every gorgeous detail that brought this wedding day together. The black and white color palate paired perfectly with red accents, creating an ethereal setting that radiated all throughout the day. Congratulations to the beautiful couple, we wish you both eternal bliss!
How They Met:
“Shae and I met while working at Ebay Enterprise in King of Prussia. After a few weeks of checking me out from afar he asked a colleague to introduce us. After that, he stopped by my desk several times to ask me out to lunch but I always made up an excuse as to why I couldn’t go – I was NOT interested in dating a coworker! To make a long story short, he kept asking and I finally agreed. After a few work lunch dates, he asked me to join him at the first Made In America concert over labor day weekend. After some hesitation, I agreed and this became our first official date. We had a really great time that day and that’s when I realized I really liked him.”
The Proposal:
“Shae proposed over Labor Day weekend in Atlantic City. After having dinner at Phillips Seafood, we headed out towards the pier and he asked me to stop and take a photo. After taking the photo, he expected me to ask to see it, which I didn’t because I wasn’t in a picture taking mood. He finally convinced me to look at the phone and he started playing a video. The video was a slideshow of photos of us over the course of our 3 year relationship. At the end of the video, there was a picture of a ring and words that read “Carlette Bell, will you complete my life and be my wife?” When I turned around he was on bended knee with the ring, and of course I said Yes! I later found out that his original plan was to propose earlier that day while we were on the beach in Brigantine, but his nerves got the best of him!”
Wedding Planning Experience:
“I absolutely loved every aspect of wedding planning….except the Guest List and Seating Chart! I have a large family and we weren’t able to invite everyone so that was very stressful. Aside from that, I had so much fun shopping for décor, watching wedding shows and stalking Pinterest, Instagram and bridal blogs for inspiration! I would do it all over again in a heartbeat!”
Wedding Inspiration:
“My inspiration was “Simply Elegant”…on a budget! My color scheme was classic black and white, with red accents. Red is my favorite color, but I didn’t want it to overpower the day so I made sure only certain elements were red, such as my lips, my bouquet, my reception shoes, some of the flowers and centerpieces at reception and my candy apple favors! Aside from that, mostly everything else was black, white, and silver/blingy. I shopped around at discount and thrift stores for months to gather vases and candles and other items that I could DIY. I handed everything over to the florist and she arranged everything so beautifully. The venue’s tent has tons of gorgeous string lights in the ceiling that lit up the space so beautifully while also reflecting off of the vases and candles to really amplify the element of bling and sparkle.”
Best Memory:
“Carlette – Sorry, but I can’t pick just one!
- Walking down the aisle to Shae. All the work over the past year had been leading up to this big moment and it was finally happening…we were getting married!
- Dancing with my father! I cannot remember ever seeing my father dance and he agreed to do a fun dance with me that I will forever cherish.
Shae – First look. She looked so beautiful and it all hit me hard then….like, this is real.”
Wedding Planning Advice:
“Have fun!
Make a conscious effort to be in the moment and soak in the important moments of your special day. Do not allow it to pass by in a blur.
It’s your day, don’t let friends/family influence you to do things that they want you to do. It’s your choice and it’s ok to say no if it doesn’t fit your vision.”
Wedding Vendor Experience:
“Meredith Manor – MM was absolutely amazing from beginning to end. They are a family owned business and really care about their customers. Mimi helps with planning and logistics, her husband Frank is the chef, their daughters Becky and Emily are the florists (and sometimes bartenders), and employee Frank makes sure everything runs smoothly the day of. Prices are also really great for everything that you are receiving!
Great Valley Catering (Meredith Manor) – Frank and his team provided delicious appetizers, entrees and ice cream sundae bar that our guests loved!
B&E Florals – provided beautiful ceremony and reception floral arrangements to fit my vision. Becky was a pleasure to work with and has very reasonable prices.
Bakers of Buffington – MM works exclusively with Bakers of Buffington and they are absolutely amazing. The cake at my wedding was beautiful and delicious, and several of my guests have done business with them since!
Eclectic Entertainment – This company is owned by one of Shae’s close friends Jean Jacques and Jean, so there was no doubt that we would work with EE for our big day. The guests thoroughly enjoyed the music provided by Jean and DJ Benz and they all had so much fun in the photobooth!
52Forty – amazing photographers as you already know! D&D are such a cool, down to earth couple and they know how to get you to relax and get some super cool, edgy shots. As soon as we met them we knew we wanted to work with them! Our friends and family have raved about how amazing our engagement and wedding photos are.
Philadelphia Wedding Films – great to work with and provided us with a great wedding video. We chose this vendor because they offer a Same Day Edit, which means during the reception they played a highlight/trailer video of the wedding day. Our guests were able to see footage from us getting ready, the first look, ceremony highlights and the first dance all while still being at the event! So unique!”
Vendors | Photography: 52Forty | Venue: Meredith Manor | Florist: B&E Florals | Videography: Philadelphia Wedding Films | Catering: Great Valley Catering | Cake: Bakers on Buffington | DJ/Photobooth: Eclectic Entertainment |