This Boho Bride Fell In Love with An Unexpected Wedding Dress

One of our favorite pieces of advice for gown shopping is to keep an open mind. Case in point? This boho bride fell in love with an unexpected wedding dress—Hope by Rebecca Ingram, a little more formfitting than the bride was looking for, but absolutely perfect in the end! Keep scrolling for the complete look (venue, flowers, and all), and Head to an Authorized Retailer to start curating your own.

This gorgeous occasion was shot by 📷 Sarah and Paul Photography. Submit your own real wedding gallery in link!

Tell us a little about you and your sweetheart. How did you two meet?
I met Drew through one of my very best friends, Sarah. She was the office manager of Drew’s office in Biloxi, MS. It was Sarah’s birthday dinner and she said she invited her boss to dinner—little did I know I’d end up marrying him three years later!

What was the moment you knew you had fallen in love?
I dropped him off to go hang out with some friends and when he was crossing the road he held his hands up and signed “I Love You.” In that moment I knew I loved him too… it took me a minute to press the gas and keep going after that!

How did he propose?
On Christmas Eve, we had moved to Minnesota so when we went to Mississippi to visit my family he had snuck it in the bottom of my stocking. He got me so good!

What was the first thing you checked off your wedding-planning list?
The Venue—Destin Bay House. I planned my wedding from Indiana and had it in Destin, Florida, and somehow I was able to accomplish this without seeing venues in person, tasting food, tasting cake, seeing flowers… and it all just worked out perfectly.

When you started shopping for wedding dresses, what did you have in mind?
I went in looking for an A-line dress. A lady named Deb picked the Hope dress out and got me to try it on. I was very reluctant to do this because I didn’t want something too formfitting, but Good Ol’ Deb knew what she was doing. I cried and fell in love with the dress!

Who did you invite to help you shop for gowns?
My two sisters flew to Indiana and took me shopping.

Who is your style icon?
Sarah Jessica Parker, but here recently I’ve been loving Candice King’s post on Instagram and wanting every single outfit.

Which Maggie Sottero Designs gown did you choose?
Hopeby Rebecca Ingram, purchased at Stephenson’s of Elkhart.

Speaking of pretty dresses, tell us about any gown you’ve worn or admired in your life… a prom dress? A family member’s wedding dress? A style from a movie?
Down South we have Mardi Gras Balls—I remember I went to a thrift shop and found this black gown from the 70’s that was so timeless and gorgeous still. It fit me perfectly. I loved that dress.

How did you create the “look and feel” of your wedding?
I’m a mismatched girl, so I knew every centerpiece would be different. I’m also a bourbon girl so I took that and painted bourbon bottles and then went thrift shopping for vases. It couldn’t have turned out better—it was so romantic, just like I imagined.

What was the funniest part of your wedding day?
When Drew did the “Teach Me How to Dougie” dance. We were all dying laughing. It was epic.

What was the most surprising part of your wedding day?
How fast time flew by. I wish I was still in that reception dancing.

What was the most magical part of your wedding day?
The outcome of the venue. Destin Bay House does a spectacular job and magical isn’t even a word to describe it—it was beyond magical.

What do you think your guests loved most about your wedding day?
Our wedding was full of love and laughter and dancing. We had a lot of people tell us they were so in love with our vows and even some people said they were going to take our vows and work them into their marriage now. It was sweet—there wasn’t a dry eye in the house from what were told.

What advice do you have for brides tackling their wedding budget?
Shop Around. Flowers especially are so expensive and a huge part of the budget. But if you’re willing to do work yourself you can save on budget.

What advice do you have for brides overall?
Have fun, just breathe, and remember everything is going to work out no matter what. Don’t stress if the napkins aren’t right or the seating chart is off. Truth is nobody knows the difference so just roll with it!