Leila and Bryan are such an adorable couple and I am excited to share these amazing images of them from their engagement session with Kellie Kano. Leila and Bryan are getting married in September at Bay 7. It’s been such a joy to work with them so far on all the planning aspects of the wedding. I asked Leila to answer a few questions about her relationship with Bryan and how they are feeling about the wedding! Check out her answers below 🙂
How did Bryan propose?
After 2 failed attempts (I kept screwing up his plans!), Bryan took a day off work to surprise me with an awesome homemade breakfast and the proposal. We started dating in high school and he had always joked with me about proposing with a ring from one of those quarter machines you see at the grocery store. So he made good on his promise and when he went down on one knee, to my surprise, he whipped out a plastic diamond ring the size of Ring Pop before showing me the real ring!
So far, what aspect of planning the wedding has been the most enjoyable?
Finally being able to make some ideas in my head a reality! I’ve been working with weddings and events for several years so I have a stockpile of ideas that have been inspired by the events I’ve seen. It’s really fun (and hard!) to sort through everything to come up with the right combination of inspiration versus originality and trendy versus timeless.
Do you have any advice for recently engaged brides to help them stay stress-free throughout the planning process?
Stay away from Pinterest! Just kidding – it’s great inspiration but can totally be overwhelming – too many fabulous ideas. As an event planner myself, I can’t recommend getting a wedding planner strongly enough. I think my best single piece of advice though would be to always take a deep breath and remember that it’s only one day. A wonderful, special, exciting day…but only one day. Take your time to enjoy the experience and not stress over the little things that won’t matter in the end. It’s your one day, enjoy it!
What are you most excited about for the day of the wedding?
By the time we arrive at the altar, Bryan & I will have been together for just over 9 years, so we’re really excited to officially be married. We also really can’t wait to see everything pulled together and hit the dance floor with all our friends and family! Bryan in particular. As our friends know – his dance moves are something special 🙂
What are three words to describe the feel of your upcoming wedding?
Fun, Lush & Neutral, Surprises! (sorry that was totally 4 words, I’m bad with rules!)
What made you decide to hire a planner?
Most of my friends assumed I would never hire one because I’ve done my fair share of planning for other weddings but really, it was almost the first thing I did! I used to be in the events industry in Raleigh and already knew how great A Southern Soiree was so they were my first phone call. Kailey has been fabulous and I couldn’t be happier. Even after working in Raleigh I knew I would need some help narrowing down the vendors because I’m tied up working long hours at my job in Charlotte. Kailey has been amazing recommending vendors for me. I think I’ve basically used her first recommendation for every vendor because she’s really great at understanding what we’re looking for. I’m absolutely OCD about setting up events but I don’t want to have to worry on my own wedding day. I can safely say I don’t have any doubts that Kailey and the team at Southern Soiree will have everything set perfectly without me having to stress one bit!
Leila and Bryan – Thank you so much for letting me be a part of this special time in your life. I can’t wait to see everything come together 🙂
