How did the two of you meet? We  met in the summer of 2005, right before freshman year at the University of Iowa. David was visiting a friend who brought him over to my childhood best friend’s house for a swim. A few months later, on college move in day, we ran into each other again. Excited to see a familiar face, we exchanged information and parted ways. Then we continued to run into each other (at the bookstore, out with friends, etc.), until we decided to actually meet on purpose for a change.

Describe your engagement: David surprised me with a helicopter night tour over Chicago. When we walked out to the tarmac David got down on one knee with a ring and asked me to marry him. I of course said yes!

Personal or handmade details: I made a photo book from our engagement shoot as a guest book, and a mirrored welcome sign & other signage. We also made custom hotel bags with some of our favorite treats for out of town guests. My mom also made us a pair of giant faux floral arrangements to decorate the aisle and pillows for the cocktail hour furniture. Our florist also custom made us an arch for the ceremony from some Pinterest ideas we had found. Also, as a personal detail my dad and I did a Persian father daughter dance and we played Persian dance music at the reception as well, which was fun personalization.

Describe your wedding flowers: I asked for something to convey a starry night theme and a galaxy color theme (pinks, purples & blues) and asked for something unique, but beautiful. I also gave some rhinestone broaches for them to add to the bridal party bouquets for a little sparkle. Blue orchids, blue thistles & pink/purple roses were some of the flowers used.  I gave the florist my blessing to play around with this idea and their result was beyond my expectations.

Memories and Stories about the Day: Overall the day was perfect. We had absolutely perfect weather, which was amazing for an outdoor ceremony. All of our planning and stressing over every little detail actually came together and turned into a beautiful day. We got to marry our best friend and soulmate and share it with all of our friends and family and had a blast celebrating. We couldn’t have asked for anything better.

Your first dance song: Love Song – Adele

The thing that we would have done differently is?  We ended up planning our wedding in 6 months from the time we found our venue. If we could do it all again, I think we would have given ourselves more time to plan. But in the end it all worked out perfectly.

Our favorite detail of the wedding was: There were so many details we loved. I think the favorite part was how all the details came together to make a unique representation of us.

Your advice for other plus size brides: Being someone who is in standard sizing street clothes I was surprised to find out how different bridal sizing is and disappointed that all stores don’t carry plus size bridal. Nevertheless size is just a number and there are so many beautiful dresses to choose from in all sizes! So, find a couple stores that carry a selection of plus size bridal to try on there in the store. Make sure to try on different styles as dresses will surprise you and its fun. Finding a good bridal store and sales person makes a world of difference! Luckily I was able to shop at a few.

Three adjectives that describe the day: Sparkly, Fun & Fast

What has surprised you most during the first few months of marriage? Having been together for so long not much has surprised us, which we feel lucky about.