point clear weddings

Jenna Laine Weddings: Sunny and Mic

Nestled under beautiful Oak Trees along Mobile Bay is a beautiful Bay Home with wrap around porches, where many family weddings have taken place in the past. When Sunny and Mic got engaged they thought they would continue this family tradition. We worked hard to put together a beautiful, bay inspired wedding. However, mother nature had other plans and sent a massive thunderstorm right up the middle of Mobile Bay. Despite the downpour and pool of water that gathered on Sunny and Mic’s dance floor they made the best of it by kicking off their shoes, poured another drink and dancing the night away with all their guests. Ironically enough the downpour became one of their favorite parts of the entire day.

Photographer: Josh Malahy Photography

Tell us your story.

Mic and I met in a college bar. I was with my mom and one of my bridesmaids, Alison. Alison introduced us, and my mother sparked interest by saying “One of y’all needs to date him.” Mic had a girlfriend at the time, but we became instant friends. Fast forward six months - we are in the same bar, and my mother asks him “Where’s your girlfriend?” When he replied that he was single, she kicked me so hard under the table I am still recovering from the bruise. Then I convinced Mic to be the coach of a charity flag football league I was playing in for Alzheimer’s Awareness. My stunning athleticism and knack for injuring myself just captivated him. At the post-game party. Mic cornered me and said: “If you’re all in, I’m all in.” We had out first date shortly after and have been inseparable since. I called my friends and said, “ So, I think I am dating a boy…I think we will get engaged.” They gave me a lot of grief, naturally, but we were engaged 10 months later and married two days shy of our two year dating anniversary.

What was your favorite moment of your wedding day?

There are so many to choose from. My favorite part of our day was the torrential downpour. We are used to rainy days in the Grove at Ole Miss before football games. Weather is unpredictable. It should have rained all day, but for some reason, it waited until around 9 p.m. and it poured! It should have been an absolute mess, but Jenna and all our friends rolled with it! The tent flooded, we took off our shoes, the boys rolled up their pants and we all poured another drink. It has to be my favorite moment of the day. Mic and I were married. All of our friends were together, and it was similar to the best Grove day ever. It also helped that Mic requested ‘Africa’ by Toto, and we sure “blessed the rains” down in Fairhope.

If you could come give advice to another bride in the process of planning her wedding what would that be?

My advice would be to relax, as hard as that is! At the end of the day, you are still married and most guests only remember the rocking good time they had. Also, working with Jenna and her team, we were on a great timeline. We only had a couple of to-do items a month, and it was manageable! Also, I would suggest trying to have “dates” with your mom where you don’t talk about wedding stuff! My mom and I got together a lot to do “wedding stuff” and travel back and forth from Fairhope. It was nice to go to lunch or shopping with her and not talk about wedding details and just be normal. Same with Mic! Date night meant no wedding talk.

What was your favorite part of the planning process?

Cake tasting. Mic and I both have a huge sweet tooth and love a good piece of cake! Cake tasting was something we looked forward to for so long. I honestly want to cake taste everyday. Couture Cakes in Daphne has the best cake. We decided on the coconut filling and can’t wait to have another slice at one year.


Vendor Information

Photographer: Josh Malahy Photography , Florist: Wildflowers , Rental Company: SOHO Events and Rentals, Lighting: Willow Bridges, INC Cake: Couture Cakes Band: East Coast Entertainment Catering: Clifton Morrissette Catering Bar: Mark Kidd

Jenna Laine Weddings: Kayla and Ross

The Grand Hotel in Point Clear, Alabama is one of our favorite local venues. It offers a gorgeous Oak Tree lined lagoon, a beautiful white beach and long pier over the bay, and the best sunsets around. All of these beautiful elements and the sentimental value it holds for Kayla and her family is why Ross chose this very location for his grand (and we do mean GRAND) proposal and why they decided to bring all their friends and family to Point Clear, Alabama for their romantic wedding.

Photographer: Starling and Sage

Photographer: Starling and Sage

Tell us about your story as a couple.

Ross and I first met on December 12th, 2014 at a graduation celebration. I didn’t know who he was, but I knew that I wanted to meet him.  As the night progressed this mystery man walked up to me and introduced himself. After our initial "hello," we walked outside and took a seat on the porch swing. We began with small talk and before we knew it, the small talk had turned into a two-hour conversation.  Eventually the night came to an end and we went our separate ways. After several long phone conversations and a few dates later, we began officially dating.

For several weeks, my friends had been making plans to celebrate Cinco de Mayo at one of our favorite restaurants.  Ross had planned to join us but then called to tell me that his plans had changed and he would be going to his hunting camp to cut down trees that had fallen in a recent storm. Little did I know, his sneaky plan was beginning to unfold. After our Cinco de Mayo celebration, Amelia, one of my best friends and bridesmaids, spent the night at my house like she often does.  We had planned to spend the next day by the pool; however, when I woke up the next morning- she was gone and on the pillow next to me was an envelope and a single red rose. I immediately recognized Ross’ handwriting and at that point, I thought..."Could this be the day I had been waiting for?!" With shaking hands I opened the letter and began to read. Instant tears. The first line, “Today is a day we have been talking about for quite some time now.”  More tears. Ross had planned a day of my favorite things starting with a massage, followed by my favorite lunch, then a manicure and pedicure. At each stop, there were red roses and a bundle of handwritten letters from my best friends. Their sweet notes were full of memories, encouragement, and most of all excitement for what was to come. I seriously have the best friends in the world! Once I finished my pampering, I was instructed to go home, get ready and be waiting at my front door at 4:15.  As the time drew near, I could hardly wait to see Ross. What did he have in store??! But instead of him greeting me at the door, it was a driver that he sent to take me to my destination. My mind was racing and I thought, “A driver?! Where in the world is he taking me?” After getting on the interstate and passing up all of the familiar exits, I couldn't imagine where in the world I was going. What had he planned? After several minutes and a few miles later, we pulled into the Hattiesburg-Laurel airport and made the turn into the gate. At last, Ross was there standing next to an airplane holding a beautiful bouquet of red roses.  I could hardly believe this was happening! An airplane?? I could not quit smiling! We ran to each other, hugged, kissed and posed for some pictures. With the sun beginning to set, we boarded the plane and took off. After about 45 minutes of flying, the plane began to descend and then landed. I was still clueless as to our destination until a sign just outside of the airport read: Fairhope, Alabama; one of my favorite cities in the world and a place I grew up visiting every summer with my family. I was shocked! What a wonderful and sweet surprise! We left the airport and before I knew it, we arrived at The Grand Hotel! We began walking around the lagoon talking about this day and reminiscing of memories from the past 2 years we shared together until we reached the cascades.  Standing in the very place I dreamed of being proposed to as a little girl, Ross dropped down onto one knee and asked me to spend forever with him! I said "YES!!!" After a flood of tears and a mixture of joy and excitement, there was one more surprise... All of our closest friends and family ran out to join us after watching it all from behind the bushes. More tears, lots of hugs, and a celebration dinner followed. It was truly a fairy tale and the best day of our lives!

What was your favorite detail of your wedding day?

That’s a hard question to answer. There were so many small details that made up the entire event! At the reception, the romantic ambiance was exactly as we envisioned!  From the escort card table to the candlelit head table and guest tables paired with the amazing details of my cake created by Tara at Couture Cakes, it was more perfect than we could have ever imagined. To sum it all up... my absolute favorite detail was having a fantastic wedding planner to assure that all details that we had planned for months were carried through... from the rehearsal the afternoon before, until the last vendor loaded up and left well after midnight, having her gave us the opportunity to relax and soak up every minute of the day! We can truthfully say that because of the faith we had in Jenna, we didn’t worry about a thing and can remember every detail!

What was your favorite part of wedding planning?

After stressing about bringing my vision to life, it was a blessing to find Jenna and work with her to secure vendors that could make my dream wedding a reality. Meeting and working the vendors for tastings, decor, floral was definitely a favorite part of the planning process!

What was your vision for your wedding day?

We envisioned our ceremony to be traditional and reverent with beautiful hymns filling the church.  Our vision for the reception was sophisticated glamour with candlelight filling the room and creating a feeling of romanticism.

Vendors:

Photographer: Starling and Sage Florist: Wildflowers Fairhope Rentals: SOHO Events and Rentals Videographer: Sixpence Productions Bridal Gown : Lows Bridal and Formal Bridesmaids Dresses: Bella Bridesmaids Candle: Firefly Ambiance Cake: Couture Cakes Lighting/Draping: Willow Bridge, INC Hair and Makeup: Fireflies Salon Venue: The Grand Hotel Marriott Resort and Spa

Jenna Laine Weddings : Katie & Trent

Last February, Katie and Trent were blessed with a perfect Spring like day at the Grand Hotel. They opted to do a first look under the hotels gorgeous Oak Trees, followed by an intimate ceremony along the bay and a fun filled reception inside the newly renovated Magnolia Ballroom. We love the soft color palette and loose garden style arrangements made by Wildflowers Fairhope. Working with Katie and her mom to plan this wedding was a dream, they really trusted our team and because of that were able to enjoy the entire planning process and their special day.

How did you two meet?

Trent and I met at a brewery in Athens, Georgia thanks in large part to my dog, CoCo. Her leash got wrapped up with Trent’s feet, we started talking, and the rest is history!

What were your favorite details of your wedding?

Having our wedding monogram on everything from our invitations to our welcome boxes and koozies was my favorite detail. It was a sentimental way to tie everything together since we plan on using the monogram on our Christmas cards and stationery for years to come.

What was your favorite moment of the day?

My favorite moment of the day was following the ceremony when Trent and I had a moment to ourselves. We took some portraits with our photographer and ate a private dinner prior to entering the reception. After planning and dreaming of this day for so long we finally had a moment to sit back and soak it all in.

If you could give any advice to brides currently planning their weddings what would it be?

First of all, I highly recommend all brides higher a planner or at the very least a day of coordinator. The last thing you want to be worried about on the day of your wedding is logistical things, like when is the cake going to be delivered? Jenna was a complete delight to work with throughout the planning process, but she also made sure our wedding day ran smoothly. Also, I tell everyone I know who is planning a wedding to trust their planner and vendors. It’s so easy as a bride to get bogged down in every little decision you have to make-what color should the napkins be, how many tables do we need, etc. Don’t stress yourself out over those little things. Your vendors know what they are doing, so trust them and them for advice.

What was your favorite part of the planning process?

My favorite part of the planning process was getting to spend quality time with my mom. She was just as excited (if not more) as I was about our wedding. Our trips to Fairhope to meet with Jenna and our other vendors are some of my fondest memories with her.

Rentals: SOHO Events and Rentals Florist: Wildflowers Fairhope Location Grand Hotel Resort and Spa Photographer: Elizabeth Gelineau Photography Cake: Couture Cakes Hair and Makeup: Becca Townley and Danna Smith Studio BM Dresses: Bella Bridesmaids







2017 in Review

2017 was a great year at Jenna Laine Weddings, LLC. We had so many exciting things take place this year where do we even begin? Lets start with the amazing brides and grooms we had the chance to work with. We did a total of 49 events, which is our best year yet and we loved getting to know each and every one of you. We also celebrated our 100th wedding back in February. The purchase of our new planning studio in July. Five years of business in November and we welcomed a few new faces to our team! Here's a little glimpse into all the fun we had! 

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100th Wedding Celebration

This year we celebrated our 100th wedding. Our first year in business five years ago we did 8 weddings, the following year 15, and this year we did 49! We are so thankful for this growth and can not wait to see what happens in the years to come! Hopefully we will be celebrating our 200th wedding in 2018 or early 2019! 

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THANK YOU! 

 

Thank you to all of our friends, family, and vendors for your love and support throughout this year. 2018 is shaping up to be just as amazing and we can not wait to see how it unfolds!

 

Best,

Jenna Rachal

Jenna Laine Weddings,LLC

24336 US Highway 98

Fairhope, AL 36532

251-517-9530

 

 

Happy 100!

Photo by: Aimee Reynolds Photography

Photo by: Aimee Reynolds Photography

It's been just under five years since I, Jenna Laine Rachal, started this little business and I am thrilled to see how its grown and excited to reach 100 weddings along side these fabulous ladies pictured above.

My very first wedding in Fairhope, Alabama was in November of 2012. I had just moved home from New York City a few months earlier with hopes of a creating a successful wedding planning business and was very nervous and excited to be helping Elisabeth and William Hays with their special day. The weekend couldn't have gone better and I thank both Elisabeth and William for placing so much trust in me.

 Here's a sweet shot from Posh Images of Mr. and Mrs. Hays, who have since then added a precious little girl to their family.

Photo by: Posh Images

Photo by: Posh Images

 

Since the Hayes wedding, four and a half years ago, we have added new members to our team, began selling custom stationery in the store, and also offer retail items, such as custom jewelry dishes, champagne flutes, custom guest books, garters, stationery sets, and more.

We celebrated our 100th wedding on February 25th, with the marriage of my dear friend Meg Perkins and Brian Wittendorfer. We actually pulled triple duty at this wedding. We were planners, bridesmaids and mine and Alexs daughters were flower girls. It was one of our most exciting weddings and probably the most stressful. Getting two two year olds down the aisle is no easy task, but it all went off without a hitch and it was fun having our entire team at the wedding to celebrate this milestone.

Here's an image from Meg and Brian's special day;

Photo by Dragonfly Photography

Photo by Dragonfly Photography

 

It has been a joy to work with so many brides, grooms and their families over the past four and half years. We have developed many friendships with our brides and with our vendors and we thank both for all the trust they put in Jenna Laine Weddings. I also owe a BIG thank you to my family for their support and letting me work so many long and late hours and most weekends. And to my amazing team, y'all are the best group of creative, kind and smart women and without you Jenna Laine Weddings would not be where it is today! We are looking forward to a busy 2017 and many more milestones ahead! Thank you for your continued support!

Photo by Aimee Reynolds Photography

Photo by Aimee Reynolds Photography

Photo by Aimee Reynolds Photography

Photo by Aimee Reynolds Photography

Cheers to the next 100!