Happy Valentine’s Day | All our love, ÉLYSÉE
The ultimate celebration of love - a day that reminds us of romance, connection and the beauty of finding 'the one'A whole day when love and romance is celebrated across the world... For brides-to-be, this season of love is the perfect time to dream about saying "yes" to a dress as special as your love story.
Happy Valentine's Day
Take a look at a selection of some of our favourite #ÉlyséeRealBride love stories below:
#ÉLYSÉERealBride Kyla & Gunnar:
"Our love story is anything but ordinary. The only explanation as to how our paths crossed is God. I was born and raised in Durban, South Africa. My husband, Gunnar, was born and raised in Chattanooga, Tennessee. In 2020, during the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, I was given the opportunity to swim at Carson Newman University in Jefferson City, Tennessee. After my first year, I felt incredibly homesick, and I was deciding whether or not staying in America for the rest of my college years was the right decision for me. Thankfully, I chose to stay and continue my journey at Carson Newman. At this same time, Gunnar was deciding whether he would stay for a 5th year at Carson Newman to complete his Master's and play one more year of college baseball. Thankfully, he chose to stay. That next year, I happened to catch his eye in the school cafeteria.
After building up some courage, he reached out to me over Instagram and we started talking. I was leaving to go home to South Africa from Thanksgiving break until the start of the next semester in January. Despite not being able to meet, Gunnar was determined to get to know me while I was away. With a 6 hour time difference, we texted and called whenever we were able to throughout each day. When I finally came back to America, we went on our first date and the rest is history. He flew with me to South Africa to meet my family and see where I grew up. He proposed to me at the end of my Junior year, while my parents were visiting America. A year later, we got married after I graduated, and I moved to Chattanooga where his family embraced me and welcomed me with open arms. I feel beyond blessed to have met my best friend and husband, and I thank God for writing this amazing story of ours."
>> Gown featured above // VESPER | 2024 ÉLYSÉE Collection <<
>> Photographer // Makenzie Hamilton <<
>> Wedding Dress Retailer // A'mour Bridal Boutique <<
#ÉLYSÉERealBride Marlo & Sam:
"The first time I ever saw Sam was in church, and I like to say it was love at first sight. I just had to meet him, and we connected through mutual friends. After just a few days of texting, we went on our first date, which was quickly followed by the second the very next day. From there, we only grew closer and more in love as the months went on. It didn't take very long for me to know he was the one. Like they say... 'When you know, you know.' After a year of dating, we looked at engagement rings, and 5 months later, he popped the question at a fake 'magazine cover' photoshoot for my clothing store. We started planning our dream wedding for the following year, moved in together, and continued growing our relationship through all the ups and downs of wedding planning. We celebrated our engagement season with several parties with family and friends, which was truly some of the best moments of our lives. Our wedding was a dream come true, and we will forever look back on the magical moments spent together with our loved ones."
>> Gown featured above // ORLEANE | 2022 ÉLYSÉE Collection <<
>> Photographer // Butterflies of Hope by Katelyn <<
>> Wedding Dress Retailer // Linen Jolie Bridal <<
#ÉLYSÉERealBride: Anna + Caton
"Caton and I met under very different circumstances. We had both come out of a marriage that ended in a way that made us both want to give up on relationships altogether. We built a very solid friendship for a good time and one day, I just didn't feel like marriage was out of the picture for me anymore. I think it's important to marry your best friend and that is exactly what I did. We did absolutely nothing the traditional way. We became inseparable the day we decided to take that first step. We bought a house and built a life before the engagement. I don't know if our wedding day could have turned out more perfect. I have zero regrets keeping it small and intimate. It made for the best day!!"
