“I will never forget the look on my future husband’s face when I first stepped out onto the aisle,” says Meghan of her favorite wedding memory. “He looked so happy and so excited to be getting married to me!” That unforgettable moment was the culmination of months of planning that began with a proposal the previous New Years Eve. “When she said yes, I was the happiest guy in the world,”says Jordan. “And I still am to this day.”
When the wedding coordination began, the couple agreed to focus on sharing their happiness and making sure that their guests felt welcome and included. “The whole weekend was built around everyone having as much fun as possible, while also celebrating our love and our relationship,” Jordan affirms. Every guest received a personalized welcome bag that included customized bottles of wine, local seashells, a decorative wine stopper, and a note of greeting ostensibly authored by the couple’s two dogs. The pair also resolved upfront to forego formal attire. “We decided right away that we wanted to be as comfortable as possible, and wanted our guests to feel that way, too,” Jordan explains. “We left out tuxedos, ties, and even shoes, going with flip-flops instead.” The navy blue shade of the bridesmaid dresses helped inspire the couple’s color scheme. “I really wanted the flowers and the accents to pop against the dark hue of the gowns,”Meghan asserts. “I love the color orange, so we stuck with bright oranges and pinks for the bouquets and the flower arrangements.”
The décor for the couple’s ceremony was cheerful and appropriate for a beachside affair. Programs were bound with silky tangerine ribbon and placed in a basket surrounded by seashells. Starfish strung with brightly colored streamers accented chairs placed along a woven sea grass runner. Stalks of bamboo topped with palm fronds and tied with additional streamers towered overhead at the end of the aisle. Miniature starfish accented the bride’s multicolored bouquet, and replaced the blooms in boutonnieres worn by the groom and his groomsmen.
The ceremony itself was planned carefully to reflect the couple’s appreciation for home and family. As a nod to the Scottish heritage of the McMunns, bagpipers greeted arriving guests with music. Several relatives served as readers and attendants, and the ceremony began with a champagne toast given by an uncle of the bride. Also incorporated into the ceremony was a special version of the sand ritual. “We used sand from both of our hometowns,” Meghan explains. “For me, it was sand from Lake Harriet in Minneapolis, Minnesota; for my husband, it was sand from Lakeville Lake in Lakeville, Connecticut. We poured our collected sand into a vessel with sand from our marriage site, Naples Beach.”
The vibrant colors of the ceremony were even more in evidence at the indoor reception that followed. Artful lighting cast the room in violet, and Japanese lanterns in shades of shocking pink, mandarin orange, lime green, and vivid turquoise were suspended overhead. Round reception tables covered in citrus-colored cloths were adorned with flowers, starfish, and various forms of candles, including floating versions in bowls where goldfish also swam. A single, rectangular table with contrasting linens featured flowers in bud vases alternated with candles floating in tall glass containers. The stacked tiers of a red velvet wedding cake were iced in turquoise buttercream and decorated with sugar seashells and coral.
The only aspect of their special day that the bride and groom would alter was not having more time to express their appreciation. “Meghan and her mom worked tirelessly to put the whole event together, along with our wedding planner and our friend Kaytie,” Jordan says. “Meghan’s dad was incredibly generous with his time and help, and my parents threw a beautiful rehearsal dinner – and looked great on the dance floor!” Meghan adds, “All of our friends and family traveled long distances at great expense to be there to celebrate with us, and we are so grateful that they did!”
The couple felt that everything important to them was represented at their wedding, and will cherish their memories forever... including that treasured moment when Meghan stepped onto the aisle. “She looked absolutely amazing,” Jordan says, “and I knew right away that I would always keep that picture of her in my head. It was my favorite moment of our wedding, and one of the happiest moments of my life.”