A few minutes before he popped the question with a surprise proposal, Shanae knew Dan had something up his sleeve after she stood waiting to take a photo but instead got a video of the best surprise ever!
While Shanae and Dan were out and about during their weekend stay in the wine region of Missouri, what seemed like a quick romantic photo shoot turned into a surprise proposal with Dan on one knee asking Shanae to be his wife.
Because of the quick turnaround time between their engagement and wedding, the couple made sure to have a meeting of the minds pretty frequently and to work smart with Dan noting, “If you have the ability to, hire a wedding planner, and not just for the day of. That person, that team, will help manage the anxiety and stress and fight battles for you.”
The couple’s planner, Aaren Muex, brought modern yet classic elements to the day by incorporating touches of gold and romantic red roses throughout their venue in the Central West End neighborhood of St. Louis. Numerous heartfelt details like Dan’s ring being from a traditional Irish shop, a traditional Irish prayer, and the couple incorporating a unity candle ceremony and memory table for loved ones who had passed away showed how this bride and groom wanted to start their journey together by sharing their love of culture and family. We couldn’t be more excited for these two!
Take a peak at how their romance filled “I Do’s” were captured by Becky Lou Photography in the gallery below!
- Couple: Dan & Shanae
- Wedding location: St. Louis, Missouri
- Wedding date: November 4, 2022
Quick Facts:
- Bridesmaids gifts: We covered the bridesmaid dresses and gave them gifts of a card, necklace and earring set and flats for the reception.
- Groomsmen gifts: We covered the suits for the groomsmen, and they were given cards and their favorite bottle of bourbon.
- Gifts for one another: We wrote each other a love letter and gave a keepsake candle.
- Parents Ceremony entrance song: “Someone to Watch Over” by Ella Fitzgerald
- Groom and Groomsmen Ceremony entrance song: “The Middle”, Jimmy Eat World
- Bridesmaids Ceremony entrance song: “Halo” by Beyonce
- Bride Ceremony entrance song: “I Will Always Love You” by Whitney Houston
- First dance song: “At Last” by Etta James
How we met…
We met on the Bumble app in 2020 and share a love for working out, learning new things, cooking, baking, and travel.
A surprise proposal…
We had a romantic getaway weekend in MO wine country at a cozy cottage. Before dinner, Dan set up his phone on the tripod for a pre-dinner photoshoot. After a long pause and no flash, Shanae began to wonder what was going on and how long she would have to stay posed.
She didn’t have to wait much longer. Dan got on bended knee and said “Actually, this is a video.” He shared how special it is to share life together and asked Shanae to marry him. Shanae was all smiles and said, “Yes, of course.”
Dan placed the heirloom diamond ring on her finger and embraced her in a warm hug and kiss. With a smile, Shanae said, “You tricked me!”
Regarding the video, the couple shared a laugh at their surprise marriage proposal caught on camera. It was a moment they’ll never forget!
The perfect look…
We opted for a modern classic look and feel that never goes out of style.
We included elegant gold accents and classic red rose bouquets. I wore a lace form-fitting mermaid gown and my bridesmaids slipped into classy satin emerald bridesmaid dresses.
I also accessorized my look with minimal and elegant drop earrings and a drop necklace to match the V-neck lace dress and lace veil.
The groom-to-be…
Dan also had a special bow tie with emerald and gold trim.
The groomsmen sported fitted suits with sleek navy and emerald green accents and red rose boutonnieres.
Dressing up…
We had a quick turnaround from getting engaged in April to our wedding day in November of the same year so we did a ton of research and communicated our style preferences to quickly make a decision on next steps.
Planning a wedding in 6 months is not for everyone, but we were happy to talk with each other, negotiate for the best deals, and make quick decisions together with the help of our wedding planning team.
It was fun to go to the bridal salon and try on wedding dresses with my bridesmaids and teenage niece, DeDe, who still reminds everyone that she had a say in picking out the dress lol.
Celebrating our cultures…
As an interracial couple, we incorporated a few traditions to honor our heritage.
I wore a braided hairstyle to show the beauty of Black hairstyles. We also did the tradition of something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue. We included the pin from our friends Glendoria and Lin’s wedding bouquet in our wedding bouquet for the something borrowed. It was a sweet sentimental touch from friends we admire who show us guidance by how they show up in their 20+ year marriage. Lin also gave a blessing during our reception.
We lit a unity candle to symbolize two becoming one and merging our lives together. At the end of our ceremony the officiant recited the Traditional Irish Blessing as we embarked on the lifelong journey as husband and wife.
The perfect moment…
Bride: It’s hard to say what the best memory was because we had so many amazing moments during the day. Getting ready with the ladies and taking some glamour shots at the venue before the ceremony was fun and empowering. There was some hoopla in making sure the groom didn’t see me before the ceremony and the ladies were on top of it, which added to the anticipation.
Taking a deep breath and walking out to meet my groom at the aisle was a beautiful memory. I can still see him smiling with happy tears as our eyes met down the aisle. Reciting our vows in front of friends and family was a beautiful display of our commitment to each other. Having a break to pause and sit with my groom before the reception was also an oasis of calm on a long day.
Dancing the night away and having delicious food and cake, that we still get comments on, was also a treat. Seeing our friends and family come together to party and celebrate with us was a lot of fun. We felt so supported by our people.
Groom: For me, there are so many incredible memories of our wedding day. From being with my groomsmen before the ceremony to seeing Shanae walk down the aisle, to the toasts at the reception. But what was really and truly special to me was when we got to have 10-15 minutes after the pictures were done to ourselves.
We were able to see the reception hall before everyone came in and we got time to reflect and hold one another and just soak in the moment of “We’re married, we did it!” before the avalanche of the reception.
Our wedding planning team gave us that time and it was amazing.
Let the party begin…
Before the big day you should…
Bride: Check in at least once a week with your fiancé about your wedding day goals and planning updates. Try to have fun with the check-in by listening to music and having tasty food and drinks.
The Knot planning app and checklists in the binder were helpful in understanding our vision as a couple and we interviewed multiple wedding planners and vendors to find the right fit for executing our vision.
Highly recommend hiring an experienced wedding planner, especially if you have a quick turnaround, as we did, and have a busy schedule on top of wedding planning.
Groom: If you have the ability to, hire a wedding planner, and not just for the day of. That person, that team, will help manage the anxiety and stress and fight battles for you.
As for the wedding itself, it’s going to be okay, truly. There will probably be a couple small hiccups, but everyone is there to support and love you, and you’re going to look back with the rosiest of lenses at how fun it was.
Also, for the love of God, make sure you both eat something!
And they lived happily ever after…
Vendors:
- Planner: Divine Events LLC
- Photographer: Becky Lou Photography
- Videographer: Simply Cinematik
- Wedding venue: The McPherson Wedding Venue
- DJ: Spotlight Weddings and Events
- Officiant: Greg Volpitto
- Florist: Belli Fiori- The Flower Lab
- Makeup: L Marie Way
- Hair/Braids: Marie Braidologist
- Lashes: Lash U Studio
- Dress Alterations: Patrice J Bridal
- Dress: Mia Grace Bridal
- Groom & Groomsmen Tux: St. Louis Suit Company
- Bridesmaid Dresses: Birdy Grey
- Wedding dress designer: Casablanca Bridal
- Wedding dress salon: Mia Grace Bridal
- Wedding dress shapewear: Spanx Thinstincts
- Veil: David’s Bridal
- Ceremony shoes: Allegra K
- Reception shoes: Lauthen.S
- Wedding venue: The McPherson Wedding Venue
- Stationery: The Knot Shop
- Bride’s ring: Moritz Reusch Jewelry Inc
- Bride’s wedding band: Brilliant Earth
- Groom’s ring: The Kerry Cottage
- Wedding dance lesson: First Dance STL
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