Cozy and Romantic: ShiAnn and Joseph's Wedding

At She's Intentional, the Dainty Jewell's blog, we love to feature beautiful weddings that exemplify modesty and the God-given beauty of marriage. When I first saw ShiAnn's wedding photos, I was immediately drawn to the purity and elegance in every picture. We're so excited to feature ShiAnn and Joseph Urshan's lovely wedding today. 

SI: Welcome, ShiAnn, and thank you for joining us! First of all, what are some of your favorite or special memories of your wedding day?

SU: I would have to say the most special memory of our wedding was our first look. We had been looking forward to this day for so many years; it was surreal that we were finally there. The emotion and love that I felt in that moment, I will never forget. And I am so happy that we had a first look. I never thought that I would do that, but now it's one of my favorite memories from our day.

SU: Another special memory was on the morning of our wedding. We had a beautiful breakfast at my mom and dad’s house for my bridesmaids and me. There were lovely pink florals all along the table and doughnuts topped with them, as well. We had a large spread of food, and it was a perfectly feminine setup. It was very relaxed and let me start the day with ease. It will forever be one of my favorite memories of the day.

One more very special memory: I sang “Because You Loved Me” by Céline Dion to my parents. I love my parents so much, and I’m very thankful I was able to sing to them.

SI: That's beautiful! Were there any funny moments or things that didn't go according to plan?

SU: One funny thing that didn’t go according to plan is, I planned that we would sign our marriage license during the ceremony. That was something I really wanted, so I talked with my wedding planner, and she set a table up across from the unity candle. It was going to be a very special part of the wedding. At our rehearsal, we even practiced how we would walk from the unity candle to the table with our marriage license on it. Then the big day finally arrived, and we had just finished up at the unity candle and were walking over to the other table…. There was no marriage license on the table! As we were walking toward it, I looked at my dad and mouthed, “marriage license??”, with a very concerned look on my face. He also looked concerned and just shrugged his shoulders and said, “I don’t know.” Once we got to the table my husband looked at me and said, “What do we do?” and laughed. I laughed, too, and said, “I guess just stand here a minute and talk.” We were both laughing. There was nothing we could do at that point, but I know people in the crowd were so confused! Once we got back on the platform, my dad said, “Well, weddings never can go completely perfect." He explained what had just happened. It ended up being a funny mishap to look back on.

SI: Beautiful and fun memories! How would you describe your wedding decor or theme? 

SU: I would describe our wedding decor as cozy, warm and romantic. When planning our wedding I really wanted our guests to come in and feel cozy. We got married in February, so I wanted all the warm, cozy vibes. At our reception I had custom faux fireplaces built. We put candles in them, and I loved the way they turned out. They were the perfect thing for my cozy, warm and romantic vibe.

SI: How did you find the perfect wedding dress?

SU: When I started looking for a dress, I wasn’t exactly sure what I wanted. I had a very open mind about my wedding dress. I looked up wedding dress shops in New Orleans, Louisiana and Baton Rouge, Louisiana. We made it a girl's trip with my mom, sister, grandma and mother-in-law. The first shop I went in, I tried a dress on and fell in love with it right away. I really thought that was the one, but I had this other appointment in Baton Rouge, and I thought, “Well, I might as well go since I already have the appointment." So we went, and it was the most amazing wedding shop I’ve ever been to. It was small, but they had such an amazing collection. The owner was there and asked what I liked. I told her what I liked and mentioned that I really like tulle. So we were all looking and pulling things out, and she's actually the one that pulled my dress out and said, “This one is something I think you’ll like.” And I did really like it but didn’t just die over it on the hanger. So I go in and start trying the dresses on. And when I put that one on and came out, my family gasped! I just truly felt like a bride. The dress was so light and airy and magical. They always say when you find the one, you just know. That's the way I felt in this dress. When they asked if this was the one, I said “yes,” and immediately started crying and hugged my mom. We have a picture of that moment, and I’m so thankful someone was there to capture it.

SI: Do you have any advice for future brides? 

SU: Enjoy this season. It goes by so fast. It can be stressful but try not to worry about all the small things. You will look back and cherish this time. Your wedding will be the best day of your life! Try to be in the moment on that day as much as possible. Take it all in. Marrying the love of your life is the best thing (besides the Holy Ghost) that will ever happen to you.

SI: ShiAnn, thank you again for allowing She's Intentional to feature your wedding! 

Bridesmaids' dresses: Dainty Jewell's

Photographer name and website: Lauren Carroll
Website: laurencarrollphotography.com