Charlotte's Weddings Featured Couple in Portland, Oregon

HOW DID YOU TWO MEET?

Kelsey and Matthew met each other on a dating app. Kelsey said she had taken a long break from dating and was ready to get back out there. Matthew ended up being the first person she met! They had matched and spoken online for 3 weeks before officially meeting in person. After an hour on the date, Matthew had texted his friends to update them about the date and he told them “I’m going to marry this girl”. And the rest is history.

“We finally met after exchanging long messages back and forth for what seemed like forever."

HOW DID HE PROPOSE?

Kelsey and Matthew took a trip to Costa Rica in 2019 over Christmas time. Matthew had purchased the engagement ring and kept it with him the entire trip so when the perfect moment came he could pop the question. While he had multiple plans, none of them seemed quite right. On their last day, they got up early to visit the La Fortuna waterfall. There was a lookout deck with a gorgeous view of the waterfall. Matthew went up to another couple to ask them to take their picture, but quickly explained his plan so they could get it videoed. Kelsey and Matthew stood for their picture and Matthew got down on one knee.

"Everything about the moment was perfect....I was completely shocked and overwhelmed with happiness"

WHAT WAS IT LIKE FINDING THE ONE AT CHARLOTTE'S?

Kelsey had an amazing experience with Charlotte’s from the beginning to end. She was so excited to book her appointment after hearing recommendations from multiple of her friends. Kelsey loved talking with her stylist prior to the appointment to get a better understanding of what to expect and to express what she was looking for. Unfortunately, Kelsey’s mom was exposed to Covid and they had to cancel. Kelsey was super grateful for the team’s understanding and helping her reschedule. When she arrived, Stephanie, her stylist, greeted them with warmth and enthusiasm. They couldn’t wait to get started. As they were going through dresses, Kelsey would explain her thoughts on each dress, but nothing was quite sticking out for her. Stephanie had a light bulb moment and asked to borrow Kelsey’s friend who was on Facetime for the appointment. She took her out and showed her what she was thinking. Her friend saw the dress and said, “that’s it, that’s Kelsey’s dress”. Stephanie came back in and had Kelsey try on the dress. Immediately she was overwhelmed with emotions. They completed the look with a head piece and a bouquet of flowers. Stephanie walked her through what Kelsey’s day would look like and had her picture the day, dress included. Kelsey and her crew knew that they had found the perfect dress for her.

"When I saw myself in the mirror I almost couldn't believe it was me, I felt so beautiful!" "I thought I knew what I wanted, and I said I didn't want a princess dress but ended up with a dress from the Disney Princess collection, so you just never know!"

Kelsey said yes to Allure Disney style D66, this dress is part of their Disney collection. The Rapunzel dress has stunning lace detailing on the top paired with a flowy skirt to give it that magical touch.

DID YOU HAVE A FAVORITE MOMENT DURING YOUR WEDDING DAY?

Kelsey has lots of favorite moments from her wedding day. Since she was a Covid bride, her wedding was 2.5 years in the making. She absolutely loved her venue (Creekside Estates) and couldn’t recommend it enough. One of her favorite moments was the first look with Matthew. They had private vows which they both loved because it felt more personal and was a special moment just between the two of them. Kelsey’s other favorite moment was her dad seeing her all dressed up. They were both very emotional when they met up. Once they were able to gather themselves, her dad said “Well, we finally stopped crying,” in which Kelsey responded, “I wouldn’t say that just yet...” Kelsey showed her dad her missing accessory, her grandmother’s pearl necklace. He immediately recognized it. Kelsey’s grandma had unfortunately passed away when her dad was young, but she said she still felt a connection to her and wanted her to be a part of her wedding day. She had her dad help her put on the necklace so he could be a part of her special day.

"My dad and I have a wonderful relationship and we knew we'd both be incredibly emotional on the big day. My photographer captured his emotion beautifully."

ANY ADVICE FOR OUR BRIDES-TO-BE?

Don’t expect everything to be perfect! There’s always going to be something that doesn’t go exactly how you expect it to, but it still works out the way it needs to. Also ask your DJ during dinner to announce that the couple will make rounds to every table to say hi. This way you get to enjoy your dinner uninterrupted and still get a chance to see everyone before the night it up.

"I had 2.5 years to plan every single tiny detail and things STILL didn't go as planned"