As a breast cancer survivor, Brittany was so excited to model with us and do something completely for herself. She looked stunning and confident in each dress we put her in. Keep reading to hear about her love story, and how she enjoyed modeling.
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What made you want to model for this photo shoot?
I have been with my fiancé for eight years, and we just got engaged last November. After waiting so long for this day I wanted to do as many fun wedding things as possible and fully embrace this stage of life. I spent the last four years battling the most aggressive form of breast cancer, so to be finally in remission and living out a normal life is beyond exciting for me. When I found out about the contest I thought it sounded like a perfect way to celebrate me and just how far I’ve come, with the support of my fiancé and family.
What was your favorite part of modeling?
My absolute favorite part of the modeling was getting pampered with hair and makeup. It was so much fun to try out different styles, and [it] gave me some great ideas for my own wedding.
What was your favorite part of this shoot? Did you relate to the concept?
My favorite part of the shoot was seeing the different sets. I loved watching the vision come to life with each set, and liked to see the different ways certain props could be incorporated. The concept of the shoot was One Dress, Two Ways, so it was awesome to see just how different the same dress came across with the change of hair and makeup.
What do you do for a living?
I work for an outpatient surgery center at our local hospital. I check patients in for surgery and assist with administrative duties.
What do you do for fun?
For fun, I really enjoy traveling, although I haven’t done as much as I like, and when it is nice outside, my fiancé and I like to take the boat out and relax on the water.
Tell us about your love story.
I first met my fiancé during a birthday trip to Las Vegas for my friend. A friend we went to school with was in Vegas with his boss (my now fiancé) for a trade show. We all met up on our last night, after they got done with their trade show, and we ended up exchanging numbers. Turned out we lived just minutes from each other in Sacramento. We’ve been together ever since.
For the proposal, we decided to go back to Vegas for the weekend; we stayed at the new Hilton property that overlooks Mandalay Bay and the strip. We spent the day walking around the strip, and decided to spend the night exploring Fremont Street. When we got back to our room and laid down to go to sleep, my fiancé reminisced about the first time we had met, (in an old Hilton property) our first thoughts of each other and reached over to give me my ring. Our relationship had officially come full circle, and what better way to celebrate than where we met.
Tell us about your own wedding.
We are getting married this October, at a gorgeous venue in Nevada City that backs up to the Tahoe National Forest. I’m going for a romantic vintage look, with boho accents, and my favorite, a pizza truck caterer!
If you could offer any advice to future brides, what would it be?
The best advice I can give to future brides would be to just enjoy the process and don’t spend time trying to please everyone else. I spent so long waiting for this moment that once it was finally here I dove feet first into planning and Pinterest-ing, my fiancé had to bring me back down to life. With social media and websites like Pinterest, it’s so easy to get carried away and overwhelmed with making everything perfect. Once I took a deep breath and stopped trying to perfect every single detail, things started falling in place.
THE DETAILS
VENUE
Park Winters
530-669-3692 | parkwinters.com
PHOTOGRAPHER
Erica Baldwin Photography
916-990-8826 | ericabaldwinphotography.com
FOR BOHO POSH AND GARDEN EMPRESS
Floral Designer
Visual Impact Design
916-489-3746 | visualimpact-design.com
Cake Designer
Frank Vilt’s Cakes
530-409-7046 | frankviltscakes.com
FOR CLASSIC BEAUTY AND MODERN GLAM
Floral Designer
Bloem Decor
916-447-2001 | bloemdecor.com
Cake Designer
Baker & A Black Cat
530-748-5366 | bakerandablackcat.com
FOR BEACH BABE AND BADASS BRIDE
Floral Designer
The Bloom Lab
916-996-5572 | thebloomlab.com
Cake Designer
Batter Up Cakery
707-439-8299 | batterupcakery.com
HAIR AND MAKEUP
Melissa Oretta (Hair) and Lynsee Stewart (Makeup)
All Dolled Up Hair and Makeup Artistry
530-206-7775 | alldolleduphairandmakeup.com
BRITTANY’S GOWNS
Sparkle Bridal Couture
916-538-6615 | sparklebridalcouture.com
JEWELRY
Luxurious Bridal
209-400-1915 | luxuriousbridal.com
Macy’s | macys.com
Arden Fair Mall | 916-925-2845 | Downtown Plaza | 916-444-3333
Sunrise Mall | 916-962-3333 | Westfield Galleria at Roseville | 916-771-3333
Style Avenue Studios
916-812-1114 | styleavenuestudios.com
SHOES
DSW | dsw.com
CUSTOM JACKET AND CUSTOM DECOR PILLOWS
Swoonable | swoonable.net
RENTALS
El Dorado Hills Party Rentals
916-933-2500 | edhpartyrentals.com
SIGNAGE
Lettered by Ari
916-220-9551 | letteredbyari.com
VIDEOGRAPHER
JB Wedding Photography
916-220-0159 | jbweddingphoto.com
Special thanks to our real bride model, Brittany, and all of the professionals who contributed to this feature!
Blog post by Real Weddings Magazine’s Associate Editor Emily Peter.
Photos by Erica Baldwin Photography/copyright Real Weddings Magazine.