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The Garden on Millbrook Wedding | Tony + Schmella

It’s has now become tradition to ask our brides to give advice for future couples as they prepare for their wedding day. When asked,  Schmella replied, “Decide on what you and your groom want and stick to it. Don’t feel obligated to create the wedding of someone else’s dream. It’s about the two of you and when you look back on it, you should do so with smiles.”

Tony + Schmella’s “Simply Classic” wedding at The Garden on Millbrook was just that, simply stunning! I’m sure it will put a smile on your face.

The Garden on Millbrook Wedding

Complete with insights from the bride!

In His Image Photography

Tony + Schmella

June 3, 2017

The Garden on Millbrook

Simple Wedding Gown
In His Image Photography

Share with us how you two met:
We met on an online dating site. A little over a month after our initial conversation on the site, we agreed to meet in person at a restaurant in Raleigh. As they say, the rest is history.

Tell us about your proposal:
We celebrated our son’s 1st birthday on November 5, 2016. At the end of the party as I, Tony came in with a HUGE box and made an announcement that he and Grayson had gotten me a gift for doing such a good job planning the party. The box Tony presented was used to deliver golf equipment earlier that week and it stood about waist height. I opened it and started removing the bubble wrap, but I got to the bottom of the box and there was nothing in there. With a shocked look on his face, Tony went to the pile of bubble wrap that was on the floor, pulled out a little black box, and got on one knee in front of me and proposed while our family and friends who attended the party cheered.

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How about your wedding shoes and jewelry:
I love heels, but I didn’t want to tower over my husband (he’s only 2″ taller than I am) so I opted for flat gold sandals. I wore gold plated ear crawler style earrings made with Swarovski crystals. My bracelets were simple rose gold, silver, and gold bands.

Wedding Flowers

Tell us about your flowers:
In the theme of keeping it simple, I made the bouquet, corsages, and boutonnieres using fresh daisies in different colors.

About Face Beauty

Tell us about your hair & makeup:
My makeup was beautifully applied in a natural tone. I didn’t want guests to see the makeup before the saw me. My hair was a simple short style.

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In His Image Photograpy

Describe your wedding dress. What was wedding shopping like for you?
I knew I didn’t want the traditional white, strapless, shiny, ruched wedding gown, so that eliminated most of the dresses in bridal salons. I went gown hunting twice, both times alone. I tried on a total of 5 gowns, the one I purchased was #4. It’s actually 2 dresses, the bottom layer is a gold slip dress with spaghetti straps. The top layer is tulle and lace with an illusion neckline.

About Face Beauty
The Garden on Millbrook
In His Image Photography

Was there any particular theme or style for your wedding:
We wanted to keep the focus on the three of us, the bride, the groom, and our son. We didn’t have any bridesmaids or groomsmen. If I had to give the day a theme or name a style, I’d call it “simply classic”.

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The Garden on Millbrook

African American Wedding

How / why did you choose your ceremony venue:
I fell in love with the ballroom at The Garden on Millbrook the first time I visited. It was decorated for a wedding that was taking place the next morning and although the decorations were minimal, it was very beautiful. Once we stepped out on the patio, I was sold. The waterfall, the greenery, the lights, everything tied together nicely without being overstated.

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In His Image Photography
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In His Image Photography
African American Wedding

What is your best memory from your wedding?
Two things, once we were positioned, I whispered to Tony that he looked so nice. His response, “no, you look a-mazing.”

#2, when my mother, two aunts, and my cousin’s husband started dancing before it was time by the program. They were really enjoying themselves and it was wonderful seeing that!

In His Image Photography
In His Image Photography
African American Wedding

And your decorations:
We kept decorations simple as well. The centerpieces consisted of three cylinders that contained flowers submerged in water, and a floating candle. The cylinders sat on a circular mirror, understated, but beautiful.

Raleigh WeddingThe Garden on Millbrook

The Garden on Millbrook

Tell us about your reception venue:
Our reception venue was the same location as the wedding, just indoors in the ballroom. I loved the huge chandelier over the dance floor.

The Garden on Millbrook Wedding

What songs did you choose for your wedding ceremony and reception, and why:
Kierra Sheard’s My Flaws was played during the entrance of the parents. This song speaks of love that exists in spite of imperfections. This tells of our parents love for us.

We decided to have the same song playing for Tony and Grayson’s entrance as well as mine, Why I Love You by Major. There is nothing traditional about our story, but we found love in each other and this song described that perfectly.

For our 1st dance, we chose You and I by Avant and KeKe Wyatt.

Jazina's Creations

And your cake:
Our cake was made by Tony’s mother. It was vanilla and had a buttercream icing. We also had cupcakes in 3 flavors.

In His Image Photograpy

Favorite item on the reception menu:
Hands down, the jambalaya!

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Jazina's Creations

Tell us about your honeymoon:
We went on a familymoon, yes we took Grayson along to Port St. Lucie, FL. It rained our entire stay, but we made the most of it and enjoyed our family time away.

Sorority Wedding

Tell us about your wedding photography:
I wanted a wedding photographer, not just someone who could take pictures at the wedding. Dajuan knew how to pose us to capture the perfect looks.

Tell us about your wedding planner:
Because the venue handled so much of the details, we brought in Taneka Newkirk of Neek’s Events to serve as the day of coordinator. She was at the venue when I arrived overseeing all activities. She made sure the ceremony and reception flowed without me or Tony having to do anything other than enjoy the day with our family and friends.

The Garden on Millbrook Wedding
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The Garden on Millbrook

What’s your favorite image from your wedding day, and why:
It’s near the end of the evening, I’m sitting on the bench at the piano holding Grayson and Tony is standing next to us. That’s us, our family.

Raleigh Wedding

What is the best wedding advice you can give to engaged couples?
Remember the goal isn’t the wedding day, but living happily after that day. Wedding costs will add up quickly, decide what the two of you must have, what you can do without, and plan accordingly to create your vision (not someone else’s).


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