Arina and Steve
June 2, 2000

ABOUT THE BRIDE: Arina is the Editor-In-Chief of Wedding-Club.com.

ABOUT THE GROOM: Steve is a computer programmer and co-founder of Wedding-Club.com.

HOW WE MET: While working at a high-tech company based in St. Louis, Missouri.

ENGAGEMENT: The engagement took place at the Ritz Carlton hotel. Steve and Arina enjoyed spending special occasions with their family and friends at the hotel's Sunday Brunch. One Sunday, Steve invited Arina to go to the brunch, she said "what's the occasion?", he smiled... she knew!

PLANNING: Since Arina lives and breathes weddings in her professional career at the Wedding Studio and Wedding-Club.com, her wedding vision evolved in only a few days. Her dream was to have an intimate gathering of close family and friends in a beautiful and unique location. Both Steve and Arina love to travel so they decided Europe would be the perfect host for their nuptial. Once they settled on Switzerland, the couple flew there in search of the ideal ceremony and reception venue. After exhausting research, Steve and Arina realized that many aesthetic and visual elements of their wedding would be compromised due to the location. Upon returning to the U.S., they both decided that in order for the wedding to bear their creative signature, they would have to plan closer to home and found an exquisite ceremony and reception location. An evening candlelit wedding and reception was to take place at the Conservatory, an indoor greenhouse located in St. Charles, Missouri. From that point on, the details of their wedding design started to fall into place.

ATTIRE: Since the wedding was an evening candlelit affair, the couple decided on formal attire. Arina's sister Anna, a fashion designer, created the beautiful fitted wedding dress with a gorgeous silk floor-length shawl. Anna also designed the flowergirl dresses and created them from the same material and knitted lace that embellished Arina's dress. The bridesmaids wore taupe dresses with delicate lace shawls also designed by Anna. The groom and groomsmen wore tuxedoes with tails.

THE CEREMONY: The intimate ceremony took place at the Conservatory. The bride walked down the aisle with both her mother and father by her side, accompanied by a harp and a flute softly playing in the background. By the conclusion of the ceremony, happiness flowed through the aromatic greenhouse and all the guests were wiping tears of joy from their eyes.

THE RECEPTION: After the ceremony, the guests stepped outside into the garden for champagne with strawberries and caviar hors d'oeuvres. The couple omitted the receiving line and instead thanked each guest personally in the garden. The reception followed immediately back in the Conservatory with a delicious four-course meal.

HOW WE PERSONALIZED THE WEDDING: Many personal creative touches were added to the wedding design. The couple created a wedding web site which helped to inform their guests of the event. Arina and her sister, Anna, designed and created her wedding dress. The wedding's rose theme was composed to complement the beautiful glass greenhouse in which the wedding took place. Roses were in the bride's and her party's bouquets, centerpieces, on the back of the flowergirls' dresses, the programs, the cake, and the mothers' flowers. Since Arina and Steve both love photography, their favorite rose photograph adorned the programs, which were delicately tied with a soft taupe ribbon. Lastly, the dinner menu was designed to reflect the Russian heritage of the bride.

THINGS WE LOVED: Arina and Steve: We loved having our good friend Melinda coordinate the event on the day of the wedding. We loved seeing our parents mingling with guests and enjoying themselves. We loved celebrating with our friends and family a day we will never forget. We loved how perfectly everything turned out.

Wedding Designed by the Wedding Studio
Photography by Halturin Photography
Wedding, reception, and floral decorations at the Conservatory in St. Charles.
Flowers by Petals Galore
Favors by The Flower Girl
Wedding Cake by AzucArte

If you have questions or comments for Arina and Steve, please e-mail them to arina@wedding-club.com.