Kleinfeld Love Stories

Engaged:

Michael had just finished taking the bar exam after finishing law school, so to celebrate we took a trip with his family to South Africa. One of my close friends back in the U.S. got engaged while we were on the trip, and I was so consumed with excitement for her that the idea of Michael proposing to me didn’t even cross my mind. But little did I know that the ring and proposal had been planned nine months prior. We were on one of Rovos Rail’s gorgeous old-fashioned, luxurious trains traveling from Cape Town to Pretoria, and he popped the question during dinner on the last night of our train journey. To say it was magical would be such an understatement. I don’t remember much except that the proposal happened between the cheese and dessert courses and that I managed to say yes in the blackout of pure joy while also handing him my right hand instead of left to put the ring on. We ended the night popping a bottle of champagne in our room and looked out at the stars in the South African countryside as we reflected on the past seven years of our relationship.

Kleinfeld Consultant:

Dress shopping was something I was both excited and nervous about. I made my appointment at Kleinfeld and it ended up being my first wedding dress shopping experience. After many many years of watching Say Yes to the Dress and perusing their offerings online, I knew I would be in good hands and get to see the widest selection of dresses in New York City. I came to my appointment with my mom and maid of honor and when I met Shay, I just had this gut feeling immediately that I was going to find my dress in this appointment. And I did, but I was happy that I played the field a little bit and still went to two other appointments I had made at other bridal stores. Ultimately, I came back to Kleinfeld to my favorite dress of the many I tried on— a Sottero and Midgley A-line stunner that was the perfect mix of classic and sophisticated while also having touches of sparkle and modern elements. I could not have dreamed up a more perfect dress for my wedding day and felt beyond confident on the big day.

Married:

Location:

Venue:

We got married in our hometown (St. Louis, MO) and had the same date as the Royal Wedding. It became a running joke the whole day of about how our wedding was the Royal wedding of St. Louis— and it truly felt like it. My bridesmaids and I spent the morning getting glam and watching all of the Royal wedding coverage while Michael and the groomsmen had brunch and spent quality time together. Michael and I did a first look at our reception venue (which was also the hotel we stayed at for the whole weekend), and I’m so glad that we did because I was so worried I’d be a blubbery mess during the ceremony. Our ceremony was in a Catholic church in downtown St. Louis and it was absolutely gorgeous. Even though we had a full mass, the time went by so fast and before we knew it, we had kissed and were walking down the aisle as husband and wife. Our reception at the Chase Park Plaza was beyond magical and everything we dreamed of. The room where dinner and dancing would take place in had been completely transformed into the sophisticated garden party-like feel we wanted. Our wedding planner took us into the room for a sneak peek during cocktail hour and our minds were blown seeing our vision come to life. Two of my favorite parts of our reception were surprising Michael with an appearance of our college mascot and taking photos on one of the patios with sparklers. Our wedding day will forever be the best and happiest day of my life.