Samantha + Cody
November 8th, 2022 / Las Vegas, Nevada
How did your love story begin?: It’s quite crazy how Cody and I met. We first met each other at a mutual friends wedding years before we even started talking (I was actually dating someone else at the time). He came up to me and asked me what my favorite song was and I told him, “This Is How We Do It ” by Montell Jorden . He requested it to the DJ and I serenaded him on the dance floor and then we went our separate paths. Three years later, I went to go watch my dad and brother bowl on their bowling league and Cody was on their team. As the night went on, the sparks started to fly and the rest was history. We went on our first date on November 08, 2019 and three years later we got married on the exact same day. Our proposal story isn’t anything crazy - one day we just decided that we should probably get married because of taxes and health insurance. So on Father’s Day of 2022 we told our family we were getting married in November and we started planning. I knew we wanted to go to a Vegas because we both love Vegas and it’s the only flight my dad will get on.
What was your vision for the wedding?: It was just a boho, desert ,Vegas vibe I was imagining. Nothing specific, I just wanted it to feel a certain way and it absolutely did! All I knew was I wanted to be dressed by Strike Bridal, have Remington Flowers and have Morgan photograph our wedding. We only had four months to plan, so I knew something might be hard or near impossible. I found The Flamingo because I wanted something a little classier than just the little white chapel and that is where we usually stayed while in Vegas. I also found Virgil’s Bbq because it was the cheapest for the amount of people we had coming and we could have a build your own Mac and cheese bar and a build your own slider bar with an open bar for two hours! And it was right across the promenade from the flamingo!
Tell us all about your dress!: I visited three shops prior to Strike because I knew I was going to find what I wanted at Strike, I just wanted to see what else was out there and really experience dress shopping. The first shop I visited was not good, I cried at everything I tried on, I didn’t feel comfortable at all and just was very self conscious. The second place I tried I found two dresses I fell in love with, but both were out of my budget. The third place I went I felt like they just weren’t getting my vibe and were putting me into all the wrong things. When we went to Strike, I just felt like I was at home and I felt comfortable and I just felt I could be me. And when I finally put on my jumpsuit, I just felt comfortable and happy from my head to toe. When you find your wedding dress/outfit , you just know. You just feel it in your heart. At first, I thought I wanted a boho dress with lace or something that just felt like the desert. I knew I wanted something that was comfortable, light ,and unique. and then when I tried on my jumpsuit it checked all my boxes!
You planned and you planned, but how did the day ACTUALLY go?!: It was absolutely perfect. It felt like all the stars aligned for our wedding day. Even though it was 62 degrees and raining in Las Vegas, it stopped raining for the 30 mins we had our ceremony outside and the sun started to shine and then rained during our photos out in the desert and durning our dinner reception. It was very non traditional, we got married in Vegas. We started to make a list of people to invite and we were trying to keep it under 30 and then we just decided to invited everyone we wanted to be there and see who shows up and all 60 people we invited showed up! My favorite part of our wedding was when Cody surprised me with my wedding ring at the alter and when we had our first dance in the rain.
What is your best advice for future brides-to-be?: Don’t let anyone have an opinion about your wedding. It is your wedding and you should have it be what you want! Go get married in Vegas because it was the best day of my life. No stress and if there is any family drama, there are 100 things in Vegas they can do to get away. And just enjoy every single little moment with your new husband, because the day goes by WAY TO FAST!
Vendors
Jumpsuit: Raven by Amsale via Strike Bridal Bar
Photographer: Morgan Photo Co
Venue: Flamingo Garden Gazebo Las Vegas
Suit: Indochino
Jacket: Golden Touch Embroidery
Bow tie: Otaa Brothers
Shoes: Steve Madden / Cole Haan
Food: Virgils Real Bbq
Flowers: Remington Flower Co.
Makeup: Bymakall
Cookies: Whisked Away Bakery
Tan: Theglowdr
