Romantic is definitely the right word to describe Leanne + Robert’s wedding! Roses were everywhere – from the isle to the chairs to the bouquets. The center pieces, Tiffany lamps adorned with roses by {Designs by Design}, added soft, romantic light to the reception and were one of the couple’s favorite design elements of their wedding. The bride wore a dress by {Demetrios}. The catering and the wedding cake, which was banana with chocolate cream frosting, were both done by the venue, {Arizona Biltmore Resort}. The bride thanks her wedding planner from {Signature Events} for a flawless and un wedding. See more of Leanne + Robert’s wedding at {Marriott Photography}.
How did the two of you meet? Tell us your story: We met on the internet in 2003. After a few weeks of chatting we finally met and we have spent nearly every day together since!
What was the design inspiration for your wedding? We wanted an elegant theme with lots of dark reds and gold colors.
Favorite design element of your big day: We loved the centerpieces on the tables and pretty much everything about the layout on the tables. Our centerpieces included a raised tiffany lamp with cascading roses flowing out of it.
Tell us about finding your wedding dress: I looked at quite a few dresses before deciding on the final one. I looked at a lot of the high end designer dresses, they were all beautiful, but I really fell in love with a “mermaid style” dress from Brides By Demetrios. During my final fitting a lady in the store came up to me and said “you’re getting that dress, right? You’d be crazy not to!” and that was pretty much when I knew this was the dress for me!
Describe your wedding flowers: We had lots of beautiful red roses. My bouquet was a cascading bouquet of roses and all my bridesmaids carried mini-bouquets similar to the one I carried.
Describe your wedding cake: We chose a pretty large wedding cake for the size of wedding we had. We just loved the look of a larger sized cake. The flavor of the cake was banana with chocolate cream frosting… It was delicious!
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: I loved the rose petals lying across the isle, up to the alter.
Three adjectives that describe the day are: FUN, FUN, FUN! But if I had to name two other than fun I would say elegant and romantic.
What advice would you give to someone planning their wedding? I would give the advice of not coming to me for advice! I’m just kidding (sort of). I would say find a GREAT wedding planner… I don’t think we could have had nearly as beautiful wedding (or a wedding that ran as smoothly) without our amazing wedding planner!
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you looking forward to in the future? Right now we are just looking forward to spending the rest of our lives with each other. Children are definitely in our future, but maybe not for a few more years… We’re still kids ourselves!
Congratulations Leanne + Robert! We wish you the best in your new life together!
I would invite my grandmother and my great-grandmother. I was extremely close to both of them and they both understood me better than anyone else. My great-grandmother passed away when I was 7 and my grandmother passed away when I was 20. It’s sad now for a different reason than back then. If I could invite them both to dinner, I would want to show them everything they helped me accomplish and the family they helped create and the new family we are about to begin when we get married this Fall. We would all sit around the table and eat off the same plates that we would always use when we had dinner at their house, (which we do still use every single day) and share our favorite meal – family style cold cut sandwiches and a relish tray with sour pickles!
jane austin. i’m head over heels with her books and satyre…. and everything about her really. and. i feel like she would really appreciate the linens gracing my tables. :)
If I could invite anyone to dinner, it would be my great- grandmother on my father’s side. She lived in New Orleans and passed away when I was in high school. She was married for over 60 yrs and died at the age of 99. I would have a list of questions to ask her. How did she meet her husband, how was her life growing up, and ask for tons of advice. She was a beautiful woman with hair down her back that she kept in a neat bun. She was very quiet and graceful. That would be my dinner guest. I would set the table with the beautiful Saffron Marigold items and use all of my inherited china for the occasion! I believe in using all of your beautiful things for people you love and who are beautiful on the inside as well. There is no need to keep it stored away only to collect dust!!
I would invite my maternal grandmother to have dinner with my fiance and me. She died five years ago, and I miss her every day. In fact, I was surprised to see the deadline for this contest is her birthday!! I know that she would have loved to have met my future husband and see how happy I am. She was married to my grandfather for over 50 years, and I’d love to talk to her about those years and learn from her. She was a wonderfully traditional woman, so setting the table in these beautiful linens would not be lost on her. I get my attention to detail from her. She always had the table set, whether we were having a bowl of soup or an elaborate Thanksgiving dinner.
I would invite both of my grandparents from my father’s side. They passed away when I was young and I have always wanted to see how the two of their personalities created someone as amazing as my dad!
the bright blue & aqua table runner immediately caught my eye ~ the colors and whimsical style are exactly what we are using for our wedding. the bridesmaids are wearing a mix of bright blues, navy & aqua & our flower girls are wearing navy blue dresses with swirling aqua embroidery ~ similar to the design on the runner. i also love how no toxic dyes have been used ~ what beautiful/eco-conscious artwork! thank you for posting!
If I could invite anyone to dinner, I’d invite my great-grandmother who died before I was even a thought in my mother’s head. I’ve heard about my great-grandmother’s famous cooking skills since I began cooking in my grandmother’s kitchen when I was young. My grandmother and mother rave about her Sunday after-church feasts and her homemade biscuits with molasses, which my grandmother has been attempting to make for decades to no avail. If I could, I’d invite her to dinner to have her biscuits and molasses, learn her cooking tricks, but most importantly to get to know the person that my grandmother and my mother hold in such high regard.
Hmmm. Tough call! Perhaps Pete Carroll (football coach at USC) or maybe the children of US President’s past- the stories they’d have!
I know exactly who I would invite – my grandmother! She is still living, but has severe Alzheimers. She has always loved linens and find handwork like this. These absolutely remind me of her – she would love them, and I would love to be able to have dinner with her over these beautiful pieces of artwork. I can just imagine her exclaiming how beautiful they are. :)
I would invite my dad’s old navy buddies and their wives to dinner. I can just imagine a table surrounded by chivalrous old gentlemen telling their stories of WWII. Their service did so much for all of us, and I can never thank them enough.
With so much going on around the world, and especially in the US…my fiance and I would LOVE to invite President Obama and his family over for dinner. Our second choice? Probably Kobe Bryant since the Lakers just won the Championship game and he would be completely ecstatic to meet him.
I would invite Ellen Degeneres! She is so funny and seems to be friends with so many great/funny people. I would love to hear some of her stories and know what her life really is like (because it seems pretty amazing!)!
I would invite my Gran to come to my pretty table…so I could really "listen" to her life story…just one more time :)Allyxox
This is totally random, but I would pick either Tom Brokaw or David Letterman. Whoever happens to be free that night! Both of them have so many life stories & experiences to tell…I could sit and listen to them well into the wee hours!
I would love to have my grandfather to dinner, I was young when he passed and there’s just so much I wish I could fill him in on and pick his brain about :)
My Dad. He passed away three weeks after I met my fiance. I wish he could sit down and truly get to know the wonderful man I am going to marry.
Oh, I absolutely adore Saffron linens – I’ve been stalking them on Etsy for the longest time! Count me in!
Saffron Marigold’s linens are beautiful and so detailed. I would definitely invite my Grandmother that passed away a little over 4 years ago. When she was alive, she would always ask when I was going to meet a fine man and get married. During her last weeks, I happened to meet the one who I would marry. Unfortunately, my Grandmother passed away shortly and never met him. I always tell my husband how much my Grandma would have love to meet him and how happy she would be to see me so happy and in love. I miss her!
I have always wanted to meet Ferdinand Magellan, the first person to set out to circumnavigate the globe by sailing. I would really like to know what the pioneer sailor saw, felt, and lived. Clearly, I love sailing and would love to share this passion over a nice meal with the first man to think of such a feat :)
I would invite the singer M.I.A. I really love her music and admire the way she creates very unique and danceable songs that are also about critical topics such as displaced populations and women’s rights. Plus, i want to help her build an eco-friendly school in Liberia!
My poppop who passed away in 2001. I’d like to invite him to my wedding so we could dance together. He was a great dancer.
My parents. Mom had not seen our home before she passed away, and Dad would have a hard time with the long trip.
I would invite my mama. She passed away three years ago and much was left unsaid.
I would invite my mother’s mother. She died when my mom was just a teenager so I never got the chance to meet her. My mom however, is quite the character and I would love to meet the woman who had such a place in my mother’s life when she was a child. Surely, I’d find some similarities.
I would invite Julia Child. She seems so hilarious and fun loving (in addition, she’d surely be able to show me a few things in the kitchen)! I think she had such an interesting life and I also think she would appreciate how beautiful these linens are!Thanks!
I would invite my grandfather’s brother to dinner. I was very close to him; he passed away two years ago. If he were living and able, I would have asked him to officiate our ceremony, as he was a minister. I think he would have really loved my fiance.
Mary Todd Lincoln- no one pays any attention to her life and she seemed like she would appreciate fine linens. That and she was a little crazy, which is always good for dinner parties!
I’d invite my great great grandmother. I don’t know ANYTHING about her. I wonder if I look like her. I don’t look like any living member of my family at all, so that would be such a treat.
~Wow, this is a tough one. I would invite Bob Dylan to be my dinner guest of honor. Assuming he’d actually show up on his own free will . :) I mean what could be better than hearing stories from a man with such insight as his, and listening to it come from a man with a voice like his. Really? I like to think we could learn something from each other. Maybe I could convince him to play a song or two over a drink, and have a good laugh. I don’t think he’d mind my cooking either. (which is a plus!) ~
That’s a TOUGH question:Famous:Audrey HepburnNot famous:Hands down my Mother. We are temporarily living in Scotland (until the Mr. finishes his degree) while my Mother resides in Pennsylvania and I would LOVE to have her here for dinner especially if she would be doing the cooking, hehe! I miss her so much and we are both so lonely for each others company. Add in a few bottles of wine and some homemade Italian food and it would be the perfect evening!
My father’s father, Thilbert…or who I called PawPaw until he died when I was about 4 years old. I don’t remember him much, but I would love to have an evening of catching up with him to let him know how wonderfully his son (my dad) has raised me and my sister. I would tell him that his working with plants inspired me to pursue a career in the outdoor industry and that his meticulous work ethic inspired me to try my hardest and give my all at every aspect of life…be it work, frienship or love.
I would invite my grandmother I never met. She passed away before I was born when my mom was 16, killed by a drunk driver.
I would invite my Dad. He lives two states away from me and is battling lymphoma, and if I could I would invite him over so I could cook him some of the recipes he gave me when I got married and treat him to some fabulous food.
I would have to invite two very different yet alike people. Scarlett O’Hara and Audrey Hepburn. I would invite Scarlett because she embodies strength, and exudes personality. She by no means is "beautiful in a conventional sense" (what most critics say- such as Margaret Mitchell’s opening line), but definitely a charming Southern Belle. Audrey Hepburn exudes classiness,sophication, elegance yet is still very down to earth. She had a passion for humanitarian work and has often been called the most beautiful woman of all time. Such people that embrace who they are with every ounce of being is something that all of us could learn from, and that is why I would invited them both. Plus I would also like to see the interaction between such two fabulous timeless women!
Not to piggyback, but my first thought was Julia Child as well. Okay, so maybe I’d get nervous and turn it into a dessert party instead since my French pastry skills are far better than those of my main courses (not to mention that a tarte tatin would look stunning atop the linens!). I would just love to listen to her talk about her life, her struggles, her proudest memories, her marriage, any answer to the rambling questions that would probably come from my mouth. LOVE her!
Like many other commenters, i would invite my grandmother. She died when i was young, before i could really get to know her. We would share some of her delicious meatloaf and talk about her life.
I am totally in love with Saffron Marigold’s linens. Such rich colors and fun designs. I can’t imagine a more beautiful canvas to build upon. We’re big entertainers and it’s amazing how guests react to something that takes no time at all. A beautiful table shows that you took a little extra took, put some love and thought into it. I love that!I think it’d be great to have Anthony Bourdain over for dinner. Something about him- his complete honesty and dry sense of humor – both my fiancé and I are hooked. We just can’t get enough! Plus, he’s sure to have some serious travel stories to share and maybe he’d even help with the cooking? A girl can dream!
I would most definitely invite my soon-to-be hubby – Matt. For he & I will live a wonderful life and have your beautiful tablecloth and linens there to greet us at dinner time. Beautiful!
Oh, these are adorable! Love, love, love.I would love to have a double date with my fiance and the Obamas!!! Preferable at the White House…
If I could, I would invite Michelel Obama over to have dinner with my new linens because I would love to hear her real take on her experiences so far.
ONE : Love the Linens. TWO : To be honest i was trying to think of some famous interesting person to invite ……but i have to be honest I would invite my favorite person in the world – my husband, he is my best friend and i love spending every moment i have with him. I think you can always learn something new from someone even if you have known them for a life time and that to me is exciting!Thanks
If I could invite anyone to dinner….Adoniram Judson. He was a missionary to Burma in the 1800’s. He was married 3x b/c his first 2 wives died. Sounds very unromantic doesn’t it! But he loved the LORD and the people of Burma and I would love to hear his stories of adventure and ministry! And by the way… I love these linens – they would be perfect for our new tiny apartment!
I think it would have to be Steve Carell. Either on TV or in movies, he makes me laugh every time.
Ann Curry! I love her and think she has so many amazing stories to tell! She does such amazing work and I would love to know her personal feelings towards stories she has covered. She also seems like she would be lots of fun!
I would invite my husband, since he is my favorite dinner partner anyway and cooks much better than I do! I’ll provide the linens, he can provide the meal. :)
I would invite my mother and grandmother to dinner. Since they’ve both passed away, I would catch them up on the past few years. I would love for them to meet my fiance. I would love the ask them for advice and discuss our wedding plans. I would have all of our favorite foods and a big chocolate cake for dessert.
I would, without a doubt, invite my mother. She passed away when I was 5. I would love for her to meet my husband (just recently married) and see the woman I have become. And of course, see that she still lives on through me…I have a stack of index cards with her hand-written recipes on them and use them often!!
I would invite my FH’s maternal grandmother and mine as well. They were both two amazing women who my FH was never able to meet before they each passed away.
If I could invite anyone to dinner I would invite my Audrey Hepburn. I know, out of all the people I could pick I pick a Hollywood starlet?! But to me Audrey Hepburn is more than that. She is style, grace, and a lady… her confidence is what I aspire to attain that easy self-assurance which she carried herself with and which she brought over to any role she took on. If I invited her to dinner I’m sure that manner would not only set the tone of the party, but that she would be able to give me wisdom on how to present myself and my table to the world.
Oscar Wilde for sure! He lived such a carefree (allbeit somewhat radical) life. And the ere that he lived in was my favorite. Not to mention that he lived in PARIS! I would invite him for a dinner over which I would probably ask him 9 million questions and take 9 million more photos to post on my facebook page. :)
I would invite the amazing women in my family. I would love to have all of these strong wives and mothers at my table to share experiences, laugh at our mistakes, and learn from their wisdom.
I would invite my friends from college over for dinner to "ohhh ahhhh" over my new linens! My girlfriends and I all live in different states now and often reminiscence about the old times in college when we would have our weekly soirees.
If I could invite anyone to dinner it would definitely be my Mamaw and Papaw. They have never visited me at my home or seen where I live. I recently moved away to college and they are just not in the best health to travel. I would love to spend the evening catering to them the way they have to me my entire life. I wish they were in better health to visit, but I know that that will most likely never happen. I love them both and wish that I could share this step in my life with them.
How fun would this be? Like many others, I would probably invite my Italian Great-Grandmother to dinner…I would love bend her ear over some of her famous recipes that I can’t seem to get "just right."
It would be cool to meet some famous or historical figure, but I am too shy – I probably wouldn’t get to know them very well. If I could have over anyone at all to dinner, I think it would be my all of my cousins. Some of the best times of my life have been when my 5 siblings and 11 cousins were all together – for some reason, we can’t stop laughing together. It would be the funnest dinner ever!! Richly deserving of a magnificent tablecloth to mark the occasion. . .
I would invite Martha Stewart! No one could give you better tips and suggestions about entertaining than Martha. I would pick her brain for great DIY ideas for decorating and hosting a fun, girly tea party. I have always wanted to host one, and I think she could offer some great advice!
If I could invite anyone it would be my best friends sister who passed away when we were teenagers. I would want to give up my seat at dinner to my best friend so he and his sister could connect.
If I could invite anyone to dinner, I would probably invite my mother’s step granfather. I’ve never heard of anyone my mother speaks of so highly, knowing all kinds of answers to all kinds of questions, and being everything a father should be. Never really having a father figure like that, I would have love to have known him longer before he passed when I was so young. My mother named me after him, and I think it would be wonderful to have the opportunity to get to know him.
My granddaddy passed away when I was a freshman in college–I would love to be able to fill him in on the last 9 years of my life. His favorite historical figure was Thomas Jefferson so I would invite him, too, because I would love to sit and watch that conversation!
If I could invite anyone to dinner, it would be my dad’s biological father. He died when my dad was 16 and I’ve never had the chance to meet him. Although I consider my dad’s stepfather my grandfather (and the world’s best grandfather at that), I’d still love to meet the man that raised my dad to be the world’s best dad.
My number one pick would be my grandfather, who passed away before I met my fiance. It breaks my heart that he never got to meet him and won’t be at the wedding. A lot of people named grandparents for this so I feel like I should have a number 2 pick. I’m tempted to say Ira Glass, my NPR nerd crush, but I think I’d choose Margaret Atwood, my favorite female author.
My sweet husband. We spent the first four years of our marriage with him attending school each evening. We’re celebrating his first semester without classes and our fifth year of marriage with lots of dinners together—at home, our favorite restaurants and with friends.
I would invite all 6 of my bridesmaids/best friends. We all went to college together and since then have spread out all over the United States and beyond–one of the girls now lives in New Zealand with her husband! It’s rare that we get to see each other more than once a year, and even rarer to all be in the same place at the same time. I would love to have them all over for dinner and celebrate with these beautiful table linens!
I would invite my great great grandmother and father. They married in Spain and immigrated here at the turn of the century. How great would it be to find out about the home country and their travesl to arrive here in the United States.
I would have to say that I would have my Mom, she lives in Tx and I’m in MD and we are lucky if we get to see each other once a year. It would be so awesome to have her here close to us and to enjoy each and every moment that we had.
i would invite my memere rita & pepere lou to dinner. i am very close with my memere & although i never met my pepere, he died a year before i was born, my memere’s vivid descriptions of him & the light in her eyes when she talks about him, shares with me the very true love they had together. they met at a dance, fell in love and raised six children together. she still talks about his "blue, blue eyes." i always wish i had met him & was able to hold his hand & share his laughter. my memere quilts & these patterns, especially the blue runner reminds me of her intricate hand sewn quilts & the strips of fabric she has on the kitchen table.
i would invite my grandparents who have passed. I miss them terribly. Plus, my grandmother would totally dig these!!
I would invite my cousins Amanda and Beth. They died when Amanda and I were both in 7th grade, Beth was in 2nd. This may be a little hard to read and write but they were murdered in their own beds. Whenever Im experiencing something awesome or life changing- going to high school, getting your period, my 16 birthday, my first real boyfriend, getting my license, getting my first car, my first kiss, being engaged, being married (June 5, 2009!!!) buying a house…I think about them because they never get to experience any of those things. I would invite them because I miss them both so much and we were super close (they lived right down the street) and because we never got to experience those things together.
Wow, this question is incredibly difficult. My mind raced from George Washington to Oprah and lots of folks in between. But if I absolutely had to choose, I think it would be Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, leaders of the women’s suffrage movement. I always find it almost unbelievable that women in this country weren’t able to vote until 1920, and I think it would be inspiring to sit down with some of the women who helped make it possible.
If I could invite anyone… anyone in this big ole’ world it would be my future husband. However, since that is not interesting enough I will need to say further that I would invite my late Grandfather who past away before I was born and whom I never was able to hug. My mother talks so much about him and though I know I will see and meet him in heaven, he is the one person I would choose to have dinner with if I could. Each and every one of the Saffron Marigold linens are simply beautiful! Thanks SW!
I would invite my grandfather who passed away a few years ago. I was lucky to live int he same house with my grandparents growing up and my grandfather was an amazing father figure for me. I would love to have a few hours with him to ask him all about his life. There are so many things about him that I never thought to ask when I was younger that I would love to learn.
My college roommates- it’s many years post-college and we have never lived in the same city since. I love those two girls as if they were my sisters. If I could work out our schedules, I would plan a weekend full of dinner parties chock with laughter and great food for them.
I would invite my fiance’s brother Chad. He passed away when my fiance was young. He loves him so much, and still misses him so much. I would love the chance to meet him, and spend some time with him.
I would love to meet my deceased great grandmother. My mom always tells me stories about her and how loving and kind she was. She was the perfect southern lady and I wish I could have known her but she died a year before I was born. My fiance and I just bought our 1st house in Johnson City, TN. We’re closing tomorrow! yay! I would love it if I could have my mom, my grandmother and my great grandmother all for dinner in our new home! We really could use some sprucing up of our decor and these linens would do the trick!!
I think I would invite any children, grandchildren, or great-grandchildren I may have. It would be so interesting to talk to them and share with them. It would be neat to hear what they have to say about the future and answer questions they have about now.
Obama – what an interesting conversation we could have…especially over wine.
These are the most beautiful table linens I have ever seen! Choose me!
I would invite my grandparents…I never met my mom’s father and I don’t remember either of my dad’s parents…so it would be great to have dinner with all of them. And then my Nana (my mom’s mom) helped to raise me and passed away when I was 16…so I would love her to come too! These are such beautiful linens and it would be such a great prize to win. Thanks!