An Elegant Summer South Bend Wedding: The Real Wedding of Emma and William Doslak

During a post-graduation get-together at a friend's house, Emma and Billy met for the first time and they soon began dating. To mark their four-year dating anniversary, Billy took Emma for a nice dinner in Indianapolis on a beautiful July night. "We had a wonderful dinner reminiscing on
memories together," Emma shares. After dinner, they walked down by the water where Billy got down on one knee and asked Emma to marry him!
 

Look at that gorgeous dress that Emma is wearing! We love how the fit-and-flare style accents her natural beauty. The stunning lace detailing perfectly wraps around the bodice of the dress. "I really wanted something that was going to be form fitting but comfortable at the same time. I am an all about comfort gal, so I knew I wanted something I could sit, walk, stand and dance the night away in," Emma explains. "I tried on about three different styles before I found the 'one'!" We think the dress paired with her classic bun and glowy natural makeup makes her a beautiful bride!
 

Inspired by both Billy's proposal and pictures from Pinterest, Emma wanted to create a romantic, candle-lit summer dinner vibe for their reception. They chose to use light colors like pink, white and cream, accented with gold. We love how this vision came to life in an elegantly romantic celebration! Unlike other couples, Emma and Billy took time during the cocktail hour to see the reception venue completely decorated and got a few minutes to admire their hard work and the local vendors' efforts.
 

Gillespie Conference Center was the absolute best for venue for Emily and Billy to host their romantic wedding. "We both wanted a venue that was close to a hotel for our guests as we both have a lot of out-of-town relatives and family that would be traveling. We landed on the Gillespie Conference Center as our wedding venue!" Not only is the Gillespie Center connected to a hotel—with one across the street as well—the venue also has a ballroom large enough to accommodate 300 to 350 guests, which was perfect for Billy and Emma's large wedding. They also utilized the garden patio out back for their cocktail hour. 

 

 

What We Love

To honor those who came before them and were lost too soon, Emma and Billy had a memory table with photos of their dearly departed loved ones. Throughout the night, Emma and Billy noted how sweet it was to watch their families come together to share memories of those that came before. They also had his and hers drinks for their guests to enjoy—which they did! Emma was also able to have a special moment with her mom by repurposing her wedding dress for her rehearsal dinner attire!
 

 

Advice from the Couple

"Wedding planning can be very stressful but at the end of the day––remind yourself you are marrying the love of your life! So enjoy every aspect of the planning, preparation and the day of! All of your family and friends are there to celebrate your special day! If you get a chance to see the reception room before anyone else… go see it," Emma and Billy advise. "Take in the room, the décor, the tables and your new spouse!"
 

 

 

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