Dean & Stephanie Zeligman were married on a simply perfect sun filled day last May….The two joined each others hands, said “I do”, and danced the night away…

A big shout out also to these amazing vendors who made this wedding possible!

Wedding Venue- Williamsbrooke, Branson MO (Outside ceremony, inside barn for reception)

Cake- Kim Mitrenga

Planner/Coordinator – Sarah Rein

DJ – Kolmega Koldblooded

First Dance – “Let it Be Me” by the Everly Brothers

Dress – Amy Taylor Collection, Australia

Suit – River Island, UK

Caterer- Happy Chef Catering from Ozark, MO

Florist – Billie Naoti (now Branson Party Rentals??)

Makeup – LashDollGlam.com // FB.com/stephizmua

Hair – Stephi did it herself because she wore it curled and down

Decor – Branson Party Rentals

Officiant – Donna Mejetic

Video – Chris Canote

Rings – Zales

Honeymoon – Ft. Lauderdale, Miami & the Florida Keys

Photographer- Sheri Holloway Photography

Second Shooter- Ami Bernhardi

1. Where did you meet? We met while performing together in a show in Branson, MO.

2.  How did Dean propose? We went out for our anniversary dinner to our favorite place, Level II Steakhouse. When it came time to exchange gifts, he sat beside me as we flipped through the photo book he had designed for me. He put so much effort and thought into this book that I was in tears a few pages in. As I turned to the last page and read “will you marry me?” he got down on one knee, popped the question and I said YES! It all happened so fast which is why we are so thankful to have had a secret photographer there capture the moment. That was my mom’s idea as she helped Dean hide the whole thing from me! So sneaky 🙂 -Sheri Holloway Photography

3. What was one of your favorite memories? One of my favorite moments was during our vows when Dean made me laugh and no one else had a clue! I also loved our first dance because it felt like we were the only ones in the whole world. I think that’s the moment everything sunk in for me so there were a lot of happy tears! Another highlight was the animal interaction. A couple of horses came up to us during our photos and a wolf (temporarily) stole our glass from the ceremony! A favorite of our guests was the butterfly release and the dedication to our loved ones that were looking down on us from Heaven. Most people told us that it was the most unique wedding that they had ever been to and I think that’s because we stuck with what is true for us rather than what’s traditional or typical. We both embrace our heritage, our family, our friends and nature. Our goal was for it to be a comfortable gathering to celebrate love and I think we did just that.

4. How long have you been together? We have been together for almost five years! May 27th will be our one year wedding anniversary.

5. What would you change about your wedding day if any? Our wedding day was absolutely perfect except for the fact that I forgot my dress and had to run back to the house to get it! Other than that, total perfection! There isn’t a thing I would change about it. It helps when you have a great coordinator. I had total faith is Sarah so knew that if something went wrong, she would handle it. I also knew that even if something did go wrong, it would be okay because in the end, all I wanted was to marry my best friend. Everything else was just icing on the cake!

6. What advice can you give to my future brides? I said from the very beginning that I wanted a marriage more beautiful than my wedding. I think it’s all in the mindset, really. If you stress so much about the day and it being “perfect” you can lose sight of what’s really important. Because of that mentality, we had fun planning our wedding and it remained a very stress-free experience. On the practical side, it’s important to set a budget for yourself and stick to it. We had a long engagement (a year and a half) so it made things easier on us financially, giving us more time to plan and budget. Also, never cut corners on photos and video! That is how you will capture your special moment in time. We have watched our wedding video a couple of times already and I look through our photos all the time!

7. Photo related advice? Have a friend that is willing to do your photos for free with his iPhone so you can spend thousands on a dress or a cake? Don’t do it! Seriously, hire a professional photographer and videographer and I promise you won’t regret it! Prior to your day, sit down with them and discuss the style you’re looking for and your “must-have” shots. Bringing reference photos is a tremendous help too! (Thanks Pinterest!)

8. Where did you get that dress?! I went the unconventional route when it came to my dress and ordered it online. I tried on dresses in a boutique so that I could have the experience but I had a pretty distinct vision in mind from the get go. I wanted something to fit our rustic, bohemian nuptials and since my husband always likes my dresses with a low back, I thought that would be the perfect style. I wanted comfortable, I wanted lace and I didn’t want to spend a fortune. I made it difficult on myself! I found a designer out of Australia named Amy Taylor. I loved every single one of her designs, so I contacted the shop through email and together, we came up with the perfect dress. When it arrived, I had a seamstress friend of mine make the necessary alterations, like adding a sash. I ordered a customized flower crown from an artisan in Canada via Etsy and purchased my shoes (MK sandals). I wore the bracelet my my wore when she married my stepdad, my grandmother’s ring, turquoise earrings, my engagement ring, a necklace gifted to me by my husband and a statement ring.

9. How was it working with me? Sheri is THE BEST! I always get so nervous in front of the camera and I was actually quite nervous on our wedding day, not because of the marriage but because of all the people with their eyes on us! She really listened to our vision and captured the entire day perfectly. Our photos are truly stunning, if I do say so myself 😉 Sheri did our proposal, engagement, wedding and she will do whatever comes next in our life together! Perhaps a baby Z? ❤️

10. First LOOK? Dean & I chose to not see each other before the wedding. We met with our eyes closed and held hands back to back as we said a prayer. I gave him a note to read before the ceremony too! When I took my first steps down the aisle, that was our first look and it was magical.

11. How did you get your inspiration?! Do your research, come up with a vision and save reference pictures. Your photographer may be brilliant but I assure you, he/she is not a mind reader. Communicate what you want and you won’t look back and wish you had done things differently.

12. Bridal Party Advice? Honestly, my bridal party was amazing and did whatever Sheri asked. The groomsmen were a different story! Ha Ha My husband and Sheri magically got them in order so I can’t take any credit for that!

13. Where did you get that dress? I brought a secondary dress to wear after all of the official dances were complete. I also packed my makeup, setting spray, curling iron, bobby pins, hairspray, deodorant, perfume, toothbrush, toothpaste, mints, water and a snack. My girls brought the other essentials like a first aid kit and a sewing kit. Don’t forget any checks you may need to bring as well as your marriage certificate!

14. Inspiration ideas? Pinterest was awesome for ideas! Etsy is my favorite place to shop on the planet! I got several items from there (gifts for our parents & groomsmen, my customized handkerchief, guest book, earrings, flower crown, etc.) Jewelry for my bridal party was from Charming Charlie. The embroidered robes for my girls were from theweddingprepgals.com and the gifts for my bridesMAN were from Etsy. My dress was from Amy Taylor Collection. Dean’s suit came from River Island. My setting spray (the best) is from modelinabottle.com and I wore 3D+ Mascara rather than false lashes since I’m a cry baby and this mascara makes it look like I’m wearing falsies! It’s from TheLashDoll.com My shoes were MK and my husband’s monk strap shoes were from Aldo (very sharp!). I wore extensions that were custom cut & colored. Extensions were from luxuryforprincess.com and A Wild Hair Salon in Branson made them match perfectly.

15. What happens if it rains? Initially I was afraid that the weather would be terrible. I prayed about this and ultimately came to the conclusion that come rain or shine, I would be marrying my soulmate and it would be perfect simply because of that. Well, we had rain for an entire week and on the day of our wedding, it was a beautifully sunshiny day! I was also afraid I would trip and fall down on my way down the aisle and I think my dad was fearful of that too! Haha We made it without a hitch!

16. Advise for my SHP Brides? My advice is to just enjoy it! Enjoy every single moment from start to finish and remember that in the end, you marry your love and start a brand new chapter as husband and wife! Whether you get married in a back yard or a church cathedral, it will be beautiful and perfect because you have each other.

17. How did you choose your photographer? We knew from the beginning who we wanted to take our photos!

18. Who made all of that delicious food?  We did southern fare because that’s what I grew up on and it’s now my husbands favorite too. Happy Chef made a delicious meal of fried chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans, rolls, salad, sweet tea, strawberry lemonade & watermelon. Kim Matrenga made our gorgeous cake and cupcakes and they were phenomenal.

19. First Dance Song? Our first dance was to “Let it Be Me” by the Everly Brothers. My dad and I danced to “Daddy Dance with Me.” I sent my dad about 50 songs to choose from and we both ended the same one. Dean and his mom started out a slow dance to “Tammy” (a song she sang to him as a child) and then busted out in a fun hip-hop number. It was hilarious and yes, it’s on YouTube! Hahaha

20. Did you recite your own vows? After going over the beautiful ceremony that our officiant (Donna) prepared, we decided to not recite our own vows. She said it all! We did a butterfly release for my Native American roots and we did the traditional breaking of the glass in honor of Dean’s Jewish heritage.

21. Theme and colors of your wedding? We did shades of peach & blush with hints of turquoise. Everything was very soft and romantic with flowing chiffon and burlap accents. We used some of our own decor and picture frames throughout the venue as well as fresh flowers.

just married!