At WedVibes, we’re always drawn to the stories behind the aesthetics—the vision boards, voice notes, and late-night Pinterest scrolls that quietly shape iconic wedding moments. So, we did what we do best: reached out to real brides who are planning weddings their way. From spontaneous proposals to guest lists made on Google Docs, these brides are rewriting the rules and curating celebrations that feel less like tradition and more like self-expression.
In this series, they open up about the moodboards they can’t stop tweaking, the TikTok trends they’re into, and the vendors who just get it. Expect real love stories, real planning highs (and lows), and plenty of inspiration for your own “main character” moment.
Meet The Couple
Hayley and Conrad live in Palm Beach. Conrad moved into real estate and investing about five years ago, a shift that brought them down from New York in 2020. The past few years have been a major rebuilding chapter for them, which makes their favorite nights refreshingly simple: cooking at home, chips and spicy margaritas at their neighborhood Mexican spot, or taking advantage of a generous friend with a boat, cruising the Intracoastal with a lot of dogs along for the ride.
How did you meet?
New York City, on May the Fourth…so one could say the force was involved.
A mutual friend set us up. Her exact words were: “When you’re ready to date again, I have your next husband. He’s like you, but a guy.” She was spot on.
The Proposal
Seven years ago, Conrad planned a trip to St. John. The location of the first vacation we took when we were still quietly dating. We stayed at a friend’s home that can only be described as a sun castle. He is an extraordinary architect and interior designer, so the entire setting already felt a little unreal.
At the time, Conrad and I were creating a lot of couples content together, so he disguised the proposal as an impromptu shoot for a few of my new dresses. It was the perfect scheme: I unknowingly arrived at my own engagement shoot already wearing a sparkly Hayley Paige gown.
I was completely surprised. Then he surprised me again by flying in both of our families to celebrate with us for the rest of the weekend. It was thoughtful, cinematic, and so entirely RAD.
The Wedding Vision
1. When and where is your wedding taking place?
Labor Day Weekend in Southern California.
2. Describe your wedding in 3 words.
Sentimental. Old-world. Sartorial.
3. Do you have a moodboard or a reference image you keep going back to?
Our visual world is old-world California seen through a slightly celestial lens: Spanish romanticism, antique cartography, faded frescoes, candlelight, constellations, and a touch of cosmic Americana. We want it to feel as though everyone has stepped into an already aged love story.
4. What are three non-negotiable elements for your big day?
First, candid content. We want the day documented as it feels…not overly rehearsed or interrupted for the sake of capturing content.
Second, writing our own vows. After eight years together and seven years engaged, we’ll give this moment the pressure it deserves.
Third, we want our guests to feel appreciated and loved. The design matters enormously to me, but the feeling matters more. We want people to leave feeling acknowledged for supporting us as a couple …also hopefully a little tipsy with feet sore from dancing and face hurt from smiling.
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Planning Process
1. What’s been the highlight of your planning process so far?
The unsurprising answer: designing the dresses.
I’m building an entire collection around the experience, exploring the crossover between designer and bride. I’ve spent so many years helping other women dress for this moment, and there is something wonderfully grounding about studying it as the client.
2. What’s surprised you most about wedding planning?
How essential a wonderful wedding planner truly is.
I have the privilege of knowing so many talented wedding professionals, but working with Samkoma World has shown me that a great planner is part creative producer, part diplomat, and part nervous-system regulation. They have helped us find the right collaborators, protect the larger vision, and create a thoughtful buffer around the endless decision-making.
In summary: chef’s kiss. Hire the best planner your circumstances allow.
3. Is there an Instagram account, TikTok trend, or aesthetic you’re secretly loving right now?
I’m especially drawn to accounts that have a real point of view and give people something worth taking with them. Whether that’s expertise, useful information, genuine inspiration, humor, or a feeling.
The content that stays with me tends to do one of three things: teach me something, show me something beautiful/kind, or give me someone to root for. Bonus points for cute animals and humbling moments.
4. What’s one piece of advice you’d give to someone just starting their planning journey?
Decide early what is truly non-negotiable and how you want to really experience the BIG day. Do you enjoy managing every detail, or would that keep you from being present? Do you want grandeur, intimacy, ease, surprise?
Once you understand how you want the wedding to feel, the thousands of smaller decisions become much easier to make.
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