Real Brides: Lauren

Hayden and I went to high school together but we did not know each other super well. His sister played basketball with my sister and his sister actually dated my brother in middle school (lol) so our families knew each other pretty well. Hayden asked me on a date in 2015, two dates to be exact. A date to the movies and Five Guys and a date to go hiking at a local hiking trail called Pole Steeple. A couple of days after these dates I stopped talking to the poor guy because he was going to college and I thought he wouldn't like me anymore because of college and girls... Flash forward 4 years later, I ended up transferring to the same college that Hayden was going to. I joined a sorority and by some kind of luck my "Big", Anna, was dating a guy, Dan, in Hayden's fraternity, who also turned out to be one of Hayden's good friends. Because of this, we ended up hanging out a lot. I never stopped liking him all of those years but I did not know if the feeling was mutual. One October 19, 2019, thanks to one of Hayden's best friends, Matt, and with a little help from alcohol, we finally confessed our feelings towards each other. We've been by each other's side ever since that day. Hayden even proposed to me at the same hiking trail, Pole Steeple, that we went to for our first date. I still can't believe I got so lucky to be able to live my life by his side.

I knew my dress was the one right away. It was the second dress that I tried on and every dress after it could not compare. I had been looking at a lot of dresses on Instagram and Pinterest and the A-line dress kept sticking out to me. I also wanted some lace but for it not to be too overpowering and just a hint of sparkle. This dress was PERFECT. It was everything I dreamed of and I still admire it when I look at our wedding pictures!

Photo Credits: Lynne Marie Photography

Bridal Store: Taylored For You Bridal Boutique