#ADOREREALBRIDE | SAMANTHA & SHAWN

The Moniens tied the knot September 6th, 2024, and the wedding was beautiful, fun, and just everything! The day was a perfect representation of their love story from beginning to end with so many special touches. The love from these two is contagious! Samantha divulged all the details with us, keep scrolling to read more and see all of her amazing photos!

All photography by Emily McNiel

What was your styling inspiration or wedding day vibe you were going for? What inspired you to choose this?

We wanted it to be romantic, playful, and light. A day that truly represented us and how our relationship is.

Tell us about a special memory from your wedding day, something that will always stand out in your mind ❤️

My mom was our officiant! She ‘interviewed’ us both, and got very different perspectives of all of the big moments in our relationship, in order to create our love story to share with all of our friends and family. We were aware of the general concepts of what would be said, but it was wonderful to see each other's perspective on how we met, the ‘when we knew’ moment, the proposal, and everything in between. It was all tied together so well, and we just loved how the story was told to all of our friends and family.

What do you admire most about your new spouse?

His commitment to the life that we have dreamed up together and making the time for us, each and every day.

Is there anything else you want people to know about your love story? A fun proposal, something crazy that happened on your wedding day, a sentimental memory or even wedding planning tips for future brides!

Shawn decided that he wanted to celebrate his 50th birthday in Vermont with me and his two sons-our first family vacation! The plan was for the three of them to go skiing/snowboarding while I got to be a little chalet bunny. Since I was not going to partake in any of the outdoor snow sports, Shawn wanted to make sure that there was something that I would enjoy, so he booked a sleigh ride.

As we were getting ready the morning of the sleigh ride, Shawn was in a very lovey-dovey mood and was only playing love songs throughout the Airbnb. He was playing them so much that the boys were rolling their eyes and asking if there was something else that he could put on. I remember hearing him sing along in the shower to A Thousand Years, Never Enough, and Rewrite the Stars. As we drove to the spot for the late ride, we were listening to Bless the Broken Road by Rascal Flatts and he started tearing up and just held my hand in the car, looking at me. It was super sweet, but he’s also a lovey dovey person to begin with, so not out of the norm.

In true Monien fashion, we were set to arrive at the sleigh ride, right on time. But as luck would have it, there was a car crash that happened right in front of us (everyone was okay-just a fender bender) and there was no way of getting around it. Shawn became frantic and was trying to figure out how to get around everything on a one lane road, and it was not possible. The boys were trying to calm him down and tell him to not attempt going around, and I’m telling him to just call the place and let them know what happened and we would be a few minutes late. He calls and they say to take our time and get there when we can-but he is still frantic to get there.

Once we get there, all is fine, and they bundle us up in the sleigh and off we go through the snowy countryside. We eventually get to a spot with a gazebo next to a creek, and our driver says it would be a nice spot for a picture. We all hopped out, and his oldest offered to take our photo, except he said ‘do you want a picture or video?’ which was an odd thing to ask until I saw Shawn getting down on one knee. At this point, I know what was happening and all I can do is fumble with my gloves, trying to get them off so he can put the ring on my finger. As I’m doing that he asks me to marry him.

He is usually a very wordy person, so I’m looking at him thinking there is more, and I don’t want to cut him off. I finally say yes, once my words are able to come out of my mouth, and he’s still not standing up to hug me, so I get down on my knee to kiss him, which he still thinks is the funniest thing I have ever done. It was amazing having both of his sons there to be a part of the proposal and I’m so thankful it was caught on video!

What was your experience like with Adore Bridal?

It was absolutely perfect. Having already been to 2 bridal salons and just feeling overwhelmed with options, the Adore Bridal experience was such a relief. The survey ahead of time, the follow up call, and then pairing me with Julia, was all just amazing, and what I needed. Julia truly matched my energy, and helped me process all of the options, and took the time to understand me and what I wanted for my wedding day. I cannot say enough good things about the whole experience, start to finish.