Cori & Jess – A Tux & A Bridal Jumpsuit

Cori and Jess felt pressure to wear dresses on their wedding day, but quickly realized what was really right for them – a white tux and a bridal jumpsuit.

How Did Covid Impact Your Wedding Plans?

Canceling and replanning a wedding during a pandemic was stressful. First, we had to cancel our original wedding date one month before it was planned to happen. Then we quickly picked a new date to try and get all our same vendors scheduled. We ended up having to do a Sunday wedding, but luckily, everything else worked out the way we wanted.

What Led You To The Destination?

When we started to plan our wedding, we knew we wanted a summer wedding in the Seattle area. We knew we wanted to be on the water, either ocean or lake, because of our love for boating. With five venue visits scheduled, after seeing the antique ferry boat on the second visit, we canceled the rest. We knew we had to be married at The MV Skansonia on Lake Union. It was on the water, on a boat, and had the Space Needle in the background. I love the water, and staying in Seattle was important to Cori because she truly felt safe and at home in such an inclusive city after living in Arkansas.

Talk To Us About Your Experience Finding The Perfect Outfits.

Neither of us really wanted to wear a dress but felt like we “should” because our moms wanted us to, and that’s what brides wear. Though Cori quickly realized she would not be happy in a dress and decided on a stunning all-white tux. I knew I did not want to wear a tux but also didn’t want to wear a dress, so I had a hard time figuring out what I wanted to wear. Finally, after spending hours researching, I found the perfect all-white bridal jumpsuit with a train from Rime Arodaky. It was different, not a dress and not a tux, and made me feel like a princess.

Tell Us About Your Wedding Day.

Our day started at our hotel in downtown Seattle where we each got ready with our bridal parties. We met at Gas Works Park, where I proposed to Cori to do our first look. After that, we made our way to our venue, the MV Skansonia, for some pre-wedding photos with family and our bridal parties. It was a perfect Seattle summer day with no clouds in the sky!

We were joined by many of our friends and family from all over the United States and celebrated our marriage altogether. The ceremony was perfect. We each had our entrance as we wanted and wrote our own vows. After the ceremony, we moved into cocktail hour and danced the night away! It was truly such a dream.

Did You Incorporate Any Religious Traditions Into The Day?

We did not have a traditional religious ceremony, but it was very faith-focused. Our officiant, and good friend, prepared a beautiful God-centered ceremony with a few readings from the Bible. Our faith is very important to us both. We want God to be at the center of our marriage, so we ensured God was the center of our ceremony.

Advice For Other Couples Planning A Wedding?

When planning our wedding, the one piece of advice we would give is SCREW TRADITION. It is YOUR wedding, so do what makes you happy. We both decided we would get our own big entrance with our dads. Just because Cori was in a tux didn’t mean she was assuming the role of a “groom.” She still wanted to be a bride and get an entrance, so that is exactly what she got! We had a flower boy put flowers down and had everyone rise for Cori and her dad. The other family and bridal parties proceeded, then a flower girl and finally Jess and her dad. We also decided to completely pass on the garter toss and bouquet toss because we felt it had no significance to us and was not needed.

We hope other couples can figure out what they want as a couple and not worry about what they think they should do for their own wedding. It is all about celebrating YOU and YOUR LOVE!