While the standalone inRegister Weddings issue is released each June, we can’t go an entire year without a glimpse into Baton Rouge’s wedding scene. To deliver a taste of what’s to come, inRegister featured the nuptials of three newly married couples in our January 2019 issue. However, the pictures only show part of the day. What the expertly composed images don’t reveal are the stories that underlie the celebration. Curious to know more, we asked these three brides to share their love stories, along with a little advice for future brides.

Click on the couples’ names to see their full wedding albums, as well as vendor information:

Leah Aultman & Dylan Bittles

The love story: “We met at Welcome Weekend for the UT School of Medicine at San Antonio during our senior years of college, but we didn’t communicate again until we actually moved to San Antonio later that summer,” says Leah. “We started hanging out with a big group of friends, and he was always the kindest person in the room. The first time we were alone together was actually horribly embarrassing on my part. I love playing games–board games, card games, you name it. I had invited a bunch of friends over to to play cards at my apartment. Dylan ended up being the only one who came after everyone else backed out last minute. I was mortified, but he stayed through the awkwardness and we played UNO and talked for goodness knows how long. From then on, the puzzle pieces just seemed to fit, and the rest is history.”

Favorite elements of the big day: The Christmas decorations, the food and the band. “Our band, Dat Band, was incredible,” says Leah. “Everyone danced the night away, and we had multiple guests tell us afterwards how wonderful our band was.”

Advice for brides-to-be: “The only regret I have is worrying so much about the small details,” says Leah. “Once you are with all of your loved ones at your reception, the color of the napkins or the location of the carving station really doesn’t matter all that much. You probably won’t remember to stop and look at everything anyway! I definitely didn’t. Enjoy being a bride. Enjoy marrying your best friend. And, most importantly, have a blast celebrating your love.”

Azeen Sadeghian & Joseph Gebhart

The love story: “We met at a mutual friend’s housewarming party in Baton Rouge many years ago,” recalls Azeen. “At that party, we were instantly drawn to each other. At the time, we were both living and working in different cities. I was in school in New Orleans, and he had to commute for work between multiple places. Despite this, we somehow managed to see each often, putting thousands of miles on our vehicles. It took many years and many prayers to make our love story happen. Through the hours of travel and time spent together, we became best friends. The rest is history!”

Favorite elements of the big day: “The bridal prep was perfect,” says Azeen. “My friends came from near and far, and it was so special to be with them that day. I was kind of in a tizzy during my actual wedding because very little went as planned. But the beautiful thing is that it enhanced the truly important memories. I still tear up when I think of how wonderful my husband was that day and how beautiful our first dance was. And my bridesmaids and family, they were amazing. At one point, we said, ‘It’s not a wedding. This is a rained-out Louisiana tailgate party.’ Then, it became a blast! Friends and I took the mic and everyone was cutting a rug. I savor all of those memories, even if we look like a soggy mess in our pictures!”

Advice for brides-to-be:

• “Go with the flow. Don’t plan for perfection because no matter how much planning you put into your wedding, you will have unanticipated curveballs. If you talk to any bride, there is something that didn’t go as planned. You then have two choices: choose joy or dwell on it. Remember to choose joy.”
• “Don’t get stuck on Pinterest pics. Those are often professionally staged with great expertise. Look at real wedding pictures and pull inspiration from those.”
• “Don’t try to crash diet or drastically change how you look for your wedding day. True, youthful beauty needs no overhaul. Your family and husband love you for how you are now. Find a dress and hair/makeup styling that highlight you, not a magazine picture or something you have to change yourself for.”
• “While you’re working on your wedding, invest time into forming a foundation for your marriage. I highly recommend premarital counseling. So many people focus only on the wedding. Instead, you could also be investing skills to help make your marriage a wonderful success. For example, we would plan dinner date nights around my makeup or hair trial runs and do our premarital counseling homework. It was so romantic and so much fun! Plus, I felt like a million bucks.”

Kandice Roth & Harris Trock

The love story: “We met in New York City about seven years ago,” explains Kandice. “Harris moved into an apartment with a bunch of guys my friends and I had met at a concert, and they just so happened to live a couple blocks from us in the city. Our backgrounds couldn’t have been more different. Harris is from New York and is Jewish (not to mention, he went to an Ivy League school–Cornell University). I, however, am a Catholic girl born and raised in Louisiana. Needless to say, although our parents were supportive, they knew we had a long road ahead. To make things more interesting, after just over a year of dating, I moved back to Baton Rouge to work at my dad’s jewelry store, Robert Roth Jewelers. We continued to date long distance for three years before I eventually moved back to New York City to be with him. Our journey was actually quite long and tough but we are better for it.”

Favorite elements of the big day: “We had an interfaith ceremony with a deacon and rabbi present, so it was special to be able to represent both of our religious affiliations and make our families happy,” says Kandice. “It was also nice to show the people down south the fun Jewish traditions like singing the Katubah, breaking the glass and the Horah. And, it was fun to incorporate everything Louisiana has to offer for the people traveling from the North, like all the delicious food, the second line and go cups.”

Advice for brides-to-be: “Ask all the questions! Nothing should be off limits,” notes Kandice. “Planning a wedding is a learning curve for everyone, and no two weddings are exactly the same. Whether you are asking your wedding planner, a vendor or a friend, if there is something on your mind, just ask.”

Want more inspiration? Read the 2018-19 inRegister Weddings issue online here, and check back weekly for our Weddings of the Week.