MAB Weddings: Charisma & Cole

It’s the new year and we’re back to highlighting some of our amazing MAB Brides. Charisma and Cole were married back in 2020 during the height of COVID, but after having to make changes to their original plan, their wedding day was just as beautiful as they hoped. Read on for more about Charisma and Cole’s wedding; from their tear-jerker first look to her fun Bride jacket!

What made you decide on your venue?

Initially I had a different venue for our larger wedding. Because of COVID, we decided to have a smaller wedding and cut our wedding list down to just immediate family and our wedding party. Since our wedding became smaller, we realized our original venue was too big for such a small, intimate wedding. We talked to our wedding planner and she recommended The Virginia House. We went on a tour and instantly fell in love. I’ve always dreamed of getting married in a castle and that’s pretty much what we did.

What was the best part of wedding planning?

The best part of planning our wedding was having something fun to do together and look forward to. I enjoyed trying on wedding dresses, especially styles that I didn’t imagine myself in. My husband, Cole, really enjoyed the food and cake tastings – of course!

What was the hardest part?

The hardest part was planning a wedding during a pandemic. We wanted to make sure we were being safe and smart. We went back and forth between canceling our wedding, eloping, or having an intimate wedding with our family. I am very glad we chose to have an intimate wedding because it was an absolute dream.

You had to deal with a lot of uncertainty because of COVID-19. What helped you handle the stress?

During the pandemic, we had to make a lot of hard decisions and uninvite so many people – which was not fun at all. Our wedding planner, Jamie Flagg, really helped us through it all. Without her, I would have fallen apart. She handled all of the logistics, answered all of our questions, and really put our minds at ease.

If you can pick one, what was your favorite moment from your wedding day?

My favorite moment was our first look. It was such a beautiful, sweet, and romantic moment. It also helped get out of those butterflies before walking down the aisle in front of everyone. Plus, the video is a major tear jerker! My husband had the SWEETEST reaction.

What is one thing you couldn’t do without at your wedding? From planning, a special feature at your wedding, or while getting ready?

We had a live band at our wedding which was the best. There’s nothing like live music. They also sang our proposal song, which my husband co-wrote, for our first dance. It was so special.

What made you choose MAB Artistry to be your HMU team?

I really fell in love with MAB Artistry when I ran across their Instagram page. My wedding planner sent over a list of HMU teams and I was instantly drawn to MAB Artistry because they had pictures of minority brides. It was important for me to find someone who was experienced with doing POC makeup.

What advice do you have for other brides?

Breathe!!!!!!!! Wedding planning can be very overwhelming and it’s important to destress throughout the process. Delegate!! Whether it’s your wedding planner, family, or bridal party, it is important and helpful to have others help you out with planning. It’s you and your partner’s wedding! Remember to do what you want on your special day. There will also be someone who will give you their advice on what you should do but at the end of the day, it’s not their wedding. Lastly, enjoy every minute of your wedding. It goes by SO FAST, so take in as much as you can.