REAL WEDDING:: Gracie Jovanovic + Ross Armond {NEXT STOP, EVERYWHERE.}

::AS SEEN IN THE MAY 2021 ISSUE OF NOW WEDDINGS MAGAZINE::

Written By: Jessica Burke | Photos: Sarah Alleman Photography

Ross and Gracie have known each other since they were ten years old. “We were best friends throughout our high school and college careers and started dating just after graduating college,” shares Gracie. Ross proposed on March 15th, 2020 while they were attending a bridal show and venue tour in Kentwood. “During the tour, he pointed out some cows,” says Gracie. “ I turned to look at them and he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. It was perfection.”

The wedding invitations

The couple chose February 13, 2021 for their wedding date, but soon found they need to postpone their big wedding plans. With just three weeks to plan, Ross and Gracie rescheduled their wedding reception and planned a micro wedding ceremony at one of their favorite restaurants, The Wine Garden, in Slidell. “We just love the atmosphere and drinking wine is always a plus,” says Gracie. Ross and Gracie said ‘I do’ in a micro wedding attended by 25 family members and friends and followed by a dinner that included charcuterie, chicken and waffles, prime rib poboys, and crawfish pasta.

The wedding ceremony at The Wine Garden

“Ross and I are both very big into movies, books, and tv,” says Gracie. “We really like a good story, so we wanted to incorporate that into our wedding day. We picked books from our childhood and incorporated “Doctor Who” in our ceremony and on our cake. We felt that our story could cross space and time just as the Doctor does in the show.”

Gracie and Ross' cake featured a Dr. Who themed cake topper. — Gracie and Ross’ cake featured a Dr. Who themed cake topper.

childhood and incorporated “Doctor Who” in our ceremony and on our cake. We felt that our story could cross space and time just as the Doctor does in the show.”

Gracie and Ross also wanted to incorporate their cats Ozpin and Albus who they describe as their “pride and joy.” Gracie had the cats hand-painted on her shoes and had socks made for Ross featuring the kitties’ faces.

Gracie and Ross included their cats in their wedding with special shoe and sock details.

To create meaningful details for the wedding, the couple’s photographer, Sarah Alleman, asked them to collect some childhood photos. “Ross’ mom went to look in his childhood room and found our fourth grade yearbook,” shares Gracie. “She had sent me a picture not even realizing that he had drawn a heart around me in it. I cried because I saw this only a week before the wedding and it just set all the ooey gooey feelings in motion.”

Ross had drawn a heart around Gracie's 4th grade yearbook photo.

“Our first look was so important to us,” says Gracie. “We really wanted that moment just for us to have. I was jittery all day, but as soon as I saw Ross, I knew everything was going to be okay.”

Gracie and Ross' first look

In the end, Ross and Gracie had a beautiful, intimate wedding ceremony and Gracie considers them lucky to be able to celebrate not once, but twice. “Even though it wasn’t the original plan it was still perfect in every way,” she says.