REAL WEDDING:: Stephanie Talley + Nicholas Tolat {MUST LOVE DOGS}

February 4, 2021
Jessica Burke
Featured Couples

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

Written By: Jessica Burke | Photos: Jessica Gold Photography

Steph and Nick were introduced by mutual friends in May of 2017 and like many couples who were meant to be, they “have been inseparable ever since.” On their first trip to Steph’s hometown, she took Nick to a park with magnificent views of the Mississippi River that she’d visit often. Two years later, Nick would propose at that exact spot.

The couple married in October 2020 at Foxhall Resort in Douglasville, Georgia. Steph had originally planned for her uncle, a pastor, to officiate her wedding when the time came. “When he passed, I could only imagine we have my cousin Ginny officiate,” shares Steph. “She has always acted like a big sister to me. She supported me as I went through nursing school. We even lived together during that time. We could not have imagined anyone else but Ginny being the best fit to officiate our wedding.”

“Nick grew up going to temple,” shares Steph. “His mother grew up Buddhist, and his father, Hindu…I grew up as a Christian. We wanted to do something special to signify our union that was open to all aspects of religious differences. We decided to do a Unity Box to commence our love. We wanted a sweet memory where we were able to relive our wedding day each year. Our Unity Box contains a His and Hers wine glass, a personalized bottle of Champagne, our vow books, a USB of our wedding videos, and a USB of our photos. We plan to open this on our first anniversary. Each year, we will write a letter to one another, replace the wine bottle, and reminisce on the happiest day of our lives.”

“We felt that it was important to include our dogs in the wedding,” says Steph. “so we had our flower girl and ring bearer walk down the aisle with our two adorable dogs, Gus and Mikey.” Steph and Nick had adopted Mikey after seeing him featured in a photo shoot featuring adoptable dogs done for NOW Weddings Magazine in 2019. The wedding reception even featured signature cocktails named after the pups!

A favorite moment for both was the First Look. “The first look was such a special moment for us,” says Steph. “ It gave us that one-on-one time to enjoy each other’s company on such a momentous occasion.”