Marmaros Productions
- Jul 7, 2021
- 5 min read

Melanie & Michael

Updated: Jun 23, 2023

5.23.2021 | DeKalb Historic Courthouse

How We Met

In October 2019, we were in Charleston, South Carolina, walking around the city the day after Makenzie Lee & Ryan’s wedding when we ran into some guests & bridesmaids on the street. We got to talking with them and while others were talking, Michael very quietly asked Megan for her business card. Months went by and we didn’t hear anything from them so we just assumed they went a different direction with planning until June 2020 when Melanie inquired. Nearly immediately after they inquired with us, Melanie & Michael booked us and we were so excited to be working with this sweet couple and returning to The Dekalb Courthouse!

Love Story

"Michael and Melanie met while working in the education field in 2016. Michael built up the courage to talk to Melanie and they hit it off right away. Becoming great friends and working together brought them closer and they started to realize there was more to this than only friendship.

On April 25th, 2020 Michael got down on one knee and asked Melanie for her hand with family and friends in hopes she would say yes. The sun was out and smiling on them as she said, "YES" and everyone came out ready to celebrate the start of their lives as one.

They are so excited to start the next phase of their lives together"

Down to Business

Every time we met with Melanie & Michael, they were generous enough to invite us to their house and host us there. They made sure that our stomachs were always full by the time we left their house! We even got to go to the tasting with Endive (which was AMAZING). Our meetings were always full of laughs and very educated questions as Melanie & Michael were planning a wedding in the middle of a pandemic where the rules were constantly changing. Even though planning a wedding in the midst of the pandemic was difficult and threw plenty of curveballs, these two were planning their big day with smiles on their faces!

The Big Day

Since we weren’t allowed into The Dekalb Courthouse until the afternoon, getting ready for the girls started early at Melanie & Michael’s home. Hair & Makeup by Trey Anthony & Jessica Terrell began at 7am and let us tell you - all of the girls looked absolutely stunning! A little later in the morning, Chase Lanier arrived to the house and began getting detail & getting ready shots. After the getting-ready shots had wrapped up, the bridesmaids put their jumpsuits on and loaded into Atlantic Limo’s bus to head to the venue! Once they were in the bridal suite at The Dekalb Courthouse, Melanie got into her [perfect] dress and began getting ready for her first look with Michael! We unloaded our car with the decor that Michael & Melanie rented from us, Endive & Caroline Worth Designs were also unloading all the food and florals for the wedding! We set up the ceremony chairs and pinned the groomsmen’s boutonnieres on them. Things began moving very quickly as we were approaching ceremony hour! Chase knocked out couple portraits, bridal party photos, and the beginning of family photos before we moved everyone back into the air conditioning as guests began to arrive.

When it was time to begin the ceremony, we sent everyone down the aisle to get these two married! After a sweet and beautiful ceremony, Melanie & Michael left the aisle with a kiss and lead their bridal party downstairs for a drink before beginning more photos! Now it was our time to shine! Between Endive, Caroline Worth Designs, and us we began flipping the room to totally transform the space! We love the way the ivory cloths and tropical feel of the florals was so different from all other weddings we’ve done! After about 45 minutes, the room was perfect and we were ready to show guests to their seats!

Melanie & Michael had a private moment alone in the bridal suite with appetizers and drinks of choice before we lined up the bridal party and began the reception! Their first dance was so beautiful and Melanie’s parents gave a beautiful welcome speech before we opened the scrumptious buffet! After everyone went through the line at least once (no judgment for those who went twice, we did too) and Melanie & Michael went around the room to chat with their guests, we cut the cake that Melanie’s sister made (which was so pretty) before we heard speeches from the maid of honor and best man and had the parent dances. Once all the formal dances were complete, Cordarro Patrick opened it up for these people to get down on the dance floor!

Melanie & Michael went outside to take pictures with the classic car from Classy Car Limos before we lined everyone up to send off this beautiful, fun, and happy couple off into their forever!

Something Spectacular

Something we loved that made their wedding so unique was Melanie & Michael asked Melanie’s sister Shirleanne to officiate their ceremony. This was such a sweet addition to their day to hear from someone who knows Melaine & Michael so well and can make their ceremony unique to them!

Raving Reviews

"Megan Harris with Marmaros was attentive, organized, and very resourceful throughout the planning process. Megan alleviated any stress leading up to the wedding also providing helpful tips and resources that kept us on track for the big day. Megan took the reins on our rehearsal day and made sure everyone knew exactly what they were doing and made it fun and enjoyable. On our wedding day, we knew we had absolutely nothing to stress about because Megan and her team were on it. Every little detail, every step of the way. We couldn’t have asked for a better wedding planner and we are very grateful that we pick Megan Harris and the Marmaros team to help us throughout our wedding planning. We would definitely recommend Megan Harris and the Marmaros team to anyone."

Happily Ever After

We are so happy to have been a part of Melanie & Michael’s beautiful wedding! We loved getting to know them throughout this planning process and we know their future is so bright! We wish them every happiness as they step into married life are so excited to plan the second annual Stearns/Stearns wedding next May! 😉 Cheers to the new Mr. & Mrs. Stearns!