Wedding Spotlight: Rachel + Gary at the Atlantis Ballroom

All photos perfectly captured by Erin Cynthia Photography — *All photos perfectly captured by* *Erin Cynthia Photography*

Here at Art Paper Scissors, we absolutely love bringing a couples’ wedding theme to life. From save-the-dates to invitations to thank you cards and everything in between, Art Paper Scissors is a couple's one-stop-shop for all things wedding stationery.

Meet Rachel and Gary, aka The Madisons. They tied the knot in November 2019 at the stunningly elegant Atlantis Ballroom in Toms River. It was such a pleasure to design their wedding stationery, from their custom save-the-dates featuring a rendering of their proposal spot in Savannah, Georgia, to their romantic burgundy floral wedding invitations.

Rachel and Gary are sharing all of the details of their wedding day - read on and swoon over their beautiful photos, captured by Erin Cynthia Photography.

Art Paper Scissors: Tell us about your wedding day. The date, place and any extra fun details you would like to share.

Rachel: Gary and I were married on November 16, 2019 at the Atlantis Ballroom in Toms River, NJ. We had our very chilly first look at the Island Heights Waterfront, but we were so excited that the weather didn't even matter!

Art Paper Scissors: How do you remember that special day? Any great memory that stands out?

Rachel: One of the first things that stands out when I think about our wedding is how in-tune with each other we were the whole day. We had our guests giggling through our vows because we unknowingly included so many of the same things. Throughout the night, we separated here and there, but every time I needed him, all I did was look up and he was somehow at my side again. None of the stress and anticipation leading up to the wedding mattered, because here we were, MARRIED, and the happiest I had ever been in my entire life!

Art Paper Scissors: What is your favorite part about being married?

Rachel: Reaching milestones with my husband. Purchasing our first home, getting a (crazy) puppy - even something as trivial as buying furniture together. There's just something about doing all those things with the person you're married to that make it so much sweeter.

Art Paper Scissors: Describe your wedding theme and feel in 3 words. Why did you choose this theme?

Rachel: Classic. Subtle. Whimsical.

While planning the wedding, I really didn't think so much about a theme, but rather little personal touches that would incorporate "us" into the wedding. I'm a Harry Potter nerd at heart. Gary and I even visited The Wizarding World the day before we got engaged. I included small elements like stars in my hair, a quote on our memory candle, and potions as favors. If you're not a fan, you may not have even picked up on it, but I had so much fun finding ways to bring a little extra magic to our wedding.

Art Paper Scissors: How did you decide on your wedding invitation design?

Rachel: I'm ashamed to admit that we went into our appointment with Lisa with having done hardly any research into how we would like our wedding invitations to look. None of that mattered since Lisa is such a pro. She had dozens of examples on display and helped us pull elements from several different invitations to create the perfect design for us. The end result can be described as nothing other than a work of art. I remember picking up the invitations from Lisa and being in complete awe of her work. They were simply STUNNING. I can't even tell you how many people reached out to tell me they were the most gorgeous invitations they'd ever received!

Art Paper Scissors: What design element or feature was a "must have" for your wedding invitations?
Rachel: I really wanted our invitations to be fun and unique. Lisa helped us come up with cute phrases to add to our response, direction, and hotel information cards. We also had a fold-down pocket that held everything neatly together. The end result was somehow elegant and sassy at the same time!

Art Paper Scissors: What advice do you have for other brides and grooms looking to incorporate their theme or personal elements into their wedding invitations?

Rachel: Go in with an open mind. Don't let something you found on The Knot or Pinterest completely close you off to other possibilities. This is an opportunity to let Lisa create something that is 100% the two of you.