As we begin 2017, we want to take a moment to look back on all the fantastic weddings and events we had in 2016 here at Lesner Inn. We got the opportunity to work with some of the best couples, see some of the most touching moments, and so many other things that made 2016 so unforgettable! For all of our 2016 Lesner Inn newlyweds, we hope your big day was everything you dreamed of here at Lesner Inn and that your first year of marriage was nothing less than perfect.  We wish you so much happiness in 2017 and for the years to come in the future!

Best First Dance
_{Right: Modest Monkey Photography}

With the legalization of same sex marriage in June, we have to celebrate this beautiful couple!  Michelle & Erin shared their first dance to “The Story” by Brandi Carlile and had us all in tears!  We still get goose bumps just thinking about their first dance, which is why they take the title of best first dance!

Best Party Crasher

_{Above: Luke & Ashley Photography}

Amanda and David took the term wedding crasher to a whole new level when their prehistoric visitor showed up. Having this stag guest show up during their reception definitely won them the best party crasher of 2016!

Best First Look
_{Left: Hope Everlasting Photography}

Sometimes the sweetest first look isn’t shared between couples, but with other important people in your life. Witnessing Marissa’s father’s reaction to seeing her before walking down the aisle definitely proved that to be true! This reaction scored Marissa and her father the best first look of 2016!

Best Garter Toss 

_{Above: Melody Gillikin Photography}

People think that doing the garter removal in front of all their family and friends can be uncomfortable but Allie and Adam showed us how to put a funny twist on it! Having the groom and groomsmen dress up made all the awkward vibes fly out the window, which is why they won the best garter toss of 2016!

Best Outfit

_{Above: Dustin Lewis Photography}

When preparing for a wedding, the most important thing a guest asks themselves is “what should I wear?”  Lucky for this guy, he found the perfect outfit.  Even though his seductive little wardrobe change didn’t happen until later in the evening, we give him props for such a bold and fashion forward ensemble.  This guy took the naked fashion forward to a whole new level, which is why we are awarding him best outfit of 2016!

Best Grooms Cake
_{Right: Angie McPherson Photography}

Not many of our couples still honor this pastime but if you’re a Steel Magnolias fan, you know the tradition of a groom’s cake all too well. We have to say, this cake is MUCH better than a red velvet armadillo cake. The award for best groom’s cake goes to Cierra for this awesome cake for her husband!

Best Candid
_{Left: Echard Wheeler Photography}

Brittany and Rocky’s wedding here at the Lesner Inn was beyond a dream! Seeing how these two acted together all night was so sweet. Props to Echard Wheeler Photography for capturing this candid photo of them during their reception, which was why they won best candid picture of 2016!

Best Rainy Day
_{Right: Echard Wheeler Photography}

The old wives tale states that rain on your wedding day mean that you will have good luck for years to come. It also means that you are an awesome couple with an awesome photographer who will (quite literally) weather the storm for the best shot. We are in LOVE with this picture of Emily and Chris on their wedding day – nothing could get them down!

Best Personal Touch
_{Left: Elizabeth Henson Photography}

Chelsea and Andrew share a strong love for the finer things in life…like long walks on the beach, candlelight dinner and Pixar movies. Do you see the subtle nod to Toy Story in this photo? We nominate them for best personal touch in a Lesner Inn wedding for 2016!

Best Waterside Deck Wedding
_{Right: Caitlin Gerres Photography}

From the moment we started the planning process with Alicia, we knew that this girl was going to pull off one heck of a wedding! They tied the knot in Ghent and came to celebrate their new marriage with all of their family and friends on the Waterside Deck at Lesner Inn. With hints of navy blue, blush and gold, their wedding was the sweetest, most elegant Waterside Deck wedding. For that reason, they win best Waterside Deck wedding of 2016!

Best Wedding Game
_{Left: Daissy Torres Photography}

Most of the time, a lot of the guests at a wedding are only close with either the bride or the groom. Stephanie and Scott made sure all of their guests got to know them a little better by playing the shoe game during their awesome August wedding. Best wedding game goes to y’all… and now we know who is the better cook!

Best Flower Girl

_{Above: David Champagne Photography}

The wedding is all about the bride and groom…unless you have a flower girl that total steals the show! This little princess melted our hearts and takes the cake for best flower girl of 2016!

Best Cake Cutting

_{Above: Daissy Torres Photography}

Amy & Francisco were one of our favorite couples to work with!  Their easy going and fun loving attitudes were always welcome, even though 90% of our communication was over phone and email!  Being such a playful couple, it came to no surprise when they started smashing cake in each other’s faces after they cut the cake.  This intense showdown definitely takes the cake for best cake cutting of 2016!

Best Sparkler Exit
_{Left: David Champagne Photography}

Lealet and Reden ran off into the night after this stunning sparkler exit. Did David Champagne catch the perfect moment or what? These two stole the show with this sparkler exit and it was definitely the best one of 2016!

Best Wedding Cake
_{Right: Beth Hamilton Photography}

We have a little bit of a sweet tooth. Okay, A LOT of a sweet tooth. Buttercream, almond, fondant, chocolate chips, red velvet, sprinkles..you name it we love it. After seeing countless wedding cakes this year, we have to award Shannon and Doug best cake of 2016. Steven Siccone did an AMAZING job with this creation and it looked (almost) too good to eat!

Best Smile
_{Left: Dustin Lewis Photography}

Your wedding day is the happiest day of your life therefore, the day you should be smiling the most. Blaine took this to heart and didn’t stop grinning the whole day! It helped that his bride, Kelsey, looked simply amazing. Dustin Lewis captured it perfectly during their first dance…best smile of 2016 goes to Blaine!

Best Sunset Photo

_{Above: Stellar Exposures Photography}

Lesner Inn is FAMOUS for the amazing sunsets that your guests can catch during cocktail hour. 365 sunsets of 2016 and we think that this one takes the cake. And to top it off, the most beautiful couple got married on this day! Amanda from Stellar Exposures wins the award for the best sunset picture of 2016!

Best Party Crowd
_{Left: Dustin Lewis Photography}

Best Party Crowd of 2016 goes to Melanie and Steven for throwing this great wedding last May! We hope your weekend is filled with even half the amount of fun and partying that this reception had!

Best First Kiss
_{Right: Elena Skaya Photography}

Ah, the perfect first kiss. This one was a tough one and truthfully, all first kisses are the best kisses but we did have to pick a winner. Michelle and Tanner get the award for the Best First Kiss of 2016! As soon as they were pronounced husband and wife, Michelle and Tanner embraced and sealed the deal with a big ol’ smooch in front of all of their family and friends. You can even see Michelle smiling in this photo during the moment!

Thank you to all of our wonderful 2016 couples!! May every year of marriage be just as magical as the first!