Top 9 Stories from 2018

With a blink of an eye, 2018 is over and 2019 has begun. We cannot believe how quickly time flies! 2018 was such an unforgettable year, and we are fortunate to have shared so many amazing love stories, proposals, and weddings on our blog. Special thanks to all the couples who took the time to share their stories with us. We're thrilled to now reveal our top 9 most popular stories of 2018!

#9: Eduard and Renita's Proposal Story

We love romantic and surprise proposals, so we were thrilled to get the details of Eduard and Renita's proposal story. Eduard knew Renita was suspicious of the proposal happening so he kept throwing her off until she was sure it wasn't going to happen. Eduard surprised Renita with a gorgeous set up in their hotel room with flowers, candles, and balloons. Our favorite part was when Renita peaked outside the balcony to find their close friends and family standing outside waiting to celebrate with them!  

#8: Vanand and Ani's Proposal Story

Vanand and Ani's proposal story had us on our toes from start to finish. Vanand's original proposal idea had to be tossed into the wind when he couldn't get the ring through security at the RISE Festival without Ani finding out. Thinking quickly he called her family and had them create the perfect setting for a proposal at her house when they got home. Sometimes it's those last minute ideas that turn out the best! 

#7: Sako and Lilit's Engagement Party

We were honored to share Sako and Lilit's full love story from their heart-melting dance studio proposal to their gorgeous and classy wedding. However it was their engagement party that really caught everyone's eye. From the beautiful lilac and pumpkin decor to their smiles that glowed, it was an unforgettable event. No matter which photo we look at of this couple, it's obvious that they are head over heels in love. 

#6: Our Bride's Story Blogger Manifa

In less than 6 months, our Bride's Story Blogger Manifa and her fiance Emin will FINALLY be getting married! We started sharing their story back in 2017 with Emin's epic blackjack proposal, and we have been following them every since through their wedding planning journey. This year Manifa shared so many stories, including their Trndez celebration, her wedding dress shopping experience, and even details from her and Emin's trip to Armenia. We'll be sad when Manifa's blog series comes to an end in June, but until then, we can't wait to see what 2019 has in store for this beautiful couple.

#5: Narek and Sandi's Wedding

Narek and Sandi's wedding was filled with beautiful Armenian traditions. What made it extra special is that Sandi is not Armenian, yet she wanted to incorporate the wedding traditions to incorporate Narek's Armenian culture. Sandi shared how much she loved the bride's house traditions, including the blocking of the doorway. Our favorite moment from their wedding was the sequence of shots capturing the couple's emotional reaction during their ceremony. 

#4: Masis and Arina's Engagement

Arina's initial reaction to Masis's proposal made us laugh! Masis surprised Arina on her 23rd birthday with the best gift of all - a diamond ring. Arina's response had everyone thinking she said no to his proposal, but she cleared it all up by shouting YES in the midst of all the confusion. We loved their holiday themed proposal, and their traditional khosk-kap that followed soon after.

#3: Manuk and Edita's Wedding

With a 60-pound custom wedding dress and the most emotional father-daughter dance we have ever seen, it was impossible for Manuk and Edita's wedding to not make our Top 9 list. Every detail of this  glamorous wedding was absolutely beautiful. Plus we loved that Edita shared photos from their proposal, engagement photo shoot, and even their honeymoon! 

 

#2: Tak and Sona's Wedding

We were very fortunate to not only get full access to Sona and Tak's wedding but have a sit-down interview to learn all about their love story, hilarious take on wedding planning, and memorable wedding stories. Sona and Tak told us everything from their horrible first date to all the crazy shenanigans that happened on their wedding day. We even got some footage of Conan putting his Armenian dance lessons to good use! Catch up on some of our favorite clips of Sona and Conan from their trip to Armenia, watch the 3-part interview series, and see all both the raw and professional photos from their wedding day. 

 

#1: Alexis Ohanian and Serena Williams' Wedding

It's no surprise that our most popular story of the year was Alexis Ohanian, Sr and Serena Williams' wedding. We were beyond honored when Alexis agreed to answer our questions and share their wedding story with Harsanik! We got the full scoop from the Armenian food that was served during the reception to the surprise carousel ride. Publishing this story definitely made our list of most memorable events from 2018! 

Thank you to every one of our readers, followers, brides, and vendors for helping make 2018 a success! We especially thank all of the couples who took the time to share their stories. These stories are all sources of inspiration for the future groom- and bride-to-be's.

Congratulations to all the couples who got engaged or married in 2018 and we can't wait to see what's in store for 2019!

We started this tradition last year with the Top 9 of 2017 list and we can't wait to see who will make our top 9 list in 2019.  If you or a friend was recently engaged or married, we'd love to hear from you! Contact us or tag us (@harsanikcom) on Instagram for a chance to be featured!