Kelsie and Billy are both Ann Arbor, Michigan natives, so it was only natural that they take pictures in their home town. As University of Michigan fans they spent the engagement session on campus, and also at the beautiful botanical gardens run by the university. As true Northerners some cold weather in January didn’t stop them from grabbing a couple of adorable outdoor pics, and enjoying some hot cocoa together. A big thank you to Melanie Reyes Photography for submitting these sweet images.
February 16th, 2012
Real Weddings:Laura and Hollis, St.Paul, Minnesota
This week has been a super inspiring one for me with some many amazing submissions to be shared on the blog. Today’s wedding is no exception. When they started planning their wedding Laura says that Hollis really wanted an outdoor venue. However she was a bit nervous, and wanted a spot with a roof, just in case. They chose the visitors center at Como Zoo because it had a beautiful terrace overlooking the conservatory, and park, as well as being enclosed in glass to give the whole reception an outdoor feel. They really utilized the idea of lush greenery in their decor and personal flowers. Some of my absolute favorite details are the adorable cake with fondant succulents, and the bridesmaids purple print dresses. A big thank you to Laura for sharing all the details from her and Hollis’ day, and to Maren Delaney Photography for the beautiful images.
Who, What, Where ~ Ceremony: Gloria Dei Lutheran Church. Reception: Como Zoo. Photos: Maren Delaney Photography. Bouquets and Bouts: Molly’s Gardens. Cake: Sweets Bakeshop. Brides Dress: Priscilla of Boston. Bridesmaids: Nordstrom.
Even more gorgeousness…
From the bride…
Hollis and I met in the winter of 2006. I had just returned from teaching English in China, and was getting ready to start law school in the fall, and needed a job. I was hired as a server at a restaurant where Hollis was the pastry chef. We have lived together in St. Paul since the fall of 2007. We love traveling, trying new food/restaurants and spending time with our family and friends. This past fall, Hollis planned a surprise trip to Chicago for my birthday. He even packed a suitcase for me! On my birthday, September 23, he proposed while we were walking down Navy Pier.
We set a date for August 27th, and then my mother was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer at the end of January, so we moved the date to May 28th, hoping it would give us the chance for my mom to be there. Unfortunately she passed away in April, but we went ahead with the wedding knowing it was what she wanted. I was lucky enough to have my mother there when I found my dress.
The wedding colors were purple, green and silver/white. I can’t remember if I chose those colors or if they were inspired by the bridesmaid dresses. Once I picked the dresses, everything else started falling into place. Being foodies, we were particularly concerned about dessert. So we decided that Hollis would make centerpiece cakes for each table. We started collecting vintage cake stands for each cake/table.
I wanted my look to be vintage. I wore a rhinestone bracelet that belonged to my late grandmother, and had a lace handkerchief that belonged to my other grandmother. We looked for weddings bands for Hollis, and didn’t find anything we were crazy about. And then my aunt told us Hollis could have my great-grandfather’s wedding band. Miraculously it fit, and Hollis loved that it had their wedding date inscribed on the inside from 1907!
I think my favorite part of the day was seeing everything come together. Everyone’s hard work and love paid off. Hopefully that didn’t sound too cheesy. I just felt so lucky to have so many friends and family from all over come to help us celebrate! We had guests from California, Denver, New York, South Carolina, Chicago and Kuwait! Knowing that people were there to help us have a wonderful day meant the world to me. And of course marrying a wonderful man! Another favorite part of the day was carrying on a tradition that my sorority sisters and I have started. At each wedding, there have been 5 (I think) including mine, where we all sing and dance like crazy ladies to a song called “Murder on the Dancefloor.” It’s a great girl anthem, and a fun part of Kappa Kappa Gamma weddings!
February 14th, 2012
Inspiration: Winter Love Shoot
Happy Valentines Day MOTM readers! I hope you are having a wonderful day filled with love, whether it’s celebrating with your sweetheart, friends, or family.
Winter is the time of year when wedding vendors get a chance to really spread their wings and be creative because it’s the off season for business. I’ve been getting so many incredible inspiration shoots lately, and today is no exception. It seems quite fitting because not only is it Valentines Day, we also just had our first real snowfall of the winter here in Kansas City. Today’s shoot was submitted by the talented Kate from Made With Love Photography, and features a fabulous group of Wisconsin vendors. From the styling to the adorable heart details, it definitely puts me in a romantic frame of mind. Hope you guys love it, and a big thank you to Kate for letting me share it!
Who, What, Where ~ Photography: Made with Love Photography, Styling and Vintage Rentals: Sunshine Daydream Weddings & Events, Location: Northwind Perennial Farm, Hair and Makeup: JennyFace, Invitations: Ink & Ivory, Veils: b.poetic. See additional photos of the shoot by the lovely Nashville photography duo Love is A Big Deal, who were the lead photographers and also played a large role in styling.
Even more gorgeousness…
From Kate the photographer:
This shoot was a collaboration involving several wedding vendors from all over the Midwest. We all worked together to create a warm, rustic feeling despite the chilly Wisconsin weather. Our goal was to create a vintage, yet chic and modern style that could work for any winter or even valentine’s day wedding. Several of the vintage items used are actually available for rental from Sunshine Daydream Weddings & Events, who played a large part in styling this shoot.
The palette of ivory, silver, and gold were meant to give it a snowy luster while the pops of red were there to bring out the warm, rustic element. By incorporating various hints of red, hearts, and sweet desserts (like warm, gooey cinnamon rolls) we also hoped to capture the idea of love, which is commonly associated with that color, shape, and sweet desserts. Additionally, we wanted to show that a bright warm color against all of the creamy whites can really make the setting pop and there are ways to incorporate color into the clothing as well, even for the bride and groom. A recent wedding trend increasing in popularity is colored wedding dresses, so we figured why not a red lace dress?! It’s something unexpected and unique that could easily work for any rustic style or especially valentine’s day wedding.
The only thing missing from our rustic winter landscape was actual snow. So, we had to get a bit creative and actually shot the snow scenes at a local ski resort. The most unexpected part was that near the end of our shoot in the snow, it actually started to snow! It shows you never quite know what kind of weather you’ll end-up with on your wedding day or even for a wedding shoot, especially in Wisconsin.
February 13th, 2012
Engagement Session: Sheena and Adam, Illinois
Adam and Sheena both grew up in small towns in central Illinois, so they though that there could be no better location than a friends farm right at the beginning of harvest. They took full advantage of all the beautiful locations a farm has to offer, and even towed a super old vintage truck out of the barn to use as a prop for the shoot. They also brought their sweet pup Coors along, a member of their family for the past three years. A big thank you to the lovely Sheena for submitting her engagement session and for the images shot by Maggie Medema.
February 10th, 2012
Real Weddings: Phil and Cristina, Glendale, Ohio
Phil and Cristina have one of those classic love stories you might see in a romantic comedy these days. Girl meets boy, girl likes boy, they date for awhile, then boy disappears. They re-connect, as friends mind you, and then girl has an epiphany, she loves the boy, and the rest turns out to be history. Something else that really struck me about these two is just how important their faith and presence of God in their relationship is. Here at Middle of the Map I see all kinds of weddings, but for Phil and Cristina their ceremony was super personal, and in all ways an expression of their relationship not only with each other, but also with their faith. They kept things super traditional, Cristina wore a blusher veil, and they didn’t see each other before the ceremony. The bride, an artist herself, says she saw their day as a blank canvas, and wanted to fill it with lots of special details. They chose their venue, the Glendale Lyceum because it felt incredibly romantic, which is exactly the look and feel that Phil and Cristina wanted for their day. A big thank you to Cristina for sharing all the details from their day, and to Jenna Davis for her lovely images.
Who, What, Where ~ Ceremony/Reception: Glendale Lyseum. Photography: Jenna Davis Photography. Flowers: Kroger. Catering: Vonderhaar’s Catering. Cake: Sandy Maffey. Dress: Wendy’s Bridal. Tuxes: President Tuxedo.
From the bride…
Phil and I first started talking online summer of 2007. We attended the same church and he couldn’t help but comment on an opinion I had posted about the nintendo game Mario Cart, which he played avidly in college. Our “everday conversations” through email lasted a little over two months before I asked to meet Phil in person. We went out to dinner on a double date, and we hung out a couple times after that, and then Phil went MIA for 3 weeks! I heard from Phil again in spring of 2008 when he was going through a really rough time with his health, and we hung out strictly as friends. I was working on a bachelor’s degree for Art Education and I would be student teaching at the beginning of the school year. I remember the day my Advisor told me I would be student teaching at Bridgetown Middle School; the same school Phil teaches 8th grade History!! A pivotal moment in our realtionship was the night I went with him to be baptized at the church we attend. It was a really special bonding experience. Almost exactly two years later, Philip asked me to be his wife.
I was especially happy with how the “do it yourself” projects turned out!! Of course, I would have never accomplished it all without the help of my amazing family! The biggest and most rewarding project we tackled was making the wedding invitations I am so glad I decided to take on the challenge. Other projects included: putting glitter on over 100 white pumpkins to use as ‘escort cards’ and decoration throughout the hall; my dad used my grandma’s homemade caramel corn recipe to make one of our two favors (we would make it as a family when we were kids; the best part was shaking the bag of popcorn to coat it with caramel); I made the programs and programs “sleeves”. The beautiful purple pockets that hung from every other chair holding two programs and bubbles to be used at our exit; I was so excited to see that project evolve.
My favorite part of the day was seeing Philip’s reaction as I came down the aisle as he saw me for the first time. I could see the emotion on his face as he processed and took in what was happening. I knew he was extremely nervous but all I saw was joy! The entire night was so much fun, from our bubble exit, to pictures, speeches, our first dance (and lots more dancing).
