Here in the midwest the chilly winter weather seems to just be getting started, but at the flower market the blooms of spring are starting to pop up. This includes one of my (and most peoples) all time favorite flower, the peony. I simply can’t get enough of them, and apparently neither can brides, it’s definitely our most requested wedding flower. Obviously I couldn’t resist sharing this gorgeous pink and white spring bouquet made up of pink and white peonies, and beautiful pink roses. A perfect clutch for a spring bride! Lovely pics by The McCartneys Photography, and flowers by Horants.
September 5th, 2012
Real Weddings: Mindy and Jim, Kansas City, Missouri
I don’t know about you you, but with how ridiculously hot this summer has been I’m definitely in the mood for fall. On that note I thought it would be perfect to share Mindy and Jim’s adorable October wedding to get us all in the spirit of one of my favorite seasons. When planning their day Mindy said that they had a lot of out of town guests, so they really wanted to showcase Kansas City. After attending a few different events at Boulevard Brewery she and Jim knew it was the right spot for their wedding, with a lovely space, views of the KC skyline, and of course some of the best beer around! She drew color inspiration from the Boulevard logo, and added in some neutral grey to soften the navy and yellow palette. A crew of crafty family and friends helped pull together the hand made decor, and Carolyn of Ultrapom, a local event rental company added lovely linens, and containers, as well as helping set up on the day of. A big thank you to Mindy for sharing all the details of the day, and to Heather Brulez for the lovely images.
Who, What, Where ~ Ceremony/Reception: Boulevard Brewery. Photos: Heather Brulez Photography. Flowers: Dutch Flowers. Rentals and Set-up: Ultrapom. Catering: Jack Stack BBQ. Stationer: Alicia Dean CCOinc.
Even more loveliness…
From the bride, Mindy…
Jim and Mindy met at Cinzetti’s Italian restaurant in Overland Park KS in 2005. Mindy was being trained in her first serving job when Jim hurried through the front door, eager to check on his week’s sales numbers. Taken with Mindy’s blue eyes and good manners, he broke his rule of dating a co-worker by asking her out for a cherry soda. Mindy was humored and intrigued by the cherry soda request. Phone numbers were exchanged and a first date was scheduled. Being new to Kansas City, Mindy had never been to the Nelson Atkins Museum of Art. Jim decided that he would take her there for their first date. Six years later, they returned to the same location where Jim proposed to Mindy and she gladly said YES!
My mom was the master of DIY projects when I was growing up. She sewed my dresses, doll dresses, Halloween costumes, arranged dried flowers, etched glass….you name it. I’ve tried to follow in her footsteps but only seem to leave half finished projects in my wake.
When it came to my wedding, I wanted that do-it-yourself feel in the decor to make our guests feel at home. I gathered ideas from online and went to craft stores to get inspired but it was all a little overwhelming. The project supervisor in me spoke up and I decided to delegate instead.
Being the crafty gal that she is, my mom made all of the paper flowers for our centerpieces. Jim actually had the idea to shred Kansas City Star newspapers to use as filler for the vases. I knew I chose the right guy!
I hired Alicia Dean of CCOinc, a graphic designer whom I work with to design our save the date’s and wedding invitations. She and I collaborated on the design and I couldn’t have been happier! Alicia also designed and produced our guest book which was a tree for our guests to “leaf” their fingerprint and sign.
Bridesmaids Leah & Amy hand folded all of the “Cootie Catchers” which served as our ceremony programs. I created the cupcake decor from some long forgotten project materials laying around the house and also the table numbers and our place cards.
Jim and his family sweetly gifted me some jewelry from the women on both sides of his family. I requested that our florist Melissa Garris (Dutch Flowers in the River Market) attach them to my bridal bouquet.
The Nelson Atkins Museum of Art was the only choice for our pre-wedding photos for me. Jim and I had our first date and our proposal there. The weather couldn’t have been better for the end of October and I’m still amazed at how the photos look like they were taken in June.
Aside from all the usual things brides say were their favorite parts…it was truly the professionalism and outstanding level of service each of our vendors brought to our wedding day. Seeing all of our own visions, research hours and dollars working through our vendors’ skill sets & creativity to orchestrate a memorable event for our guests was extremely rewarding.
June 7th, 2012
Real Weddings: Michelle and Matt, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Michelle and Matt met through mutual friends in August 2006. They started dating and immediately became inseparable. When deciding where to have their wedding, Michelle said it just felt right to have it in Milwaukee, where they spent their entire relationship and built such great memories. They were so excited to invite their family and friends to join them and explore the city they love so much. Michelle wanted their day to be simple, classic, and romantic, and chose navy with pops of green and purple as her colors. A big thank you to Michelle for sharing all the details of her and Matt’s day, and to Carly McCray Photography for submitting the lovely images.
Who, What, Where ~ Venue – 1451 Renaissance Place, Photographer – Carly McCray Photography, Flowers – Impressions by Esther Fleming, Cake – Milwaukee Cupcake Company, Invitations – Wedding Paper Divas, Caterer – Chef Jack’s Catering, Brides Dress – Premiere Couture, Tuxes – Harleys for Men, Bridesmaid Dresses – Bella Bridesmaid.
Even more loveliness…
From Michelle…
The very first wedding detail I took care of was my dress. I really liked the simplicity and the romance of lace. We chose navy blue for the bridesmaid dresses and green/purple accents because I’ve always loved these colors. I’m drawn to navy blue and green, from the clothes I wear, to our home decorations. They’re just classic, beautiful colors.
I used Etsy.com to find unique, one of a kind, custom made items. We purchased an address stamp that we used on our invitation envelopes, clutch purses for the bridesmaids, and our adorable cupcake toppers.
In trying to find a unique, meaningful “something old” item for my wedding day, my mother asked my grandmother if she had anything special I could use. At my bridal shower, my grandmother gave me a beautiful handkerchief, that was a wedding gift from her mother. My grandmother explained that she has treasured this handkerchief for 61 years, since her wedding day, September 28, 1950, and it was now mine to treasure and keep safe. The handkerchief ended up being even more of a meaningful, special gift, as my grandparents were not able to be with us in Milwaukee that day due to complications with their health.
Matt and I share a love of good music and good food, so it was important to us that the day reflected us, and that our guests really enjoyed our special day. Everything was perfect, beautiful, and ran smoothly. We both agree that it was the happiest and best day of our lives. To have so many people there for you, who love and support you, and are there to celebrate your love and happiness….it was an amazing, humbling experience!
March 15th, 2012
Real Weddings: Steph and Erin, Lake Forest, Illinois
Today’s Real Wedding is one that I’m so excited to share. It’s a got all the things that make an event special; tons of personal and DIY details, beautiful flowers, lots of color, and a super sweet couple who are so obviously in love. Another great element to Steph and Erin’s day is that as nature lovers they wanted to make sure not to create a lot of waste with their event, and kept sustainability in mind throughout their planning process. They created a natural, vintage chic event that is so lovely and uniquely their own. A bit thank you to Steph for sharing all the details of their day, and to Jason Kaczorowski for his images.
Who, What, Where ~ Ceremony and Reception: Private residence. Photos: Jason Kaczorowski Photography. Event Planner: The Smitten Bride. Flowers: Libertyville Florist. Catering: Gourmet Garden Catering.
More details and loveliness…
from Steph…
Erin and I met in college through one of my best friends and roommate. It sounds kind of cheesy but it really was love at first sight (for both of us) even though we didn’t let each other in on that little secret. We grew closer as friends and Erin moved in with my roommate and I. Soon after that, we started dating and here we are 6 years later (a civil unioned couple!)
We are both very outdoorsy and down to earth people so we wanted colors that reflected our personalities. I’m a little on the preppy side so I loved the idea of navy and yellow (and we decided to add splashes of green for nature).
There were LOTS of DIY projects. Most of the wedding was DIY. My mom made our table linen squares and hay bale covers, and we put the centerpieces together ourselves. We also purchased a ton of handmade items on Etsy to add to the whole feel.
The whole day was utterly amazing for me from start to finish. I don’t know if I could pick a single moment, but seeing each other for our first look and exchanging letters in a quite & intimate setting was a wonderful beginning to our day. Seeing our families release the butterflies during the ceremony was beautiful. Getting introduced and spending time mingling with all of our closest family and friends were some other highlights.
September 2nd, 2011
Real Midwest Wedding: Kari and Curt, Lake Geneva, WI
I didn’t get a chance to post a real wedding yesterday because of some technical difficulties at mi casa. However I think it’s fitting that instead I post Kari and Curt’s beautiful day on Floral Friday, since one of the things that grabbed my attention in the first place were the beautiful flowers.
Curt and I met through my best friend who worked for the same company as Curt. For the first year and a half of our relationship we were long-distance, until by chance Curt got a job offer in the city where I was living. We had been dating three years when Curt proposed, and had just moved into our new house (he proposed the day we got the keys). Sixteen months later we were married.
Who, What, Where ~ Ceremony: Delvan First Baptist Church. Reception: The Riviera Ballroom. Photography: m three studio. Flowers: Fresh Design. Catering: Chef Jack’s Catering. Cake: Cake Lady Designs. Make-up: Blush. Invites: Paper Envy. Bride’s Dress: Melissa Sweet from Zita’s Bridal.
Kari went back and forth about the colors she wanted for the wedding. She decided since all the girls were picking their own style of dress that she’d go with navy fabric berry color sashes. She liked that the navy was classic, but the stripe of berry added a splash of color. Kari knew flowers were going to play a large part, so she also saw the navy as a great backdrop. Kari wore navy shoes to tie in her colors, and the men wore navy pin stripe suits.
In place of fresh flowers at the ceremony Kari purchased pom poms from an Etsy vendor, to add a touch of color and whimsy.
For their reception location Kari and Curt chose The Riviera Ballroom. This location was special to Kari in that she grew up seeing herself getting married there. Her aunt lives in Lake Geneva and she spent a lot of time there growing up.
Kari said that one of her favorite parts of planning was working with Karen at Fresh Design and sharing the ideas she had for flowers. Flowers have always been an important part of her life growing up, because her grandmothers, aunts, and mother are all avid gardeners. Gladiolas held a special place in Kari’s heart, and Karen made sure to include them in the reception arrangements. It was Kari’s way of including her late grandmothers in her and Curt’s special day.
Kari walked down the aisle to a special arrangement of “Across the Universe” by the Beatles. They also included lyrics from Beatles songs on paper luminaries at the reception. One of Kari and Curt’s favorite parts of their day was the music, which included a jazz trio of friends that played during the cocktail hour at the reception.
A big thank you to Kari and Curt for sharing all the details of their day with us. And thanks to Molly of m three studios for the beautiful images.
