February 28th, 2013

Real Wedding: Lindsay and Michael, Red Wing, MN

It has been cold and snowy all over the midwest lately, so today’s Real Wedding is the perfect thing to warm us right up! With an apple orchard proposal and a May wedding – we can’t help but think warm thoughts centered on fall and spring. The couple, Lindsay and Michael, wanted to personalize every detail of their day. With the event taking place at Michael’s family meadow and adorable apple jam favors made by Lindsay and her mom, they put their mark on every aspect of this celebration. With Karen Feder Photography there to capture all the festivities, you can really feel the warmth this couple shares and you can see the love they have for their family and closest of friends. We love the great lengths they went to in order to DIY their day. Everything from the candle lit mason jars to the hand painted signs showcases just how important it was to make this celebration all about their love and personalities. A true team effort and a celebration of love and family are up ahead.

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Who, What, Where ~ Ceremony/Reception: Groom’s Family Residence, Photography: Karen Feder Photography. Bride’s Dress: OnceWed.com (Maggie Sottero, Grace). Bridesmaid Dresses: The Wedding Shoppe. Bridesmaid Jewelry: Premier Designs. Food: Annabell’s Catering. Cupcakes: Rivertown Cakes, LLC. Flower Girls Dresses: JC Penney. Flowers: Something Blue Designs, LLC. Furniture: Posh Wedding Rentals. Groomsmen Suits: Men’s Warehouse. Men’s & Boys’ Ties: Dessey.com.

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From the bride, Lindsay…

After about nine months of dating the sweetest, kindest, most disciplined man I have ever met, Michael proposed to me on my 30th birthday. He took me to an apple orchard (which I love) and got down on one knee in the middle of the orchard! We quickly set a date for 8 months out – May 19th, 2012. I always have thought it would be fun to have an outdoor wedding and since we both love being outside, it made sense. Michael’s parents live in Red Wing, MN and have a beautiful property with a meadow surrounded by big, ancient trees, complete with a rippling brook right next to it. Someone made a joke about the wedding being there, but that got me thinking-and planning. Soon enough, the joke wasn’t a joke anymore! We tried to do as much of the decorating ourselves as we could. My mom, Michael, and bridesmaids were incredibly helpful with everything, and I rounded them up several times for what I called our “Assembly for Assembling”. My mom and I made apple jelly as the favor for all the guests, so the bridesmaids and I tied a poem about our engagement in the orchard to them, as well as put a circle on the lid that had our names and date of the wedding. We put invitations and programs together, put a wire around mason jars so we could hang them around the property with a candle in it, and did an insane amount of spray painting. Since we were not at an official venue, we had to bring everything down to the meadow and set it up ourselves. The day or two before, and the day of the wedding, friends and family were incredibly helpful in getting the tables and chairs set up, chandeliers hung, and all the little details put into place. The day was beautiful because of all the gracious help we had. The ceremony and reception were both held in the meadow and I wouldn’t have had it any other way! Visiting his parents’ house is always a fun occasion that makes us re-live the memories of our special day. I have always said that all the people you love and care about the most are gathered together for you twice; once is at your wedding, and the other is at your funeral. You’re only able to participate in one of those events, so you might as well make it what you want it if you’re able to! It was a wonderful day!

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Tags: DIY meadow Minnesota outdoors Real Wedding

February 21st, 2013

Real Wedding, Rachael and Brian, Cincinnati, Ohio

Timing is everything, you’ve probably heard that a time or two. And for Rachael and Brian, the perfect timing brought them together. After meeting during their first year at the School of Advertising Art (SAA) in Ohio, they didn’t think much of the encounter, but when they began sitting next to each other in class and working on projects together, it became evident that the timing was finally right and that they belonged together. The couple shares a love of vintage items and family heirlooms, so they planned to incorporate both into their wedding day. And with the backdrop of a rustic nature center, the woodland theme developed perfectly and was captured by 1326 Studios. We are so in love with the all the vintage flair featured in today’s post and we love how Racheal and Brian were able to incorporate so many unique and personal family items into their day. After a seven year courtship, their wedding day was a huge celebration of love, family and of course – perfect timing. Congratulations to the couple and thanks to 1326 Studios for sharing these images with us.

Who, What, Where ~ Ceremony/Reception: Krippendorf Lodge, Cincinnati Nature Center. Photography: 1326 Studios. Food: Elegant Fare. Invitations: printed by FourAmbition. Flowers: Blossom’s Florist. Dress Shop: Bridal and Formal. Dress Designer: Maggie Sottero. Suits: Mens Warehouse

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From the bride, Rachael…

Brian and I both attended the School of Advertising Art (SAA) in Ohio. Our first year we didn’t talk much and we were in relationships with other people. Our second year, we both became single and had several classes together. Seemingly by coincidence, we ended up working on more and more projects together. As we neared graduation, we sat next to each other every day in class and made each other laugh constantly. When Brian was out sick for a few days, I noticed that I really missed him. I even went to the trouble of asking a friend for his number to check on him. Soon, we made plans outside of school. A few months later we were officially dating. I knew I wanted to marry Brian after just three weeks. After almost seven years together it finally happened.

With our wedding being at a nature center a woodland theme was inevitable. We also wanted something with a romantic/vintage vibe. To help pull the two together we used blush pink, robin’s egg blue, ivory, and brown in our color palette and incorporated lace and doilies into our decor. The vases for all our centerpieces were made using old jars, bottles, and cans. Some were wrapped with doilies. Others were made with twigs that were glued around cans and held together with lace ribbon. The invitations for our wedding were designed and made by me. Brian and I are both graphic designers, so we knew we wanted to create something unique and special to send to our guests. Each invite was screen printed and wrapped with a fabric belly band.

We love vintage items and heirlooms. On our wedding day I wore a pink star sapphire ring my dad gave my mom on her 21st birthday and a bracelet my grandmother gave me. I also had a broach my grandmother made pinned to my bouquet. Brian carried his great-great-great grandfathers pocket watch and wore a ruby ring his grandfather wore on his wedding day.

There were so many wonderful parts of the day. Being surrounded by all our closest family and friends was truly a blessing. One of our favorites was right after the ceremony. We took a moment to ourselves to just enjoy each others presence and not be surrounded by people. It was very brief, but wonderful.

One of the funnier moments was when my dad walked me down the isle. We were both so confused by the officiant before heading down. He was motioning us to move to the right a little bit, so we were more centered on the isle. We took his had gesture as “trade places”! We switched back and forth at least 2 times before we figured out what he was telling us. I don’t think anyone really saw us do it, but I was cracking up so they definitely head me laughing.

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Tags: family heirlooms nature center Ohio outdoors outside Real Wedding vintage

February 5th, 2013

Real Wedding: Michelle and Nick, St. Paul, MN

I can already tell that today’s Real Bride, Michelle, and I would be great friends. I absolutely love that it rained on her wedding day – and although that might seem strange to say – it’s okay because she absolutely loved it too! There is something so cleansing and beautiful about the rain, and when you can have this much fun with it – especially on your wedding day – beautiful photographic memories are sure to follow! For Michelle and Nick, their day was about incorporating friends, family and the three adorable pooches who were responsible for bringing them together. With images by Cadence Cornelius, today’s Real Wedding is so fresh, so fun and so full of life! Congratulations to the couple and thanks to Cadence Cornelius for sharing this perfectly picturesque day with us!

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Who, What, Where ~ Ceremony: Irvine Park. Reception: 413 on Wacouta. Photographer: Cadence Cornelius. Catering: Cosetta Eventi. Dessert: Sweet Retreats. Flowers: A Day in Provence. Music: The Milk Dudes. Favors: Etsy.

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From the bride, Michelle…

I was single for a long time and decided to buy a home on my own. The first thing I did after closing was I went out and found myself a rescue dog to share my new digs with. I never could imagine loving anything more. We were a perfect match. Little did I know, one year later, this little dog named Weezy would be the reason I would meet my future husband. We met at the dog park. Nick had two white boxers. Casual conversation quickly turned into something more and before we knew it, we were dating. On our one year anniversary Nick proposed in the same exact spot in the dog park where he asked for my phone number. It was a quick six month engagement.

We married on a rainy spring day at Irvine Park in St. Paul which is near our home. Nick had his brother and I had my best friend stand up at the ceremony with our dogs (of course!). Instead of having official bridesmaids, I had all of my favorite girls (2 sisters and 4 best friends) wear blue so I could include them in our photos. As a bit of foreshadowing, I bought different colored rain boots as bridesmaids gifts months before the wedding. It turned out they all needed them that day! The reception was down in the cozy 413 on Wacouta in Lowertown St. Paul. We had a delicious Cossetta’s (classic St. Paul Italian) dinner by candlelight and then danced the night away.

Surprisingly, my favorite part of the day was the rain. I remember thinking, “I have never been to a wedding where it rained like this!” As I looked around at everyone gathered under colorful umbrellas, it looked and felt so beautiful and romantic. And it was.

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Tags: Minneapolis Minnesota outdoors pets rain Real Wedding St. Paul

January 31st, 2013

Real Wedding: Kelsie and Andrew, Mahomet, IL

Today’s Real Wedding features a true collaboration between a bride and her groom. Kelsie and Andrew knew they wanted a wedding that truly reflected who they are, so they opted to take on several DIY projects together. They shopped around for objects they loved, spent hours painting signs and found ways to add several personal touches to their day. They even hosted their reception in the very spot where Andrew proposed – her parents’ backyard! We love the laid back feel of this event and we especially love the nod to all the people and the places that are important to them. Photographers Jeremy & Kristin were on-hand to perfectly capture the couple’s story and highlight everything that made this wedding so personal and oh-so-fun!

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Who, What, Where ~ Ceremony: Mabery Gelvin Botanical Gardens. Reception: Bride’s parents’ backyard. Dress: Adore bridal. Photographer: Jeremy & Kristin. Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Ruche. Flower Girls’ Dresses: Cassie’s Closet. Catering: Bandana’s. Flowers: Fleur.

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From the bride, Kelsie…

Andrew and I attended Millikin University as music majors together, and it wasn’t until the end of our Junior year that we took notice of each other and began talking. Throughout our relationship Andrew would show up at my door with sunflowers often (because he knew it was my favorite flower), and we would trot off together having the best of times biking on trails, walking around nearby parks and cities, or just laying on the beach by the local lake. Needless to say much of our time falling in love was spent in the beautiful outdoors together and it was perfect! It came as no surprise to me that he choose to propose to me on the hammock in my parents backyard after a walk in their beautiful downtown historic neighborhood. He wrote me the most beautiful acrostic poem that spelled my name, and after reading it asked me to marry him.

When we started planning our wedding we tried to made sure all along that it would be fun and comfortable for all of our guests. We didn’t want to have a stuffy banquet hall, we wanted to have fresh air and a laid back atmosphere. We choose to have our wedding ceremony at the Mabery Gelvin Botanical Gardens in Mahomet Illinois, and it only seemed fitting to have our reception in my parents huge beautiful backyard. Although I don’t think our wedding had much of a theme, we seemed to stick mostly to the DIY vintage style for most of it. My original plan was to wear my grandmother’s handmade wedding dress from the 1930′s, but I could not stand the thought of cutting and altering it in order to make it fit properly. I also decided to have different styles and colors for the bridesmaids and our lovely flower girls.

Andrew and I wanted to make sure that people could see “Us” in all of our wedding day, so we decided to put a lot of DIY touches and projects into our day. We spent countless hours together painting signs for our reception, going to all the local thrift stores, and antique stores buying all the hankies, doilies, and various sizes of flower vases we could find.
Our flowers were arranged by Fleur in Bloomington Illinois. They were amazing and were JUST what I imagined for my wedding day. Since Andrew and I have such a history and love of sunflowers, it seemed fitting that they were the main flower of our day.

Special moments of my day were having my grandmother there to present me with her beautiful white gold and tanzanite necklace. It was such a special moment to share with her, and I will never forget it. I also had the privilege of honoring my grandfather who had passed away the week before our wedding. I had a charm placed on my bouquet with his picture on it, and I also presented an orange lilly (his favorite flower) to my mother who placed it on the chair he would have been sitting in. Having our wedding party place hands on us for the closing prayer at our ceremony was definitely a powerful and touching moment from our day.

My favorite moment of the day was walking out and seeing my Andrew waiting for me on the other side of the bridge. I knew that once I was holding his hands I would be his forever, and THAT was the best feeling a girl could ever have.

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Tags: DIY Illinois mason jars outdoors painted signs Real Wedding rustic vintage wild flowers

January 22nd, 2013

Engagement Session: Jennifer and Taylor, Arkansas

Jennifer and Taylor met on the campus of the University of Arkansas – so it’s only fitting that they would choose this symbolic location for their engagement shoot. The images, captured by Ashley and David Photography, showcase the couple at a favorite spot during one of their favorite times of year – Arkansas in the Fall. We love the simple backdrop of falling leaves paired with a crisp autumn day. And we love the idea of capturing the very place where they first met! Thanks to Ashley and David Photography and to Jennifer and Taylor, for sharing this piece of their story with us!