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Weddings & Events at The Ritz-Carlton Chicago (A Four Seasons Hotel)

Take just one step inside the doors at The Ritz-Carlton Chicago (A Four Seasons Hotel) and one thing will be certain… this is the place you’ll host your wedding.  Because The Ritz-Carlton Chicago (A Four Seasons Hotel) isn’t just any wedding venue, it’s the perfect combo of breathtaking beauty (hello, Grand Ballroom) and top-notch service… all wrapped up in one dream-worthy locale.

Located just steps from the amazingness that is North Michigan Avenue and nestled amongst some of the world’s coolest landmarks (think the Museum of Contemporary Art and the John Hancock Building), The Ritz-Carlton Chicago (A Four Seasons Hotel) is not only a seriously stunning place to say I do, it boasts a team of Wedding Experts that will handle every last aspect of your big day, from providing those much needed vendor recommendations to customizing yummy menus to organizing the guest accommodations.  And speaking of guests, they’re going to love sampling the crazy culinary skills of Executive Chef Martin Knaubert, the floor-to-ceiling skyline views of Chicago and the 400,000 crystal chandelier located in the ballroom.  It’s basically a wedding paradise.

So what are you waiting for, lovelies?  Head on over to The Ritz-Carlton Chicago (A Four Seasons Hotel) (and their blog!) to start planning your dream wedding… you’ll even receive a guest room stay the night prior to the wedding day and complimentary lunches for the men’s and women’s changing rooms on the day of the wedding!

Photography: Amanda Hein Photography | Photography: Kingensmith | Photography: Katie Kett Photography | Photography: Gerber + Scarpelli Wedding Photography | Photography: Kent Drake Photography

Iowa Backyard Barn Wedding

When my sweet cousin Kate let me in on plans to transform her parents’ backyard barn into a full-blown ceremony venue, I was the tiniest bit skeptical. But thanks to a little creative dreaming and a whole lot of elbow grease, they pulled off a handcrafted, vintage-chic celebration that’s sure to take Pinterest by storm. Amanda Basteen captured the day, and you can get your hands on it all in the gallery.

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Vintage

From The Bride…Ryan and I met about 5 years ago through mutual friends. Our relationship was not the typical love at first site type of romance. We became really close friends before we started dating, and I think that helped us build a really strong foundation. I know we can both say that we truly did marry our best friend.

Once I knew that Ryan was the man I would marry, I started dreaming of my perfect wedding. I grew up on a farm and have always had a love for the country. Ryan also grew up around farming, and we knew that getting married on a farm was the perfect representation of our future life together. I asked my parents if we could get married on their farm, and they were more than happy to get working on turning it into the perfect wedding location. They have an old vintage barn that I knew had the potential to be special. It took over a year to restore the barn for the wedding with help from our awesome friends and family. Ryan and I designed and built the window wall on the front of the barn that really gave it the quirky vintage feel I was looking for.

The day after Ryan and I got engaged, my mom and I started the hunt for the perfect wedding decorations. We had such a fun time hitting up all of the local shops and flea markets in our area, and were able to find the perfect vintage and shabby chic pieces we were looking for. We wanted every detail to have our own personal touch and I couldn’t be happier with how the decor turned out. My mom and I designed all of the decor for the wedding and our dear friend Bobbie Peiffer helped us pull together all of the finishing touches. She has experience in wedding design and I knew that she would take our vintage ideas and top them with the perfect finishings.

Our parents really helped make our dream wedding come true and we can’t thank them enough for letting us transform their barn into the perfect wedding location. Our guests had so much fun walking around the property and admiring all of the hard word it took to get the grounds looking so beautiful. Our wedding day was more amazing than any expectations we had and we couldn’t be more thankful that we were able to share it with our loved ones.

We are so excited to start our new life as husband and wife and are so happy we have all of these amazing memories. We knew our wedding would be a once in a lifetime experience and are delighted to be able to share and inspire other couples looking to create their own special day!

Photography: Amanda Basteen | Bridesmaids' Dresses: Various | DJ: Unique Events | Venue: The Barn | Cake/Dessert Bar: Amber's Eats And Treats | Floral/Event Design: Bobbie Peiffer | Rentals: Vintage Love Rentals Annessi | Wedding Party Hair: Hair {by Kailee} | Wedding Party Make-Up: Lindsey Coblentz

Modern and Preppy Elopement Shoot

As a born and raised Iowa girl, I have to give a shout out to these amazing Des Moines vendors, Aly CarrollShelly SarverEphemera Design and so many more. They’re the creative geniuses behind this Palm Spring-inspired elopement shoot, and I, for one, can’t get enough. Think bold patterns, bright colors, and a little touch of gold thrown in for good measure. Ready? The pin party starts right….now!

Colors
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Modern

From Aly CarrollAfter a long, bleak Iowa winter I was dreaming of shooting an event in a warmer location. So, on a brisk April day I assembled a team of vendors to stage a wishful escape, a Palm Springs elopement. Inspired by the light pink wall down the street from my studio, I incorporated shades of citrus, preppy clothing, and nautical accents. 

Photography: Aly Carroll Photography | Floral Design: Shelly Sarver | Bakery: Bite Sized Bakery | Invitations: Ephemera | Catering: Big City Burgers And Greens | Hair & Makeup: Penelopie Beauty Bar | Groomsmen's Attire: Badowers | Bride's Attire: Dornink | Centerpieces: Target | Emerald Ring: Shane Co. | Gold Band: Joseph's Jewelers | Outdoor: Valley Junction | Rentals: Poppy Olives | Rug: Urban Outfitters | Stylist: StyleEsque

SMP Midwest Welcomes Our Advertisers + A Discount + A Giveaway!

Today we’re thanking our lucky stars for WASIO photography, the sole reason your Saturday is about to take a giant step up from normal to extraordinary.  I’m talking an entire portfolio of jaw-droppingly gorgeous images from one of the most talented photography teams you will ever meet.  How’s that for the perfect weekend?  Dive into all of the pretty (+ a discount and giveaway) below!

From WASIO photography… Living in Chicago, we get to appreciate the beautiful architecture and incorporate it in our photographs. The roots of our inspiration are landscapes and being in the moment. True love is one of our greatest motivators that inspires us to capture special moments that literally happen in seconds. By having such a strong passion for love and beauty, we thrive to deliver timeless photographs that will be passed down through generations. Our goal is to always awe our clients with the famous WASIO signature style photographs.

Check us out on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest and Instagram

Discount! Book WASIO photography in August or September and we will add 10 additional images to our handcrafted wedding albums! ($300 value)

Giveaway!  One lucky SMP reader will win a sunset or sunrise 1-hour engagement session* with WASIO photography! (Value $499)  Simply leave a comment below telling us why Chicago is your city of choice for your engagement session!  The winner, chosen completely at random, will be announced right here on SMP on Friday, September 12, 2014.  

For terms and conditions, click here.  

*Session must take place in downtown Chicago on a mutually agreed day. The engagement session includes session time plus one WASIO signature edit 8×10 print. Online gallery will include all color corrected images from the session. Client will have the option to purchase additional prints with WASIO signature edit or all high-resolution electronic images.

Adam Foster Fine Art Jewelry

Pretty doesn’t even begin to describe what you’re about to feast your eyes on, my dears. Inspired by old world craftsmanship and the jewelry history of Europe, Adam Foster Fine Art Jewelry creates truly stunning and unique designs. Each piece is designed by Adam Foster and hand made in his St. Louis, Missouri boutique + studio. I mean, come on, how gorgeous are these sparklers?!

Traveling across the country — and the world — to source incredible stones and to gather inspiration, Adam Foster of Foster Fine Art Jewelry is truly a creative genius. He believes that knowing the source of the materials and the people that cut, mine or make each element of his pieces is crucial to the design process. And we couldn’t agree more. From truly unique engagement and wedding rings to one-of-a-kind necklaces and bracelets, this line of jewelry is unlike anything you’ve ever seen before.

Working with clients across the globe, Adam Foster Fine Art Jewelry can help you design something incredible. You can see more of his work in his Etsy shop, as well as on Pinterest and Facebook. To schedule your in-person meeting, give them a call at 314.771.3390 or email info{at}fosterjewelry.com.

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Bliss Weddings & Events + A Discount

As a former Windy City resident, I’ve been following (and swooning over) stunning events and weddings crafted by Bliss Weddings & Events since forever. With over 20 years of experience in luxury event planning, floral design + interior design, the creative geniuses behind Bliss will make sure your big day is totally unique and perfectly planned from start to finish!

Made up of a group of uber-talented planners and designers, the Bliss Weddings & Events team is as stylish as they are creative and fun! And that, my dears, comes shining through in each and every one of the high-end events they design and orchestrate. With a focus on personalizing every event with impeccable style, clever touches and creativity, not a detail is left behind. Guiding couples through the sometimes overwhelming process, Bliss will design every last detail of your event, from florals to lighting to paper goods. Chock full of inventive ideas and contemporary charm, a cookie-cutter event is simply not an option when working with Bliss.

Offering both full planning as well as month-of planning by their fabulous Month-Of Mavens, the Bliss team helps couples create streamlined and specialized events that will have your guests in awe. SMPers, the Bliss Belles and Beau are simply the answer to your event design + planning worries! Ready to get started on your big day? Now’s the time, because Bliss is offering $150 off  contracted month-of planning packages! Simply mention SMP in your email inquiry to redeem discount. 

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Classic Midwestern Fall Wedding

As an Iowa native living on the East Coast, this Cedar Rapids wedding feels like a little slice of home. Complete with a down-home ribs dinner in a prairie lodge and pretty details up the wazoo, there’s a whole lot to love in the gallery from Hannah White waiting right here. Happy Tuesday, SMPers!

From the Bride… Bastián and I met in a castle in Chile when I was there doing research on love poet Pablo Neruda. Three continents, two years, and a lot of airfare later we made our relationship work, and we knew this day had to be a celebration of all the people who’d shown us so much love along the way.

When you’ve got friends coming in, flying to Iowa from Chile, California, North Carolina, New York and more, you want to show them a good time, and also marry the traditions of all the different places that have made you who you are. We had a down-home Iowa dinner (miraculously, no one had a serious issue with the ribs and the formalwear!) in a prairie lodge, but then for dancing we headed back to downtown Cedar Rapids and mixed it up — a bit of Chile, a bit of Iowa, a bit of the coasts and everything in between. We were so happy to see people meeting, dancing, celebrating, speaking English and Spanish and everything in between.

The whole day was about bringing people together: we rode with our friends in the party bus, and even finished off the night continuing the laughing, talking and celebrating with several guests in our hotel suite! Perhaps it’s not the “romantic” wedding night, staring into each others’ eyes, that many imagine. But for us, the whole weekend was about community, about love in a larger sense.

Photography: Hannah White Photography | Church: Sts. Peter and Paul Chapel | Reception Venue: Squaw Creek Lodge | Reception Venue: Shores Event Center | Bride's Shoes: Paul Green | Caterer: Catering by LJ's | DJ: Hitting the Mark Entertainment | Groom's Tux: H & M | Hair Clip: Etsy | Wedding Designer and Florist: Covington and Company

Cedar Rapids Wedding Weekend from Melissa Hayes Photography

What you are about to see is a lesson on how to plan the perfect wedding weekend. Rehearsal dinner, wedding, brunch… tie it all together so the images (like these gorg ones from Melissa Hayes Photography) flow in a way that is beautiful. This is a rehearsal dinner and a wedding all in one post, and even I am learning so much about honing in on your specific style. I love it!

From the gorgeous bride… If you build it, they will come. Bruce and I met in Washington, DC almost six years ago. After a long courtship he popped the question and we decided to plan our wedding in my hometown of Cedar Rapids, IA. We wanted to be sure that the wedding reflected the two of us and we sought out to make things as personal as possible. As this was a destination wedding for so many out of town guests, we wanted to plan lots of wedding weekend events to be sure our friends and family enjoyed everything Iowa had to offer.

We held our large rehearsal dinner at the gorgeous Sutliff Cider Barn that overlooks acres and acres of Iowa farm country. It was a casual and relaxed evening that couldnt have been more perfect. Our rehearsal fell on the Summer Solstice and despite the morning thunderstorms, we were blessed with an evening filled with lots of natural light. After seeing our guests surprised faces as they exited the buses for dinner, I was confident that we succeeded in showing everyone how much beauty Iowa has to offer.

One of my favorite moments occurred before the ceremony. As we pulled up to the church, I was greeted outside by my nervous and emotional Father. He and I have always had a special relationship and I was so pleased that we were able to share a few moments together in the courtyard before he escorted me down the aisle as a string quartet played In My Life by The Beatles.

Following the ceremony, we held our reception at the Cedar Rapids Country Club a location that holds many memories from my childhood. It was fun to be announced as husband and wife in the very ballroom where I had spent so many celebratory occasions growing up. I was so happy that we were able to take photographs outside on the golf course and our guests were able to enjoy the view from the patio during our cocktail hour.

Planning our wedding from Washington, DC was only possible with the help of my Mother, who thankfully did the lions share of the work. We decided on a color scheme that included navy, toast and a little hint of coral. We worked with a local artist in Iowa to create our stunning invitations and wanted all of our paper products to mirror the same look, using the same combination of colors and fonts. The flowers turned out beautifully delicate peach David Austin roses, cream peonies and dahlias and lots of greenery. My Mother found lace tablecloths to complement my lace dress and we used lots of candles and mercury glass candle votives to decorate the tables at the reception.

Im still so touched by the many friends and family who traveled to Iowa to help us celebrate our wedding. The weekend was absolutely perfect in every way and it was truly a weekend that we will never forget.

Photography: Melissa Hayes Photography | Flowers: Cedar Memorial Flower Shop | Wedding Dress: Monique Lhuillier | Cake: Jules Bakery | Invitations: RSVP | Reception Venue: The Cedar Rapids Country Club | Shoes: Jimmy Choo | Bridesmaids Dresses: Jenny Yoo | Band: Funk Daddies | Groomsmens Ties: Salvatore Ferragamo | Grooms Suit: Hickey Freeman | Bridal Boutique: Carine's Bridal Atelier | Bridesmaids Earrings: Kendra Scott Jewelry | Rehearsal Dinner Catering: Braise | Rehearsal Dinner Venue: Sutliff Cider Barn

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Solon, Iowa Woods Wedding from Paper Antler

Happy Brides are the prettiest Bride’s in my opinion. A gorgeous gown or a sparkly pair of shoes are fine and dandy but a big smile, now that is the perfect accessory. And this Bride’s smile is maybe the sweetest of them all. One that Paper Antler managed to photograph so perfectly along with a day set amongst the trees of Iowa. Take a forest canopy and pair it with peonies and fun details like chalkboard mugs for each and every guest and the result is the happiest of celebrations with a even more fun details in the full gallery.

From Paper Antler… This adorable couple celebrated their wedding weekend at camp Io-Dis-E-Ca in Solon, Iowa, where a row of trees in the middle of the woods created a perfect aisle for their ceremony and an open field was ideal for their picnic style BBQ reception. The bright and colorful palette of yellow, blue, soft pink and grey was beautiful against the natural landscape and there were oodles of DIY elements including the amazingly intricate save-the-dates and invitations, designed by the Bride herself.  As a wedding favor, everyone received a chalkboard painted mug so they could write their names and fill it up with one of Ashley + Creighton’s favorite espresso drinks at the coffee bar. One of the sweetest moments of the day was when all of the guests lit paper lanterns and released them into the sky before sending Ashley + Creighton off with a sparkler exit.

Wedding Photography: Paper Antler / Wedding Venue: Camp Io-Dis-E-Ca in Solon, Iowa / Floral Design: Bridgewater Gardens + FiftyFlowers.com / Wedding Catering: Jimmy Jack’s Rib Shack / Wedding Cake: Yummy’s Gourmet Cakes / Wedding Stationery: DIY by the Bride / Wedding Dress: Ivy & Aster

These Featured Designers are members of our Look Book.
For membership information, click here
Des Moines Wedding from Amy Allen Photography

You know those weddings that instantly cause that warm, happy feeling all the way down to your tippy toes? You know the ones – the first peek brings a smile to your face that doesn’t end for days. Well this wedding is the queen of those weddings. From Amy Allen Photography‘s very first image, I knew we were in for something special – something heartwarming. And after spending a whole lot of time in the gallery you can rest assured that this is definitely something VERY special + heartwarming!

Click here to see the whole soiree in the gallery!

Dan and I are both from the same town, but didn’t officially meet until my freshman year of college. Through mutual friends, we were introduced and began spending more and more time together. We graduated college, both started our careers, and eventually made our way back to Cedar Rapids. After seven years, we decided to make the big jump into marriage and haven’t looked back!

I knew I was in trouble when I started finding projects on Pinterest and wedding blogs to create for my wedding before I had even gotten engaged. Once we were engaged, the hard work really started. I have to give my crafty mom all the credit for helping turn my vision into reality. I knew I wanted a smaller wedding, thus allowing me to create a more intimate setting in two beautiful historic venues in downtown Des Moines.

Our ceremony was held in a traditional Lutheran church close to the Iowa State Capitol. I loved the old fashioned feel of the church and the warm welcoming people we got to know there. Because the church itself was so beautiful, we left the decorating to a minimum. Our only addition was to add two grapevine wreaths to the large front doors. During the ceremony, we had two of our closest friends read passages from our favorite book and poem. Following the ceremony, guests were able to toss rosemary and lavender from cones my mom and I had carefully crafted out of complementary colored scrapbook and tissue paper. I had decided on a color scheme long ago of mostly blues, greens, bronzes, and hints of burlap brown. These must have been a hit because we were covered!

Once guests arrived at the reception, they were treated with hors d’oeuvres and our signature drink of white peach sangria. To add to their sangria, we handmade custom drink stirrers with cute phrases on them. My mom and I crafted our seating chart out of an old wooden frame we picked up at a craft store and hooked twine on the back. We  clipped our table listings to the twine with mini clothes pins. I bought a mailbox and had my dad paint it a beautiful slate blue. He carefully stenciled our name along the side to create a unique card collector. Instead of the traditional guest books, my husband and I each picked out a coffee table book we would like and had our guests leave their well wishes.

To add to the decor, my mom and I stocked up on over 100 mason jars and added strips of burlap around the middle of the jars. We tied a bow of twine, and filled the jars with sand and a candle. This gave the venue a glow all evening. I wanted to make sure our guests had a great time, so I made postcards and placed them at each person’s seat. I asked our guests to give us their marriage advice (and drop in our mailbox, of course). This proved to be a huge hit! It was so fun going through and reading everyone’s response. I made sure to save these for Dan and I to go through again over the years. We hauled an old whiskey barrel 2 hours from my hometown to place our cake on and it ended up working perfectly with the scheme of the wedding.

My favorite element of the decor were the umbrellas I had carefully selected to hang over the dance floor. I rented these from a store in Seattle and they were exactly the unique touch I was looking for.

With a wedding of only 90 people, we closely knew each one of our guests. Our goal was to make them feel welcomed and appreciated, with the opportunity to kick back and have a great time! Between the welcome bags filled with goodies on arrival to their hotel up to Jimmy John’s being catered at the end of the night, I know our guests (and ourselves) had a wonderful evening.

Photography: Amy Allen Photography / Flowers: cynwhd b designs / Event Planning & Design: Laura and her mother / Ceremony Location: Capitol Hill Lutheran / Reception Location: Zart 1312, Downtown Des Moines, IA / Invitations: Zephyr Weddings / Shoes: Badgley Mischka / Dress: Paloma Blanca / Umbrella Rentals: Bella Umbrella / Custom Purses: Jenna Lou Designs / Custom Postcards: Vistaprint

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Iowa State University Wedding by m three studio

This story opens with a beautiful dress. A dress worthy of a sashay down the aisle if ever there was one followed by images so heartfelt you will instantly be pulled into this affair head over heels. The flower girl stealing a peak as the Bride walks down the aisle; maybe one of our favorite pictures of all time. And that is just the tip of the iceberg. m three studio captured all the crazy, beautiful fashion; all the melt-your-heart moments and you can see them all here.

Click here for the FULL wedding!

From the Bride… After meeting on a blind date in the East Village, dating for three years in New York City and getting engaged in Central Park, Tom and I knew that we wanted to bring the style of New York to our Iowa wedding. With countless hours spent perusing Style Me Pretty for inspiration, I decided to create a romantic mood with vintage touches. We wanted our wedding day to be a unique experience for the Iowa guests while surprising all of the east coast guests with a laid-back but elegant affair. The Iowa State Memorial Union was the perfect backdrop to make that vision come to life.

I have a design degree and work in fashion, so it was important to me to have a lot of my own touches throughout our day. I made my veil, the bridesmaids’ bracelets, programs, menus, printed signs, lace votives and the large frame that held the escort cards. Thanks to Gmail, I still had Tom’s first email to me planning our blind date (and my response) which I printed on the back of the menus. My dress hunt took me to 14 different stores in NYC.  I thought I had found “the one” several times until I ended my search at Vera Wang.  I found my dress at her Fall 2011 trunk show just days after it was on the runway and was the first to purchase the dress. It was everything I could have dreamed for — unique, romantic, full of texture and the perfect color. Thanks to our friends and family, our wedding day was full of love and incredibly perfect. Molly at m three Studio completely surpassed all of our expectations when it came to capturing every moment of our day. She is beyond talented, and we feel very fortunate to have her photos to remember our special day.

Wedding Photography: m three studio / Reception Venue: Memorial Union at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa / Floral Design: Mary Kay’s Flowers & Gifts / Wedding Day Planning: Down to Details / Wedding Cinematography: Keri Thien / Wedding Cakes: Iowa State Bakery / Wedding Invitations: Pistachio Press / Calligraphy: Dancing Pen & Press / Chair Rentals: Classic Events & Parties / Band: Final Mix Show Band / Bride’s Veil, Bridesmaids’ Bracelets, Programs, Menus, Printed Signs, Lace Votives + Escort Card Frame: DIY by the Bride / Wedding Dress: Vera Wang / Bride’s Bracelets: Chamak by Priya Kakkar / Bride’s Shoes: Miu Miu / Hair: Nicole Piper of Frederick Fekkai NYC / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: 57 Grand / Flower Girl Dresses + Bow Ties: Ralph Lauren / Groom’s Tuxedo: Ralph Lauren Black Label

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Des Moines Wedding by Mark Kegans Photographs

Weddings tend to strike a separate cord in all of us, and this personality-filled Iowa fête by Mark Kegans Photographs is the perfect example of what tends to strum every cord in my wedding-obsessed heart. Because not only was this wedding held in the chicest of lofts filled with the most sophisticated details (hello fabulous ceremony backdrop!), but when the best man also has the rings flown in by a remote-controlled helicopter and the couple had their hands in every special detail – you just know this entire celebration is strike-a-cord-worthy. And after scrolling through the images of the couple’s oh so perfect day in the full gallery of images, I guarantee you’ll agree.

Click here for the FULL wedding!

From the bride… From the get go, Kyle and I knew that we wanted to have a large role in the pieces that would make our wedding day whole. We struck a fine balance between knowing when to ask for help and knowing what we could handle ourselves. Sometimes it was a bit stressful, but in the end, it all turned out perfectly. Kyle and I got engaged in a photo booth on Christmas Eve, and though we knew having a photo booth would be important to us for our fall wedding, Kyle (an industrial designer) decided to put a unique spin on things: he built our photo booth himself. Not only was craftiness a large part of our wedding, but so was locality. I’m from Iowa, and Kyle is from Michigan, and we tried to have the wedding reflect our appreciation for all things local: our food included Iowa prosciutto and local greens, the honey we used as our party favors was from Iowa, and our salad had Michigan dried cherries. All of our paper materials were provided by a Michigan paper company, and our beer and wine were purchased from the restaurant where I worked all through high school and college. Kyle and I are proud of our roots, and we wanted to pay homage to them in every way we possibly could.

While we take the tradition of marriage seriously, we did want to have at least a little bit of fun with our guests — which is why we enlisted the help of Kyle’s brother, best man, and sister-in-law to help us stage a spoof in which the best man “forgot” the rings and had a remote-controlled helicopter bring them over to him. It was the best surprise ever — from everyone’s reactions, you can see that we were able to keep that one a pretty good secret!

Aside from the photo booth, Kyle designed our invitations, programs, menu cards and honey tags, and I wrote the copy for everything. Nothing felt better than knowing the majority of what we’d come up with we’d also been able to execute and create ourselves. We had friends do the chalk art, arrange songs to be played during the cocktail hour, and help us assemble the photo booth. We were lucky enough to have had Kyle’s father, a judge, marry us. Looking back, nothing is cooler than seeing the parts that so many wonderful people played in helping us with our wedding day. The day was wonderful, from top to bottom. Kyle and I knew that above all else, our hard work was only an element of the event. We wanted to have a good time and not sweat what we couldn’t control. That was the easiest (and best) decision we ever made. The night flowed perfectly, thanks to our coordinators; the decor was absolutely stunning; and every moment was filled with laughter and wonderful conversation.

Wedding Photography: Mark Kegans Photographs / Event Planning, Design + Flowers: Magnolia 105 by Divine Flowers / Wedding Venue: Sticks in Des Moines, Iowa / Wedding Cake: Cake Me, I’m Yours! / Food + Catering: Lisa LaValle / Wedding Invitations: Kyle Lawson, Groom / Shoes: Miss America / Wedding Dress: Tara Keely

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Okoboji Wedding by Razvan Photography

Welcome back to another fabulous wedding Wednesday! Today we’ve got eight amazing weddings to share with you, all handpicked and guaranteed to inspire and put a smile on your face. Just make sure to hit up the full galleries because it’s tough work squeezing all this pretty into one day.

Kicking off our day is this super cute woodsy wedding by Razvan Photography. Our favorite parts of this fete include the gorgeous bouquet adorned with vintage brooches, the cute-as-can-be cake topper made to look just like the bride and groom and of course, the butterfly release just before dinner. Click here for more.

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From the Bride…On July 4, 2010, we were sitting on a grassy hill watching the boats gather ‘round the lakes of Okoboji for the fireworks show when Jon popped the champagne and the question. Thereafter, it was nothing but planning for our wonderful wedding set for August 20, 2011. From bridal magazines, to “Say Yes to the Dress,” to multiple websites (my favorite being Etsy.com), I found my inspirations. In the beginning, however, I couldn’t be more confused as to what I exactly wanted. As time went on, I began to realize that it was important to have what I could describe as “Jon and my personalities” and to have something that would be timeless. I decided that a woodsy-modern theme was something that fit our character. We also wanted everything from the wedding, to the cocktail hour, to the reception to take place outdoors. We booked it at the Wild Rose Inn, a beautiful bed and breakfast with wonderful landscaping, walkway with a bridge, and small waterfall. Best of all, the owners felt like family.

As for our colors: The natural/organic colors of green and brown were a great background to compliment the beauty with nature inspirations everywhere. Jon made a lot of the props like the tree trunk dessert/cake pedestals, the band’s wooden dance stage, the grand wooden dance floor, the wooden engraved “dining”, “dancing”, and “cocktails” arrow signs, and much more. Our cake-toppers were made by my employee’s artsy daughter; it was wooden people designed to look just like Jon and I on our special day (of course we hid it at my work so he couldn’t see it, because otherwise he would have known what I would have specifically looked like, and of course we wouldn’t want to ruin the surprise!).  Moss covered the dessert table beneath all of the wonderful dishes to create a story-book feel. Burlap was placed as table-cloths to give it an earthy feel. Burlap was strung on the balcony with lanterns, around the tent, and even above our arch where we were married outside. Lighted tree branches were strung up the opening tent sides and tent poles.

Mustard-yellow was my little pop of funk. It was incorporated in one of my brooches in my bouquet. Jon’s tie had a tree-ring look with white and mustard-yellow. The bridesmaids carried billy ball and ranunculus bouquets. The maid of honor had a mustard-yellow sash. The boys also had billy ball boutonnieres. These yellow flowers were strung from bamboo sticks which led out the paths. They were also placed in tree-trunk vases on all of the tables in the dining area under the tent and also in the cocktail area on the high tables. The girls each had bracelets as a gift to them from me with a mustard-yellow flower and charcoal beads hand-made by an Etsy.com girl. Mine was also a mustard-yellow flower but with white beads with splashes of yellow. I also had wonderful Sun Dance ballet flats with a satin bow. They kept me comfortable and shorter than Jon, which was important, because I’m just under his height to begin with (I wanted to look like the wife in pictures, not the sister!).  Charcoal grays gave us the edginess. The boys wore gray suits with converse charcoal gray shoes while the girls wore charcoal gray dresses that were a bit darker in shade. Jon wore high-top white converse shoes. My bouquet was white ranunculus, grandmother’s lace, and other flowers along with vintage brooches that were silver with rhinestones (found at flea-markets and antique stores). My hair I kept down with a veil for the wedding, but put to the side for the reception with a silver brooch.  I had also a silver rhinestone belt.

Memorable items:  Knowing when I had found my dress when you’re MOH and mom tear up…you know right then that you are getting married.  We had BUTTERFLIES flown in by plane from across the country to be let out in the tent before dinner, each in their own envelope (over a hundred of them). Little do you know how delicate they are as they come with a set of rules! They are dormant and put on ice until 2 hours before you release them. You let them be in room temperature to awake them in these 2 hours before you hand them out (which my aunt, Kelli did carrying around a wooden basket). This was an unforgettable idea of my mother’s and it will not be forgotten by the guests or me. When I see a monarch butterfly it reminds me now of this day.  The flower girl had a brooch bouquet as well that I made a little out of the norm with multi-color flower brooches but no real flowers. They were all unique and colorful and very fun and out of the norm.  Jon sang me a song as a surprise and had me dance with his dad as he played the guitar to us as well that night. My friends got really feisty and fun and the girl who caught the bouquet and the guy that caught the garter did their own garter dance together for everyone to put it on her leg. It was a riot!   Many were surprised by the band. They were a young group, but they were very talented with their instruments as they played classic rock and roll and blues from artists like Eric Clapton, ZZ-top, The Eagles, Stevie Ray Vaughan, etc.  The amazing cello player for the wedding, cocktail hour, and jam fest with the band was amazing. He would be a prodigy in my book.

Wedding Photography: Razvan Photography / Venue: Wild Rose Inn Okoboji / Wedding Decor: Trisha Wempe / Band: Cirkle of Fifths / Catering: Minerva’s / Desserts: Erika of The Chocolate Season / Hair: Stephanie Parks of The Strand / Make-up: Dallas Dotson of Okoboji Skin Care / Cello Player: David Downing

Rustic DIY Wedding by Jeff Sampson Photography

I’m totally smitten with this adorable backyard, DIY Iowa wedding. And how could I not be? Just look at all those beautiful handmade cakes, the pretty yellow and green color palette, and all those cute canned favors including cherries, salsa, and strawberry rhubarb all whipped up by the mother of the bride. And then there’s the gorgeous images by Jeff Sampson Photography that captured the day perfectly. This wedding really can’t get any better! Click here for even more.

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From Jeff Sampson Photography: Practically every aspect of this wedding was DIY.  The wedding was located in Hull, Iowa in the bride’s family’s yard. The favors were all handmade by the bride’s mother and included canned Strawberry Rhubarb Jam, Canned Pickles, Canned Cherries, and Canned Salsa. The program fans were made by the bride along with the tags for the cakes, table arrangements, and drinks. A friend of the family baked all the delicious cakes. All the antique decor was borrowed from an uncle who owns a local antique shop and all the jewelry was passed down by great grandma.

Ceremony Location: Private Residence / Reception Ceremony: Industrial Park / Favors: Mother of the Bride / Program Fans: The Bride / Cakes: Family Friend / Jewelry: Great Grandma’s / Antique Decor: Bride’s Uncle / Tags for Cakes, Seating Arrangements, Drinks, etc.: The Bride / Wedding Photography: Jeff Sampson Photography / Bride’s Shoes: Franco Sarto

Pella Wedding by Niña.Cecilia {creative spark}

Welcome back to another pretty day in the life of SMP! Today we’ll showcase seven, yes seven gorgeous weddings all full of inspiration galore and there’s something for every bride-to-be whether you’re a DIY crafting goddess or a glamour chic chica, we’ve totally got you covered today.

Kicking off the pretty parade today is this sweet-as-can-be Iowa wedding. We’re loving the casual, outdoor vibe full of vibrant yellow florals.  But what’s the best part of this wedding you ask? They did it all, from hiring their photographers Niña.Cecilia {creative spark} and floral and event designer Shelly Sarver Designs for under $10,000! Now that’s amazing! See even more of this budget friendly, beautiful wedding here in the full gallery!

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From the Bride…When we announced our engagement, my parents said they would pay for the wedding but they gave us a budget of $10,000.  I knew it would be close, but I also knew that I could use a lot of my own ideas and creativity to keep costs low.  The most important things to me were the decor and the photography of the wedding.  However, I also got a great price on both of those, thanks to a couple of things.  First of all, I found a couple of WONDERFUL up-and-coming photographers who just happened to be starting up a business together, so I got a great deal on their beautiful photos!  Creative Spark is a duo of twin sisters Nina and Cecilia, who take some of the most beautiful and unique photographs in the area!  Also, I happen to be good friends with the most creative florist in the area – Shelly Sarver, who also happened to double as my wedding planner!  We had many brainstorming sessions and she was able to help me narrow down all my ideas into a single theme.  It was like Shelly was inside my head and able to see the vision that I had and then make it come to life!  She is amazing!

I don’t think the ceremony site could have been more perfect!  My cousin offered her backyard, which she has had landscaped beautifully for years and shown in many garden parties.  With that as a beautiful background, Shelly worked her magic and put flower petals lining the aisle, flowers in mason jars lining the aisle hanging from shepherd’s hooks, and of course the gorgeous sprays on the arbor and the large bouquets at the back and front of the aisle.  One of my favorite touches were the strands of beads we hung in the trees.  I borrowed these from my church and I think they added so much to the front of the ceremony!

My mom, Shelly, and I had a lot of fun brainstorming and coming up with reception decor ideas.  My mom and I decided to make a string of flags that hung from the entire length of one side of the reception room.  I wanted to bring some rustic outdoorsy feel into the reception since it already had the outdoor feel with so many windows that overlooked trees and a golf course, so the table decorations were simple plants in a twiggy burlap container, a group of bottles with burlap and single flowers stuck in the middle, or one of the blue mason jar arrangements that lined the aisle at the ceremony (Shelly transported them to the reception site for table decor).  I also made about 50 tissue paper flowers that hung in groups from the ceiling.  These were a very affordable decoration but they took some time to make. Jake and I have so many great memories from our special day.  The weather turned out gorgeous, despite a small scare of rain in the morning.  We had so many wonderful friends and family there to make memories with us amongst a gorgeous backdrop!  I must thank SMP for much of my inspiration, and I hope our wedding can inspire other brides as well!

Wedding Photography: Niña.Cecilia {creative spark} / Wedding Cinematography: Eli Groenendy / Floral + Event Design: Shelly Sarver Designs / Event Planning: The Bride + Mother of the Bride / Ceremony Location: Private Residence / Reception Location: Bos Landen Golf Club / Invitations: DIY + Town Crier, Ltd. (printing) / Bride’s Shoes: Rampage / Wedding Dress: Allure Bridals

These Featured Designers are members of our Look Book.
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Iowa Wedding with DIY Gorgeousness

I hope everyone had a fantastic weekend! Tait and I were actually at the Cape all of last week so before I begin, I wanted to send a HUGE thank you to Erin, Elaine and our Guest Bloggers for keeping the blog afloat (and totally gorgeous) while we were gone! You girls are the best. Okay, so we have the loveliest of lovely weddings for you this Monday morning. The bride and her friends and family crafted all of the gorgeous details on a $13,000 budget and made it look like a $50,000 budget…something we LOVE to see. And the photographs by Eric Yerke..well, totally beyond. I am seriously swooning over this little beauty and I know you will too. Click here to see even more!

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Click here to see the full wedding in all it’s fabulousness!

We met this past October during Oktoberfest in Amana – it was definitely love at first sight. On New Year’s day, Adam proposed and so began our fairytale.

As a graphic designer I had many ideas and thoughts going through my head as what I wanted the wedding’s theme to be… I have always wanted to have an outdoor ceremony – something so beautiful and real about having your wedding outdoors. To me its one step closer to God – surrounded by all his creation. And our reception had to be in the Festhalle Barn! The location of Oktoberfest… Where we met! With all its rich and strong history and elegance it was a great place that not only had meaning but potential!

There was one thing besides our tight budget ($13,000) that was very important to us. I wanted to carry throughout the wedding day the “feeling” that our guests would have. A feeling of a whimsical fairytale that they were swept into the beauty of nature in our ceremony and experiencing the elegant contrast of the rich wood barn against the flowing fabric and tranquil candlelight – – while they listened to the soft jazz / classical music of the band while they enjoyed their night away from their reality.

Some of the interesting snippets of the wedding / decoration…

We bought wine glasses from all sorts of second hand stores, vintage stores, goodwills, etc. — which made them all different shapes and sizes – creating a very homey individual look. Also the guests got to take the wine glasses home with them as a favor. All of the brass we used to decorate with throughout the reception area came from Goodwill’s so there was no sets — just playful and random. The fabric we used to drape was muslin (which you know is extremely affordable). We used lots of fabric softener to make it easier to drape. The backdrop for the reception (behind the band & photo booth) was cardboard pieces that I painted then we taped them together.

The menu was made up of a piece of wood which I sprayed chalkboard paint on then wrote the menu on — the frame was from an antique store. For our ceremonial unity we used different types of rope/string/etc. So… Adam came up with a piece that depicted him, I did and each set of our parents did. Then during the ceremony we tied them all together.

The directional signs for the wedding were just old pieces of barn board that we hinged together and my mother in law painted. Oh and all the little candles were bought at Hobby Lobby (not sure how wide-spread that store is…) which were very inexpensive! Another place that saved us money was GotPrint.com — we printed all of our invite pieces from this website for… I think around $280.

Planning / Coordination / Design & Decorating – Done by the bride with help from family and friends / Photography – Eric Yerke / Ceremony Venue – Kent Park / Reception Venue – Festhalle Barn in Amana, IA  / Cake – Deluxe Cakes & Pastries / Groom’s Suit – DKNY / Dress – The Bridal Connection, designed by Christina Rossi / Bride’s Shoes – Menbur, bought from Endless.com / Bridesmaid’s Dresses – Victoria’s Secret / / Hair – Tracy Andes / Flowers (bouquets & boutonnieres only) – All Seasons Weeds / Flowers (table arrangements) – Amy Raes / Wreath, Swag – Mother of the bride / Ceremony Music – Janet Carlon, Amy Carlon, Joey Russell / Band – Freestyle Band / Caterer – Howard Ball  / Beer – Millstream Brewery / Appetizers – Amana Meatshop

Backyard Elegance From Red Ribbon Studio

And now, the second of Red Ribbon Studio’s elegant weddings …

Jessie and Chris were married in her parents backyard ~ at the local polo fields in Cummings, Iowa. A little bit country (as in a big red barn) and beaucoups of charm!

Love, love, love the mixture of flowers in the bouquets and centerpieces!!

This table setting may be one of my all time favorites. I LOVE the gentle and warm color palette of the flowers mixed with the whimsy of the pickled okra!

From Maribeth’s blog

There were many homespun elements. Tables named for seasonal vegetables, pickled beans & beets that Jessie and her mom canned, homemade strawberry and pepper jelly … all for guests who dined under a white tent on a perfect autumn night.

So, you see, elegance is defined in many ways ~ casual or classic, inside or out ~ it’s simply ALL in the details!

Wedding coordination and florals by Saley at DiVine Flowers. Congratulations, Jessie & Chris on a lovely, lovely wedding!


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For more of Maribeth’s fantastic photography, be sure to take some time over on her website and look thru her portfolio … not just weddings … but inspirations and travel too. You’ll see the spirit behind her talents come alive!  We absolutely LOVE the vibrancy of her style!  Thanks so much, Maribeth and Red Ribbon Studio for being a part of SMP’s Little Black Book of Very Important Vendors!!

Wedding Photography By Red Ribbon Studio

Just a heads up about tomorrow’s featured Little Black Book photographer, Maribeth at Red Ribbon Studio based out of Minneapolis, Minnesota. Here’s what one bride had to say about Maribeth’s style~

“…you managed to be everywhere, never missing a shot or a moment, but in the most respectful way… your work is fun, it’s fresh, it’s sophisticated, it’s clean, it’s clever and smart!” Pretty great testimonial, I’d say.

So ~ until tomorrow ~ when we’ll be featuring two of Red Ribbon Studio’s weddings with two totally different styles! Jamie & Randy’s elegant wedding at the Semple Mansion in Minneapolis and Jessie & Chris’ elegant backyard wedding on the local polo fields in Cummings, Iowa.

Iowa Charm by Jeremy Lawson, IV

Thank you, thank you, thank you to Jeremy Lawson for sharing some of the happiest, prettiest, all together awesome-est photos I’ve ever seen. We actually have another wedding from Jeremy coming up later in the week that is equally as great!

And, to the bride and groom…you guys are SO stinking cute and your wedding was enough to make me jump for joy! Here’s to many, many years that are just as lovely.

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Iowa Charm by Jeremy Lawson, III

Jeremy Lawson is a genius behind the lens, bottom line. But even better…he is one lucky photographer. Not only did he score the most amazingly gorgeous bride and groom, he got to fly out to Iowa to document the entire, brilliantly charming wedding. I am actually a little jealous of him right now!

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So, like I mentioned earlier, the bride and her mother did all of the flowers themselves. They even fashioned a BOOT-onniere for the groom to wear! How cute is THAT??

After the wedding, the pair headed to the actual field of dreams to take some pictures. They had their first dance in the fields and spent some time being cuter than I ever thought was humanly possible!

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More to come from Jeremy!