Heartwarming. I seriously can’t describe this stunning day any other way. From the at-home setting to the gorgeous DIY details to the MORE than moving vows these two lovebirds exchanged, every last glorious moment has warmed my heart in every.which.way. And when you combine all of this backyard perfection with a bundle of brilliant images captured by Jacki Warren Photography, groomsmen donning cute-as-can-be green cardis and a beyond fabulous film from Alea Lovely… well. It’s just a “cozy on up for a whole lot of sweetness” kind of day. See it all here.
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And a breathtaking film from the ever-fabulous Alea Lovely to wrap up the day…
From the Bride… Jake and I had a dream of what our perfect wedding would look like long before we were even engaged. When my parents built their dream home in the country in Illinois, we knew that was the perfect location for the unique, intimate and relaxed wedding we had always wanted. After convincing my parents — and it did take some convincing — we began planning. We had two main goals for our wedding. One, that each person who attended our wedding felt like they were not just spectators, but that they played a special part in our day and ultimately in our marriage. Two, that our love for each other was evident in every detail of the day. My most favorite part of the wedding was walking down the aisle to the whole congregation singing a song that Jake wrote for me. The emotions I was already feeling were only intensified by hearing our loved ones sing such beautiful words to me. We also laid a stone on everyone’s seat and during our unity ceremony we had everyone write their initials on the stone and say a prayer over it. We then walked up and down the aisle and were able to greet everyone as we collected their stone to place in a lantern with our unity candle. We have the lantern and stones with all the names on them displayed in our home as a reminder of how much we are loved. It was also important to us to use our family and friends’ talents and gifts to help bring our day together. My aunt and cousin did my hair and makeup, my sister-in-law and our friends sang the songs, my cousin designed our invitations, and our sisters and aunts made all the delicious desserts for our dessert table.
The decorations and color palate were kept simple enough so the natural surroundings stood out, but they were special enough to be remembered. Our family horses and the surrounding cornfields made for the perfect backdrop. For the centerpieces, we used wood that my uncle cut from a tree on his farm, soybeans as a nod to the local farms, and a mismatched collection of glassware and bird salt and pepper shakers that we collected from thrift stores and yard sales throughout our engagement. Each table was also set with mismatched thrift store plates. We were also lucky enough to serve an assortment of beer from our favorite local brewery, Brickstone Brewery. And everyone had such a wonderful time dancing the night away.
The wedding exceeded our dreams, and it was truly the perfect day. The weather was perfect, my parents were great hosts, and we couldn’t have asked for anything more. We often reflect on the day and feel so lucky that there wasn’t a single thing that we would have changed. We are so blessed to have the amazing video from Alea Lovely that did an unbelievable job of capturing all the beauty and emotions of our wedding.
Wedding Photography: Jacki Warren Photography / Wedding Venue: The Bride’s Parents’ Home in Bourbonnais, Illinois / Floral Design: The Flower Girl / Decor Design: Brock Morris / Wedding Cinematography: Alea Lovely / Wedding Invitations: A Cousin of the Bride / Wedding Cake: Nana’s Cakery / Desserts: The Sisters + Aunts of the Bride & Groom / Music: Friends + the Groom’s Sister / DJ: Jim Cerone / Tent + Chairs: Herriot’s / Lighting: J Bros. Productions / Buggy Rental: Jim & Becky’s Horse & Carriage Service / Wedding Dress: Allure Bridals / Bride’s Jewelry: Fay Cullin / Bride’s Hair Piece: Target / Bride’s Hair: Linda Menard (The Bride’s Aunt) / Makeup: Jenna Menard (A Cousin of the Bride) / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Anthropologie / Groom’s Suit: Caravelli / Groom’s Hat: Banana Republic / Groomsmen’s Attire: Banana Republic