1. Tell us about your wedding! What was the inspiration behind your day? Did you have a specific theme, style or color palette? Did you incorporate any cultural or religious traditions in any part of your day?
Despite it being 98 degrees when we said "I do," our wedding was nothing short of perfect! We wanted something beautiful, romantic, and elegant, but fun and relaxed at the same time and we were able to manage the perfect balance between those. Our ceremony was in my home church that I grew up in, and our reception was in my sister's beautiful backyard. I always wanted a Fall wedding but we ended up getting married at the end of May and I still kept the same color palette I always had in mind which was dark purple, a lighter pinkish purple, and sage green.
2. Let's talk wedding decor. How did you decorate your space for the ceremony and the reception? Was any part of the decor DIY?
The only decor we did for the ceremony was lining the aisle with candelabras as the church we got married in is beautiful on its own. We did a tented backyard reception with simple decor, white table cloths, garlands of eucalyptus lining the tables, natural wood pieces our table numbers sat on, and various small accents on the tables.
3. What were the florals like in your wedding? Did you use flowers in any of your design elements like the bridal bouquets, centerpieces or ceremony backdrop? Did they play an important part in the overall style of your wedding?
Lots of whites, purples, and greenery! We only used flowers for the bouquets, no other decor, but our centerpieces all incorporated garlands of eucalyptus. And I made all of the boutonnieres using fake flowers from Hobby Lobby with lavender being the main focal flower.
4. Did you personalize the day in any way (food trucks, guest entertainment etc.)? What were some of your favorite parts of your wedding?
I did request the DJ play the first dance songs from the weddings of my parents and all my married siblings which made for sweet moments.
5. Let's talk fashion. How did you both choose your wedding day look? Describe the looks in detail.
I had been searching online, Pinterest, everywhere to find the style I liked before ever going to a bridal shop. I knew I wanted something with some sort of straps, flowy but not ball gown, no train, and a little pizzazz like lace or sparkle but not over the top. And that was exactly what I found in the 5th dress I tried on which I chose! Ryan wore a dark gray suit matching his groomsmen all with deep purple ties and vests to coordinate with the bridesmaid dresses.
6. How did you meet? Tell us about the proposal.
We met working security together at the Mall of America. We started dating on Christmas of 2020 and Ryan proposed almost one year later on December 23rd, 2021 on a walk at a park that we visited when we first started dating.
7. What was the most anticipated or special moment of your wedding day?
The first glimpse of each other when the doors opened at the back of the church and Ryan and I saw each other from opposite ends of the aisle.
8. Do you have any wedding planning or marriage advice that you'd like to share with other couples planning their day?
Get the big things out of the way first (date, venue, etc.) because it helps you feel accomplished knowing those are taken care of and gives you more space to focus on the details. Also I recommend the couple each choosing one or two things that are the key most important to them and paying extra attention to those. Our most important were the food/bar and music!
Vendors -
Ceremony Location: South Presbyterian Church
DJ: Magic Touch DJs
Beauty: Pin It Up & Pout
Photographer: Laurel Creative